# Understanding the CORPS Act: A Plain Language Explanation

The CORPS Act is designed to create jobs and provide financial support for people willing to do community service work during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery period. Think of it as a modern version of Depression-era programs that put people to work on public projects—except this time the focus is on helping communities recover from the pandemic and its economic fallout.

Here's what the bill actually does: It expands existing national service programs like AmeriCorps and VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) to hire more people for work related to pandemic recovery. If you participate in one of these programs, you'd get paid a living allowance—specifically, at least 175 percent of the federal poverty line, which translates to roughly $1,100 to $1,400 per month depending on the year. The bill also makes this living allowance tax-free, meaning you won't owe federal income taxes on it. Additionally, if you complete your service term during the recovery period (through 2024), you'll receive an extra educational award on top of your regular benefits that you can use for college or student loan repayment, and this award is also tax-free.

The types of work covered include public health efforts, education programs, food and housing assistance, job training, and environmental conservation projects. The bill prioritizes hiring in communities hit hardest by COVID-19 and aims to recruit people from diverse backgrounds. It also relaxes some bureaucratic rules—for example, organizations running these programs won't need to find matching funds, and the government will cover 100 percent of costs. The bill authorizes $8 billion in funding through 2024, which would significantly expand these programs beyond their current size.

In practical terms, if you're unemployed or underemployed and looking for work that serves your community, this bill creates more opportunities to earn money while doing meaningful work. The tax benefits and educational awards make these positions more financially attractive than they've been in the past.

CORPS Act

Price, David E.

Cultivating Opportunity and Recovery from the Pandemic through Service Act or the CORPS Act This bill makes several changes to AmeriCorps programs during the COVID-19 health emergency. Specifically, the bill: <ul> <li>increases living allowance payments to program participants;</li> <li>increases educational awards for program participants;</li> <li>relaxes program requirements, including reducing the age requirement for AmeriCorps Seniors to 45 and older;</li> <li>creates a pilot program to allow state commissions to directly place individuals in approved AmeriCorps programs; and</li> <li>allows for targeted AmeriCorps grants to fund recovery projects in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.</li> </ul> The bill also excludes AmeriCorps living allowance payments and educational awards from taxable income for program participants.