Shapiro Admin, Multi-State Coalition Block Trump Admin from Dismantle AmeriCorps | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA - Governor Josh Shapiro today announced that, as part of a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two governors, Pennsylvania has secured a settlement that stops the Trump Administration from dismantling AmeriCorps without warning in the future.

The deal resolves a lawsuit brought by Governor Shapiro and a multi-state coalition in response to the Trump Administration's repeated attempts to gut the nation's volunteer service programs. Governor Shapiro sued the federal government over their unconstitutional decision to abruptly dismantle AmeriCorps funding, and as a result of the lawsuit, the Trump Administration was forced to reinstate nearly $400 million in terminated AmeriCorps programs and agreed to release over $184 million in funds owed to service programs across the country, including Pennsylvania. This settlement protects the funding and participants of those programs for Fiscal Year 2026 as well.

"When the Trump Administration tried to rip vital AmeriCorps funding from Pennsylvania last year, I took them to court and won, protecting critical funding the Commonwealth relies on to help communities respond to natural disasters, support seniors and veterans, keep our trails clean, and teach children to read," said Governor Shapiro. "The federal government made a commitment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to support these programs. It's my job as Governor to protect the interest of Pennsylvania taxpayers - and this settlement agreement ensures that these programs are protected for another year."

The current AmeriCorps programs in Pennsylvania have already made substantial contributions across the Commonwealth and are the driving force behind dozens of community services. Between July 2024 and January 2025:

• 209 schools benefited from direct AmeriCorps support, including tutoring, mentoring, and 40,146 children and youth received supportive services;
• 1,152 community volunteers were recruited, trained, and coordinated, contributing over 19,400 hours of service;
• 1,458 Pennsylvanians received job readiness or skills training to strengthen local economies;
• 110 veterans and 40 veteran family members were supported through targeted service projects; and
• 242 acres of public land were restored or maintained, bolstering Pennsylvania's community assets.

AmeriCorps supports national and state community service programs by funding and placing volunteers in local and national organizations that address critical community needs. Organizations rely on support from AmeriCorps to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members nationwide.

Operating under the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I), PennSERVE is the grantmaking partner of AmeriCorps in the Commonwealth and operates as Pennsylvania's state service commission. PennSERVE distributes around $16 million annually in federal money from AmeriCorps to 28 vital programs and, at the time of the federal government's notice of termination, had 655 active AmeriCorps members serving at 248 host sites in 41 counties throughout Pennsylvania. Impacted programs included the Boys and Girls Club, City Year, and Teach for America, among others.

"PennSERVE programs harness the power of national service to address critical local challenges and focus on key areas such as economic opportunity, education, veterans, and military families," said L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker. "We are grateful Governor Shapiro took action so that PennSERVE can continue its work to improve Pennsylvanians' lives."

Under the terms of the settlement, AmeriCorps states that it does not anticipate that, during Fiscal Year 2026, it will terminate grants en masse as it did in Spring 2025, conduct reductions in force of union employees beyond certain previously planned cuts, or dismiss AmeriCorps service members en masse. Should AmeriCorps take any of those actions, or make a material change to its delivery of volunteer services, it must provide the coalition states with written notice at least 30 days in advance and identify the legal authority under which it is taking the action.

The settlement pauses the litigation through February 1, 2027, at which point the coalition will voluntarily dismiss the case without prejudice, provided AmeriCorps has complied with its commitments. Should the coalition determine that AmeriCorps has not complied, it may move the court to lift the stay and resume litigation. The coalition also retains the right to challenge other unlawful conduct by AmeriCorps, whether through an amended complaint during the stay or a new action during or after the stay.

The coalition initiated the litigation in April 2025, after the Trump Administration moved to eliminate nearly 90 percent of AmeriCorps' workforce, cancel its contracts, and close $400 million worth of AmeriCorps-supported programs. In June 2025, a federal court granted the coalition's motion for a preliminary injunction requiring the Administration to reinstate programs that had been unlawfully canceled. Then in August 2025, following a further motion for preliminary injunction by the coalition, the federal Office of Management and Budget agreed to release more than $184 million in AmeriCorps funding it had withheld.

The settlement, co-led by the attorneys general of Maryland, California, Colorado, and Delaware, is joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, and the governor of Kentucky.