The A Chance To Serve Act expands financial, health care, and educational benefits for Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers. For Peace Corps volunteers, the bill provides three years of job hiring preference in federal civil service positions, extends one year of free health care after service ends, increases the readjustment allowance from $125 to $425 (and makes it tax-free and subject to inflation adjustments), suspends federal student loan payments during service with interest not accruing, and opens Peace Corps eligibility to lawful permanent residents and refugees. For AmeriCorps participants, the bill guarantees at least 500,000 national service positions, increases living allowances to at least 200 percent of the poverty line, provides three years of federal job hiring preference, extends one year of free health coverage after service, doubles education awards for service completion, allows awards to be used for job training credentials, suspends federal student loan payments during service, and permits shorter service terms with proportionally reduced education awards. The legislation also makes national service education awards and living allowances tax-exempt and counts Peace Corps and AmeriCorps service toward public service loan forgiveness. The bill does not specify dedicated funding amounts or implementation timelines beyond the stated eligibility periods.
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