SLS 20RS-785 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 54
BY SENATORS BOUDREAUX AND MILLIGAN
CONGRESS. Memorializes Congress to maintain funding to the Corporation for National
and Community Service and its programs, including the LaVetCorps.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To memorialize the Congress of the United States to fully fund the Corporation for National
3 and Community Service (CNCS) and its programs, including the LaVetCorps in FY
4 2021.
5 WHEREAS, the President's 2021 federal budget proposal eliminates 99% of the
6 funding to the Corporation for National and Community Service which would remove
7 funding for Louisiana's LaVetCorps program and similar programs across the states of
8 Washington and Rhode Island, in addition to, all other AmeriCorps programs across this
9 state, including Teach for America, VISTA, City Year, and Foster Grandparents; and
10 WHEREAS, the LDVA, in partnership with the Office of Governor, Louisiana Board
11 of Regents, Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), University of
12 Louisiana System, LSU System, and Southern University System operates thirty LaVetCorps
13 program veteran resource centers on campuses across the state, encompassing all four
14 Louisiana public college systems and Xavier University of Louisiana; and
15 WHEREAS, the mission of the LaVetCorps is to empower veterans, families, and
16 campus communities to help veterans returning from active duty military service to
17 successfully transition home to college and their local community; and
18 WHEREAS, the centers assisted more than eight thousand student veterans in
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SLS 20RS-785 ORIGINAL
1 successfully transitioning from active duty to complete their college curriculum and return
2 home; and
3 WHEREAS, at each LaVetCorps veteran resource center, an LDVA-trained
4 LaVetCorps navigator, who is also an AmeriCorps service member, serves as a peer
5 mentor/counselor to student veterans in transition, works to increase student veterans' access
6 to their earned federal and state benefits, works to build a vibrant on-campus veteran
7 community, provides training and support to college faculty, staff, and administration to
8 increase awareness of student veterans' needs and veteran culture, and organize community
9 service projects benefitting both on- and off-campus veterans; and
10 WHEREAS, the impact of the LaVetCorps program is significant, providing practical
11 assistance in life-changing ways as in the current year, LaVetCorps navigators have served
12 more than two thousand veterans and military-connected students, with more than one
13 hundred of these referrals directly connecting to earned federal VA benefits; and
14 WHEREAS, LaVetCorps navigators have provided direct assistance through the
15 LDVA and outside community agencies that has prevented evictions, prevented unnecessary
16 student debt and provided critical immediate support for veteran students in crisis; and
17 WHEREAS, LaVetCorps has raised military awareness on campuses statewide while
18 providing peer mentoring and has been responsible for organizing more than two hundred
19 volunteers in various community service projects around the state; and
20 WHEREAS, LaVetCorps is viewed by higher education officials as an essential
21 investment in veteran students and navigators provide a critical level of support to recruit,
22 retain, and support veterans in their academic and personal journeys.
23 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes
24 the Congress of the United States to fully fund the Corporation for National and Community
25 Service (CNCS) and its programs in FY 2021.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
27 secretary of the United States Senate and the clerk of the United States House of
28 Representatives and to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States
29 Congress.
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SLS 20RS-785 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SCR 54 Original 2020 Regular Session Boudreaux
Memorializes Congress to fully fund the Corporation for National and Community Service
and its programs, including the LaVetCorps, in FY 2021.
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