[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 250 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 250

   To amend the Peace Corps Act to promote global acceptance of the 
  principles of international peace and nonviolent coexistence among 
 peoples of diverse cultures and systems of government, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 8, 2003

Mr. Farr (for himself, Mr. Udall of Colorado, and Mr. Honda) introduced 
      the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Peace Corps Act to promote global acceptance of the 
  principles of international peace and nonviolent coexistence among 
 peoples of diverse cultures and systems of government, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Peace Corps Charter for the 21st 
Century Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Peace Corps was established in 1961 to promote 
        world peace and friendship through the service of American 
        volunteers abroad.
            (2) The three goals codified in the Peace Corps Act, which 
        have guided the Peace Corps and its volunteers over the years, 
        can work in concert to promote global acceptance of the 
        principles of international peace and nonviolent coexistence 
        among peoples of diverse cultures and systems of government.
            (3) The Peace Corps has operated in 135 countries with 
        165,000 Peace Corps volunteers since its establishment.
            (4) The Peace Corps has sought to fulfill three goals, as 
        follows: to help people in developing nations meet basic needs, 
        to promote understanding of America's values and ideals abroad, 
        and to promote an understanding of other peoples by Americans.
            (5) After more than 40 years of operation, the Peace Corps 
        remains the world's premier international service organization 
        dedicated to promoting grassroots development.
            (6) The Peace Corps remains committed to sending well 
        trained and well supported Peace Corps volunteers overseas to 
        promote peace, friendship, and international understanding.
            (7) The Peace Corps is an independent agency, and therefore 
        no Peace Corps personnel or volunteers should have any 
        relationship with any United States intelligence agency or be 
        used to accomplish any other goal than the goals established by 
        the Peace Corps Act.
            (8) The Crisis Corps has been an effective tool in 
        harnessing the skills and talents for returned Peace Corps 
        volunteers and should be expanded to utilize to the maximum 
        extent the talent pool of returned Peace Corps volunteers.
            (9) The Peace Corps is currently operating with an annual 
        budget of $275,000,000 in 70 countries, with 7,000 Peace Corps 
        volunteers.
            (10) There is deep misunderstanding and misinformation 
        about American values and ideals in many parts of the world, 
        particularly those with substantial Muslim populations, and a 
        greater Peace Corps presence in such places could foster 
        greater understanding and tolerance.
            (11) the Congress has declared that the Peace Corps should 
        be expanded to sponsor a minimum of 10,000 Peace Corps 
        volunteers.
            (12) President George W. Bush has called for the doubling 
        of the number of Peace Corps volunteers in service.
            (13) Any expansion of the Peace Corps shall not jeopardize 
        the quality of the Peace Corps volunteer experience, and 
        therefore can only be accomplished by an appropriate increase 
        in field and headquarters support staff.
            (14) In order to ensure that proposed expansion of the 
        Peace Corps preserves the integrity of the program and the 
        security of volunteers, the integrated Planning and Budget 
        System supported by the Office of Planning and Policy Analysis 
        should continue its focus on strategic planning.
            (15) A streamlined, bipartisan National Peace Corps 
        Advisory Council composed of distinguished returned Peace Corps 
        volunteers and other individuals, with diverse backgrounds and 
        expertise, can be a source of ideas and suggestions that may be 
        useful to the Director of the Peace Corps as he discharges his 
        duties and responsibilities as head of the agency.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on 
        Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
        International Relations of the House of Representatives.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Peace Corps.
            (3) Peace corps volunteer.--The term ``Peace Corps 
        volunteer'' means a volunteer or a volunteer leader under the 
        Peace Corps Act.
            (4) Returned peace corps volunteer.--The term ``returned 
        Peace Corps volunteer'' means a person who has been certified 
        by the Director as having served satisfactorily as a Peace 
        Corps volunteer.

SEC. 4. RESTATEMENT OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE PEACE CORPS.

    (a) In General.--Section 2A of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501-
1) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``As an 
independent agency, all recruiting of volunteers shall be carried out 
under the direction of the Director of the Peace Corps''.
    (b) Details and Assignments.--Section 5(g) of the Peace Corps Act 
(22 U.S.C. 2504(g)) is amended by inserting after ``Provided, That'' 
the following: ``such detail or assignment does not contradict the 
standing of Peace Corps volunteers as being independent from foreign  
policy-making and intelligence collection: Provided further, That''.

SEC. 5. REPORTS AND CONSULTATIONS.

    (a) Annual Reports; Consultations on New Initiatives.--Section 11 
of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2510) is amended by striking the 
section heading and the text of section 11 and inserting the following:

``SEC. 11. ANNUAL REPORTS; CONSULTATIONS ON NEW INITIATIVES.

    ``(a) Annual Reports.--The Director shall transmit to the Congress, 
at least once in each fiscal year, a report on operations under this 
Act. Each report shall contain information--
            ``(1) describing efforts undertaken to improve coordination 
        of activities of the Peace Corps with activities of 
        international voluntary service organizations, such as the 
        United Nations volunteer program, and of host country voluntary 
        service organizations, including--
                    ``(A) a description of the purpose and scope of any 
                development project which the Peace Corps undertook 
                during the preceding fiscal year as a joint venture 
                with any such international or host country voluntary 
                service organizations; and
                    ``(B) recommendations for improving coordination of 
                development projects between the Peace Corps and any 
                such international or host country voluntary service 
                organizations;
            ``(2) describing--
                    ``(A) any major new initiatives that the Peace 
                Corps has under review for the upcoming fiscal year, 
                and any major initiatives that were undertaken in the 
                previous fiscal year that were not included in prior 
                reports to the Congress;
                    ``(B) the rationale for undertaking such new 
                initiatives;
                    ``(C) an estimate of the cost of such initiatives; 
                and
                    ``(D) the impact on the safety of volunteers;
            ``(3) describing in detail the Peace Corp's plans for 
        doubling the number of volunteers from 2002 levels, including a 
        5-year budget plan for reaching that goal; and
            ``(4) describing standard security procedures for any 
        country in which the Peace Corps operates programs or is 
        considering doing so, as well as any special security 
        procedures contemplated because of changed circumstances in 
        specific countries, and assessing whether security conditions 
        would be enhanced--
                    ``(A) by colocating volunteers with international 
                or local nongovernmental organizations; or
                    ``(B) with the placement of multiple volunteers in 
                one location.
    ``(b) Consultations on New Initiatives.--The Director of the Peace 
Corps should consult with the appropriate congressional committees with 
respect to any major new initiatives not previously discussed in the 
latest annual report submitted to the Congress under subsection (a) or 
in budget presentations. Wherever possible, such consultations should 
take place prior to the initiation of such initiatives, but in any 
event as soon as practicable thereafter.''.
    (b) One Time Report on Student Loan Forgiveness Programs.--Not 
later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Director shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
report--
            (1) describing the student loan forgiveness programs 
        currently available to Peace Corps volunteers upon completion 
        of their service;
            (2) comparing such programs with other Government-sponsored 
        student loan forgiveness programs; and
            (3) recommending any additional student loan forgiveness 
        programs which could attract more applicants from more low and 
        middle income applicants facing high student loan obligations.

SEC. 6. SPECIAL VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT FOR COUNTRIES WHOSE 
              GOVERNMENTS ARE SEEKING TO FOSTER GREATER UNDERSTANDING 
              BETWEEN THEIR CITIZENS AND THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Director shall submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees describing the initiatives that the Peace 
Corps intends to pursue with eligible countries where the presence of 
Peace Corps volunteers would facilitate a greater understanding that 
there exists a universe of commonly shared human values and 
aspirations. Such report shall include--
            (1) a description of the recruitment strategies to be 
        employed by the Peace Corps to recruit and train volunteers 
        with the appropriate language skills and interest in serving in 
        such countries; and
            (2) a list of the countries that the Director has 
        determined should be priorities for special recruitment and 
        placement of Peace Corps volunteers.
    (b) Use of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.--Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, the Director is authorized and strongly urged 
to utilize the services of returned Peace Corps volunteers having 
language and cultural expertise, including those returned Peace Corps 
volunteers who may have served previously in countries with substantial 
Muslim populations, in order to open or reopen Peace Corps programs in 
such countries.

SEC. 7. GLOBAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES INITIATIVE.

    (a) In General.--The Director, in cooperation with international 
public health experts such as the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the World Health 
Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, and local public 
health officials shall develop a program of training for all Peace 
Corps volunteers in the areas of education, prevention, and treatment 
of infectious diseases in order to ensure that all Peace Corps 
volunteers make a contribution to the global campaign against such 
diseases.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) AIDS.--The term ``AIDS'' means the acquired immune 
        deficiency syndrome.
            (2) HIV.--The term ``HIV'' means the human immunodeficiency 
        virus, the pathogen that causes AIDS.
            (3) HIV/AIDS.--The term ``HIV/AIDS'' means, with respect to 
        an individual, an individual who is infected with HIV or living 
        with AIDS.
            (4) Infectious diseases.--The term ``infectious diseases'' 
        means HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

SEC. 8. PEACE CORPS ADVISORY COUNCIL.

    Section 12 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2511; relating to the 
Peace Corps National Advisory Council) is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (b)(2)(D) to read as follows:
                    ``(D) make recommendations for utilizing the 
                expertise of returned Peace Corps volunteers in 
                fulfilling the goals of the Peace Corps.'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(A)--
                            (i) in the first sentence, by striking 
                        ``fifteen'' and inserting ``seven''; and
                            (ii) by striking the second sentence and 
                        inserting the following: ``Four of the members 
                        shall be former Peace Corps volunteers, at 
                        least one of whom shall have been a former 
                        staff member abroad or in the Washington 
                        headquarters, and not more than four of the 
                        members shall be members of the same political 
                        party.'';
                    (B) by amending subparagraph (D) to read as 
                follows:
    ``(D) The members of the council shall be appointed to 2-year 
terms.'';
                    (C) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (H); and
                    (D) by redesignating subparagraphs (C), (D), (E), 
                (F), (G), and (I) as subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), (E), 
                (F), and (G), respectively;
            (3) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
    ``(g) Chair.--The President shall designate one of the voting 
members of the Council as Chair, who shall serve in that capacity for a 
period not to exceed two years.'';
            (4) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:
    ``(h) Meetings.--The Council shall hold a regular meeting during 
each calendar quarter at a date and time to be determined by the Chair 
of the Council.''; and
            (5) by amending subsection (i) to read as follows:
    ``(i) Report.--Not later than July 30, 2003, and annually 
thereafter, the Council shall submit a report to the President and the 
Director of the Peace Corps describing how the Council has carried out 
its functions under subsection (b)(2).''.

SEC. 9. READJUSTMENT ALLOWANCES.

    The Peace Corps Act is amended--
            (1) in section 5(c) (22 U.S.C. 2504(c)), by striking 
        ``$125'' and inserting ``$275''; and
            (2) in section 6(1) (22 U.S.C. 2505(1)), by striking 
        ``$125'' and inserting ``$275''.

SEC. 10. PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS OF RETURNED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS TO 
              PROMOTE THE GOALS OF THE PEACE CORPS.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to provide support for 
returned Peace Corps volunteers to develop and carry out programs and 
projects to promote the third purpose of the Peace Corps Act, as set 
forth in section 2(a) of that Act (22 U.S.C. 2501(a)), by promoting a 
better understanding of other peoples on the part of the American 
people.
    (b) Grants to Certain Nonprofit Corporations.--
            (1) Grant authority.--To carry out the purpose of this 
        section, and subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
        Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and 
        Community Service (referred to in this section as the 
        ``Corporation'') shall award grants on a competitive basis to 
        private nonprofit corporations for the purpose of enabling 
        returned Peace Corps volunteers to use their knowledge and 
        expertise to develop and carry out the programs and projects 
        described in subsection (a).
            (2) Programs and projects.--Such programs and projects may 
        include--
                    (A) educational programs designed to enrich the 
                knowledge and interest of elementary school and 
                secondary school students in the geography and cultures 
                of other countries where the volunteers have served;
                    (B) projects that involve partnerships with local 
                libraries to enhance community knowledge about other 
                peoples and countries; and
                    (C) audio-visual projects that utilize materials 
                collected by the volunteers during their service that 
                would be of educational value to communities.
            (3) Eligibility for grants.--To be eligible to compete for 
        grants under this section, a nonprofit corporation shall have a 
        board of directors composed of returned Peace Corps volunteers 
        with a background in community service, education, or health. 
        The nonprofit corporation shall meet all appropriate 
        Corporation management requirements, as determined by the 
        Corporation.
    (c) Grant Requirements.--Such grants shall be made pursuant to a 
grant agreement between the Corporation and the nonprofit corporation 
that requires that--
            (1) the grant funds will only be used to support programs 
        and projects described in subsection (a) pursuant to proposals 
        submitted by returned Peace Corps volunteers (either 
        individually or cooperatively with other returned volunteers);
            (2) the nonprofit corporation will give consideration to 
        funding individual programs or projects by returned Peace Corps 
        volunteers, in amounts of not more than $100,000, under this 
        section;
            (3) not more than 20 percent of the grant funds made 
        available to the nonprofit corporation will be used for the 
        salaries, overhead, or other administrative expenses of the 
        nonprofit corporation;
            (4) the nonprofit corporation will not receive grant funds 
        for programs or projects under this section for a third or 
        subsequent year unless the nonprofit corporation makes 
        available, to carry out the programs or projects during that 
        year, non-Federal contributions--
                    (A) in an amount not less than $2 for every $3 of 
                Federal funds provided through the grant; and
                    (B) provided directly or through donations from 
                private entities, in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, 
                including plant, equipment, or services; and
            (5) the nonprofit corporation shall manage, monitor, and 
        submit reports to the Corporation on each program or project 
        for which the nonprofit corporation receives a grant under this 
        section.
    (d) Status of the Fund.--Nothing in this section shall be construed 
to make any nonprofit corporation supported under this section an 
agency or establishment of the Federal Government or to make the 
members of the board of directors or any officer or employee of such 
nonprofit corporation an officer or employee of the United States.
    (e) Factors in Awarding Grants.--In determining the number of 
nonprofit corporations to receive grants under this section for any 
fiscal year, the Corporation--
            (1) shall take into consideration the need to minimize 
        overhead costs that direct resources from the funding of 
        programs and projects; and
            (2) shall seek to ensure a broad geographical distribution 
        of grants for programs and projects under this section.
    (f) Congressional Oversight.--Grant recipients under this section 
shall be subject to the appropriate oversight procedures of the 
Congress.
    (g) Funding.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section $10,000,000. Such sum shall be in 
        addition to funds made available to the Corporation under 
        Federal law other than this section.
            (2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) are authorized to remain available until 
        expended.

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 3(b)(1) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2502(b)(1)) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``2002, and'' and inserting ``2002,''; and
            (2) by inserting before the period the following: ``, 
        $465,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, $500,000,000 for fiscal year 
        2005, $560,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and $560,000,000 for 
        fiscal year 2007''.
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