Bill · S. 2782· Senate(119-S-2782)
Service Starts At Home Act
- Introduced
- 9/11/2025
- Last activity
- 9/11/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Andy Kim
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Service Starts At Home Act" directs the Secretary of Education to establish grant programs to encourage student involvement in local government and volunteer service. It creates a program to fund paid internships for secondary school and undergraduate students within local government units (Section 2). Additionally, the bill establishes a scholarship program for students who demonstrate a commitment to volunteer service work (Section 3). States will receive allocations to award these scholarships based on the number of students enrolled in their public schools (Section 3). The Secretary will also carry out a program to recognize various educational institutions for their contributions to community service (Section 4). The act authorizes significant appropriations for these programs through fiscal year 2030 (Sections 2 and 3).
Yes· 3 of 7
Would students be better off under this?+7
The bill directly benefits students through paid internships, scholarships, and academic recognition.
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?+6
The bill provides paid internships and scholarships specifically for secondary and undergraduate students.
Does this make college cost less?+5
The bill establishes scholarship programs of up to $3,000 to help students pay for the costs of attendance at institutions of higher education.
The opposite· 3 of 4
Would people over 65 be better off under this?-1
The bill focuses its resources and benefits on younger demographics.
Would high-income households be better off under this?-1
The bill targets financial benefits toward students through competitive grants and scholarships.
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-1
The bill authorizes significant new federal appropriations for scholarships and internships.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Paid Internship Opportunities: The bill supports paid internships within local government units for secondary school and undergraduate students (Section 2(a)). This provides students with work experience and pay while they learn about local government (Section 2(c)).
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Employment Accommodations: To assist students with various life challenges, the bill encourages entities to provide reasonable accommodations such as flexible work schedules or telework options for those with childcare needs or transportation difficulties (Section 2(d)).
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Educational Value: The program requires entities to work with institutions of higher education to ensure that internship work meets applicable educational standards (Section 2(d)).
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Scholarships for Volunteerism: Students can receive scholarships to help pay for the costs of attendance at an institution of higher education based on the number of hours they have completed in volunteer service work (Section 3(b)). These awards range from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on the hours completed (Section 3(b)(8)).
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Recognition of Achievement: The Secretary will implement a program to recognize the contributions of elementary schools, secondary schools, local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education regarding community service (Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Strict Volunteer Requirements: To receive a scholarship, first-time applicants must have completed at least 100 hours of volunteer service work in the preceding school year (Section 3(b)(3)(A)).
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Limited Use of Scholarship Funds: Funds received through the state-administered scholarship program may only be used to pay for a student's costs of attendance at an institution of higher education (Section 3(b)(6)).
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Exclusions from Volunteer Service: Certain activities cannot be counted toward the volunteer hours required for a scholarship, including proselytizing, conducting worship services, religious instruction, political lobbying, or court-ordered service (Section 5).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Students+7Good For Young Adults+6Good For Low Income Households+4Good For Middle Class Households+3Good For Children+2Good For High Income Households-1Good For Seniors-1
- Education And Technology
- Improves College Affordability+5
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+3Reduces Government Spending-1
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Affordable Housing-1
- 9/11/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.