Attorney General Jeff Jackson Secures Settlement Blocking AmeriCorps Cuts

RALEIGH - Attorney General Jeff Jackson, along with a coalition of 22 other attorneys general and two governors, has reached a settlement in his case against unlawful cuts to AmeriCorps that protects AmeriCorps funding and programs.

"AmeriCorps programs are critical to helping communities across our state, including as we continue to rebuild in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene," said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "This win helps make sure that AmeriCorps members and the organizations they serve have the support and stability they need to do this important work."

"We are thankful to Attorney General Jackson and his team for their hard work with the lawsuit to ensure that AmeriCorps NC programs continue to operate at full capacity and funding levels," said Briles Johnson, Executive Director of VolunteerNC. "Our AmeriCorps NC programs, with more than 600 volunteers serving, are on the ground serving our communities and making a difference every day."

This comes after Attorney General Jackson sued the federal government last year when it terminated congressionally approved AmeriCorps grants, including funding for Hurricane Helene recovery in western North Carolina. The lawsuit led to the restoration of nearly $400 million in AmeriCorps funding nationwide and the release of more than $184 million in funds that had been held back from service programs.

AmeriCorps supports national and state service programs by funding and placing volunteers with organizations that address critical community needs. In North Carolina, AmeriCorps members serve through a variety of programs, including AmeriCorps NC, AmeriCorps VISTA, which helps communities address poverty, and AmeriCorps Seniors, which connects older adults with volunteer opportunities.

Under the settlement, AmeriCorps has agreed not to carry out mass grant terminations, large-scale staff cuts beyond those already planned, or mass dismissals of AmeriCorps members during the current fiscal year. If it's going to take those actions or make any other major changes, it must give the states at least 30 days' written notice. The settlement pauses the states' case against the AmeriCorps cuts through February 1, 2027. If AmeriCorps does not meet its commitments, the coalition can ask the court to resume the lawsuit.

Attorney General Jackson is joined in reaching this settlement by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

A copy of the settlement is available here.

A copy of the joint motion to stay is available here.

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