Building Community in America Act
- Sponsor
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
- Committees
- Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Jul 16, 2026
Bottom line
The 'Building Community in America Act' creates a statutory priority for federal service programs to actively recruit and train underrepresented individuals, particularly men, for key community service roles.
What it actually does
This bill amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to explicitly expand participation by underrepresented populations in service programs. It establishes a new national service priority for programs that recruit and train underrepresented participants, including men, for various community-building activities such as youth mentoring, disaster response, public safety, and skilled trades. The bill aims to broaden the demographic reach of federal service initiatives.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that this bill addresses a critical need to engage a broader demographic, especially men, in vital community service roles like mentoring and public safety. They contend that by explicitly prioritizing the recruitment of underrepresented groups, the bill will strengthen communities, provide valuable opportunities for individuals, and ensure that service programs reflect the diversity of the nation, leading to more effective outcomes in areas like youth development and workforce readiness.
Opponents contend
Critics might contend that while the goal of expanding participation is laudable, singling out 'men' as a specific underrepresented group for priority could be seen as potentially overlooking other underrepresented populations or creating unintended biases. Some might argue that existing frameworks already allow for targeted recruitment and that adding such specific language could lead to administrative complexities or divert resources from other equally important diversity initiatives without clear evidence of its necessity or effectiveness.
The bill is very short and clear, making it highly accessible for a reader to understand its provisions quickly.
Section 2(a)
Expansion of Purpose for National and Community Service Act
This provision adds a new explicit purpose to the National and Community Service Act of 1990. It states that one of the Act's purposes is to expand participation in national and community service among populations currently underrepresented in service programs. This specifically includes young adults who are underrepresented in mentoring, coaching, youth development, and other community-building activities.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that explicitly stating this purpose will ensure that federal service initiatives are intentionally designed to reach and engage diverse segments of the population, addressing historical participation gaps and strengthening the overall impact of service programs.
Critics contend
No specific opposition is typically raised against general statements of purpose that promote inclusivity, though some might argue it's redundant if existing program guidelines already encourage diversity.
Tradeoffs
This provision aims to balance the broad goals of national service with the specific need to address demographic imbalances in participation, potentially shifting programmatic focus towards recruitment strategies for identified groups.
Section 2(b)(1)(A)
Required Priority for National Service Programs
This section mandates that national service priorities under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 must include a priority for programs that actively recruit and train underrepresented participants, specifically mentioning men. This priority applies to activities such as youth coaching, school support, conservation corps, disaster response, public safety, and skilled-trades apprenticeships.
Section 2(b)(1)(B) and 2(b)(2)
Extension of Priority to Other Service Programs
These sections extend the same recruitment and training priority for underrepresented participants (including men) to other federal service initiatives. Specifically, it applies to project proposals and selections under Section 157 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and to the assignment of volunteers under Section 103 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (which includes programs like VISTA and Senior Corps). This ensures a consistent focus across a broader range of federal service programs.