WASHINGTON, DC -- By a vote of 79-19, the U.S. Senate today passed the bipartisan Senator Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act to improve our communities, address urgent national challenges, and encourage more Rhode Islanders to participate in national-service programs. This legislation, which U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) cosponsored, will help expand volunteerism nationwide and increase the number of participants in AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000.

"I was pleased to see my friend and colleague Ted Kennedy on the Senate floor casting his vote to expand and improve national and community service opportunities for Americans across the nation," said Reed. "Building on the success of existing national service initiatives, the Kennedy Act will create new, valuable Corps focused on areas of urgent national need - turning around struggling schools and dropout prevention; enhancing energy efficiency; securing affordable housing; protecting the environment; and improving health care. I applaud Chairman Kennedy for his leadership on this important issue which will help create more volunteer opportunities for Rhode Islanders and all Americans."

Reed, a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, worked with Senators Kennedy, Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to make certain that Rhode Islanders benefit from this important initiative. Reed successfully included language requiring a statutory small state minimum for AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve formula grants for the first time. Reed's language also ensures that the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) includes small, innovative AmeriCorps programs - like many found throughout Rhode Island -- have access to their fair share of competitive grant funding and can compete against larger, better funded programs.

The Kennedy Act establishes four new service corps to address key needs in low-income communities, including a Clean Energy Corps to encourage energy efficiency and conservation measures; an Education Corps to help increase student engagement, achievement, and graduation; a Healthy Futures Corps to improve health care access; and a Veterans Service Corps to enhance services for veterans. In light of the foreclosure and housing crisis facing Rhode Island, Reed also worked with Senator Feingold (D-WI) to include language encouraging volunteers to focus on helping low-income individuals in their community find affordable housing.

The bill also expands service-learning opportunities for high school and college students through the creation of new Youth Engagement Zones and Campuses of Service, encouraging young people to address specific challenges in their communities and help them pursue careers in public service. Some of these new programs could help more Rhode Island students and families pay for college through federal education grants. The bill contains a provision to raise the education award from $4,725 and tie it to the maximum Pell Grant, which was recently raised to $5,350. Individuals who successfully complete service in AmeriCorps may use this award to pay educational expenses at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training, or to repay qualified student loans.

Now that the bill has been passed by the full Senate, it will be taken up by the U.S. House of Representatives, which passed a similar measure last week. The Senate version is expected to be approved as early as Monday. President Obama has indicated he will sign the bill into law.