2020 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 54
BY SENATORS BOUDREAUX, MILLIGAN AND SMITH AND REPRESENTATIVES
WILFORD CARTER, COX, FREEMAN, FREIBERG, GREEN,
JEFFERSON, JENKINS, JONES, JORDAN, LYONS, MARCELLE,
NEWELL AND PIERRE
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To memorialize the Congress of the United States to fully fund the Corporation for National
and Community Service (CNCS) and its programs, including the LaVetCorps in
FY 2021.
WHEREAS, the President's 2021 federal budget proposal eliminates 99% of the
funding to the Corporation for National and Community Service which would remove
funding for Louisiana's LaVetCorps program and similar programs across the states of
Washington and Rhode Island, in addition to, all other AmeriCorps programs across this
state, including Teach for America, VISTA, City Year, and Foster Grandparents; and
WHEREAS, the LDVA, in partnership with the Office of Governor, Louisiana Board
of Regents, Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), University of
Louisiana System, LSU System, and Southern University System operates thirty LaVetCorps
program veteran resource centers on campuses across the state, encompassing all four
Louisiana public college systems and Xavier University of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, the mission of the LaVetCorps is to empower veterans, families, and
campus communities to help veterans returning from active duty military service to
successfully transition home to college and their local community; and
WHEREAS, the centers assisted more than eight thousand student veterans in
successfully transitioning from active duty to complete their college curriculum and return
home; and
WHEREAS, at each LaVetCorps veteran resource center, an LDVA-trained
LaVetCorps navigator, who is also an AmeriCorps service member, serves as a peer
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mentor/counselor to student veterans in transition, works to increase student veterans' access
to their earned federal and state benefits, works to build a vibrant on-campus veteran
community, provides training and support to college faculty, staff, and administration to
increase awareness of student veterans' needs and veteran culture, and organize community
service projects benefitting both on- and off-campus veterans; and
WHEREAS, the impact of the LaVetCorps program is significant, providing practical
assistance in life-changing ways as in the current year, LaVetCorps navigators have served
more than two thousand veterans and military-connected students, with more than one
hundred of these referrals directly connecting to earned federal VA benefits; and
WHEREAS, LaVetCorps navigators have provided direct assistance through the
LDVA and outside community agencies that has prevented evictions, prevented unnecessary
student debt and provided critical immediate support for veteran students in crisis; and
WHEREAS, LaVetCorps has raised military awareness on campuses statewide while
providing peer mentoring and has been responsible for organizing more than two hundred
volunteers in various community service projects around the state; and
WHEREAS, LaVetCorps is viewed by higher education officials as an essential
investment in veteran students and navigators provide a critical level of support to recruit,
retain, and support veterans in their academic and personal journeys.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes
the Congress of the United States to fully fund the Corporation for National and Community
Service (CNCS) and its programs in FY 2021.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the United States Senate and the clerk of the United States House of
Representatives and to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States
Congress.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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