Welcome to AmeriCorps SN Policy Update

Welcome to the AmeriCorps State and National Policy Update Newsletter. Every quarter, or more frequently if warranted, we will distribute this collection of briefs on recent policy work at AmeriCorps State and National. The newsletter will include new policies that have been cleared and issued, as well as provide structured opportunities for you to provide input and feedback. We will follow most Updates with a conference call to discuss the issues raised.

Message from the Director

In my view, the purpose of our policymaking is to make our interactions with you more efficient, effective, transparent, and predictable. One of my key priorities in the coming year is to ensure that every AmeriCorps State and National Program Officer has the tools they need to answer your policy questions quickly and accurately.

Just last week, we launched a new Intranet for program staff that includes “AmeriCorps Help,” a keyword searchable, indexed information utility which makes our statute, regulations, provisions, and policy FAQs easier for them to access, in order to be more responsive to your questions.

If you think direct access to this utility would be useful in the day-to-day operation of your program, please let me know. In addition, remember to check our Communications Center on the Americorps.gov web site under “Manage Current Grants,” where we permanently post and store the policy e-mails that we send you as well as these updates. This area is keyword searchable. Ideas about how we can further reduce the burden of doing business with us? E-mail me (kmcswain@cns.gov) and let me know.

Have a Policy Question?

Your Program Officer is the expert! Give him or her a call.

Policy Briefs

Extenuating Circumstances: We have received a couple of questions over the last year or so from members who are called up to active duty and want to extend the typical two-year term of suspension, and return to service when their tour of duty is complete.

Current AmeriCorps provisions allow a program to suspend a member for up to two years for compelling personal circumstances, following which the member may return to complete his or her term of service. Compelling personal circumstances typically include military service obligations. The National and Community Service Act of 1990 authorizes the Corporation to extend the two-year period of suspension “for extenuating circumstances.”

Generally, the Corporation will ensure that the slot for the member on suspension will remain available during the period of leave, and is not refilled, or expired for a period of two additional years after the period of suspension ends, for a maximum total suspension of up to four years. This policy will apply to any period of suspension that is a result of a member leaving the program for military service that began on March 20, 2003, or later. The Corporation will consider extension of the suspension period for more than four years on a case by case basis.

The Corporation further defines “extenuating circumstances” to include other circumstances outside the member’s control. The Corporation will consider extension requests caused by circumstances other than military service on a case-by-case basis.

Such extenuating circumstances are very limited. Members may not be granted an extended suspension if they are removed from AmeriCorps service for circumstances related to transfer from a project, proposed termination, termination for cause, removal from a project, or suspension.

Concurrent and Consecutive Terms: You may allow a less-than-full-time member to serve a concurrent term in a different program during the same program year. A less-than-full-time member may serve a consecutive term in the same or a different program during the same program year. If you are considering allowing this, please contact your Program Officer in order to ensure a smooth transition in WBRS.

Application Fees: Charging an application fee for prospective members to apply to serve as an AmeriCorps members is not allowed. Programs may charge application fees for applying to their educational institution or participating in their program, but not for serving as an AmeriCorps member. This policy is in alignment with federal policy on student aid.
Prescribing the Use of the Education Award: You are not allowed to require members to use their education award in any particular educational program or course of study. The education award is a benefit for the member to use as he or she wishes.

On Call Hours: Several grantees and state commissions have requested guidance regarding members serving on-call hours. The Corporation is not issuing formal policy on this issue, and suggests that grantees and state commissions check to see if their state has policy in this respect. If your state does not have policy, the Corporation suggests that you establish your own policy. Common policy practice includes provisions that members receive service hours only when on call on-site, and not while the member is sleeping.

Did You Know?

Did you ever wonder why the Corporation requires you to enroll your members within 30 days, and why this is a consideration in funding decisions? Your members are not enrolled in the Trust until you enroll them in WBRS! Every day that your members serve without being enrolled in our system they are serving with no assurance of their primary benefit. We hope that this will encourage you to enroll your members as soon as you possibly can for their sake, rather than just to comply with our policy.

Coming Attractions

The following policy issues are currently under consideration. If you have opinions on these issues, feel free to let me know via e-mail (aborgstrom@cns.gov).

• Allowing electronic signatures, timesheets, and member files
• Relaxing the refill policy
• Liberalizing slot conversion and allowing slot transfer among state formula grants
• Making definition of compelling personal circumstances more consistent across programs

What Do You Think?

How can we make this quarterly update more useful? What other policy tools would be helpful? Contact aborgstrom@cns.gov with your ideas.