S. 5567 — Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act

This section states congressional findings on the effects of climate change, including 23 major disasters in 2025 that each cost over $1 billion and totaled at least $115 billion. It notes disproportionate impacts on low-income communities and communities of color, the need for rapid economy-wide decarbonization and a massive labor mobilization, barriers to employment for low-income people, young people, and people of color, potential job losses from artificial intelligence, the capacity of existing service and conservation corps to scale up training and work opportunities, and the importance of protecting workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain to avoid labor disputes that could delay the transition.

This section establishes the Civilian Climate Corps to carry out clean energy, climate resilience, conservation, environmental remediation, and sustainable infrastructure projects. It directs the Corporation for National and Community Service to operate a national climate service program (66 percent of funds) and a national climate service grant program (34 percent of funds), with participants required to be at least 17 years old, at least 50 percent drawn from under-resourced communities of need, and service terms lasting nine to twelve months.

This section prioritizes climate response and clean economy transition projects in AmeriCorps State and National, NCCC, and VISTA programs for fiscal years 2027 through 2036. It sets the minimum subsistence allowance for VISTA volunteers at the equivalent of $20 per hour and requires the average allowance (excluding Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and Alaska) to be at least 10 percent higher. It sets NCCC allowances between the equivalent of $20 and $34 per hour. It doubles the national service educational award to twice the maximum Pell Grant amount. It increases the federal share of program costs to 100 percent (from 75 percent). It prohibits increases in stipends or allowances unless the number of participants served also increases.

This section authorizes $91.2 billion to carry out the Civilian Climate Corps (excluding benefits) for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. It also authorizes $48.9 billion for educational benefits and such sums as necessary for health care benefits over the same period. It provides additional amounts of $6.5 billion for AmeriCorps State and National financial assistance under subtitle C, $3.9 billion for national service educational awards under subtitle D, $6.5 billion for administration by the Corporation and State commissions, $1.3 billion for AmeriCorps NCCC, and $1.3 billion for AmeriCorps VISTA, all for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 and available for obligation through fiscal year 2031.

This section expands the exclusion from gross income under section 117(c) of the Internal Revenue Code to cover amounts received as educational awards under subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 or as educational benefits under subtitle K of title I of such Act. It also excludes from gross income the discharge of student loan debt received under those programs. The changes apply to taxable years ending after the date of enactment.