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Dear National and Community Service Colleagues,
I am writing to announce the beginning of an important next step in the 10-year history of AmeriCorps: the process known as rulemaking.
Over the past several years, debate over key issues concerning AmeriCorps – including the sustainability of grantees, performance measures for grantees, the Federal share of costs for supporting an AmeriCorps member, and the use of national service participants to build the capacity of nonprofit groups – has resulted in varying grant guidelines and an inconsistent set of expectations on the part of current and prospective grantees. This is unacceptable. The goal of the rulemaking process is to bring a far greater degree of predictability and reliability for our grantees, and to make the AmeriCorps program more efficient, effective, and accountable. Moreover, the Corporation has received clear direction from the President, Congress, and our Board of Directors that we should use the rulemaking process to accomplish those ends as quickly as possible.
Tomorrow, the Federal Register will contain a notice that the Corporation is seeking public input in advance of rulemaking. Federal law requires that we publish proposed rules and seek public comment on them before publishing our final rules. However, we are taking the extra step of soliciting input before drafting the proposed rules so that we can harness the ideas and creativity of all of the thoughtful people and organizations with an interest in national and community service.
We encourage every person and organization with a stake in the outcome, or with strong ideas for us to consider, to participate as early as possible in the process. Through regional meetings (in Columbus, Ohio; Seattle; Boston; Washington, D.C.; and Dallas), conference calls, and written suggestions, we hope to receive enough early feedback that our initial proposal is informed, sensitive, and well-suited to serve as a backdrop for the more formal comment period.
To keep you up to date on the rulemaking process, we also have created a new website. At http://www.americorps.gov/about/ac/rulemaking.asp, you will find helpful materials, including the Federal Register announcement, answers to frequently asked questions, a schedule of public meetings that I will be holding around the country, dates and details of conference calls, and excerpts from legislation, Congressional reports, and other official guidance related to the issues to be addressed in the AmeriCorps rulemaking.
Change isn’t easy, especially when it may involve additional restrictions. But if we commit ourselves to the task at hand, there is no question that we can arrive at fair and equitable compromises on the key issues and that the AmeriCorps program can emerge stronger and better positioned than ever to receive strong public and Congressional support.
I look forward to hearing your input on what the rules should say, and to continuing the dialogue over the next several months.
Sincerely,
David Eisner
Chief Executive Officer
Corporation for National and Community Service
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