S. 5031Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Building Community in America Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 22, 2026 at 5:42 AM UTC

The Building Community in America Act amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to increase involvement of groups that are underrepresented in service programs, such as certain young adults and men. It creates a new priority that requires federal service programs to give preference to recruiting and training these participants for activities like youth mentoring, after‑school support, conservation corps, disaster response, public safety, and skilled‑trade apprenticeships. The changes also apply to the Domestic Volunteer Service Act, directing the director to prioritize similar projects. The bill affects federal agencies that run national and community service programs and the volunteers they recruit.

Key Provisions

Adds a new purpose paragraph calling for expanded participation of underrepresented populations in national and community service programs.
Creates a new priority in section 122(f) that requires service programs to prioritize recruitment and training of underrepresented participants, including men, for specific activities such as youth mentoring, after‑school support, conservation corps, disaster response, public safety, and skilled‑trade/apprenticeship programs.
Mandates that project proposal and selection processes give priority to projects that focus on recruiting and training underrepresented participants for the listed activities.
Amends the Domestic Volunteer Service Act to require the Director to give priority to assigning volunteers to projects that prioritize underrepresented participants.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

July 16, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

July 16, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

July 16, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued July 16, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5031

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 16, 2026

Mr. Kelly (for himself and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to expand participation by underrepresented populations in service programs, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Building Community in America Act.

Expansions of participation in service programs

(a)

Purpose

Section 2(b) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501(b)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (18), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon;

(2)

in paragraph (19), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(20)

expand participation in national and community service among populations underrepresented in service programs, including young adults underrepresented in mentoring, coaching, youth development, and other community-building activities.

(b)

Priority

(1)

National and Community Service Act of 1990

The National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended—

(A)

in section 122(f) (42 U.S.C. 12572(f)), by adding at the end the following:

(5)

Required priority

The national service priorities under paragraph (1) shall include a priority for programs that prioritize the recruitment and training of underrepresented participants, including men, for activities including—

(A)

youth coaching or mentoring activities;

(B)

school attendance or after-school support activities;

(C)

activities in a national service position as part of a conservation corps;

(D)

disaster response activities;

(E)

public safety, violence interruption, or reentry support activities; or

(F)

skilled-trades, apprenticeships, or workforce-linked services.

; and

(B)

in section 157 (42 U.S.C. 12617), by adding at the end the following:

(d)

Priority

In developing project proposals under subsection (b)(1) and selecting projects to be performed under subsection (c)(1), there shall be a priority for projects that prioritize the recruitment and training of underrepresented participants, including men, for any of the activities described in section 122(f)(5).

(2)

Domestic volunteer service act of 1973

Section 103 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4953) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(j)

In the assignment of volunteers under this section, the Director shall give priority to projects or programs that prioritize the recruitment and training of underrepresented participants, including men, for any of the activities described in section 122(f)(5) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990.