1.This Act may be cited as the
Peace Corps Volunteer Service Improvement Act of
2011
.
2.Confidentiality
of reports of rape or sexual assault
(a)The Director of the
Peace Corps shall establish and maintain policies and procedures that clearly
establish a process for volunteers to make confidential reports of rape or
sexual assault.
(b)Any Peace Corps volunteer or staff member
who is responsible for maintaining confidentiality under subsection (a) and who
breaches such duty shall be subject to disciplinary action, including
termination, and in the case of a staff member, ineligibility for re-employment
with the Peace Corps.
(c)In
this Act, Peace Corps volunteers includes trainees and Peace Corps staff
members include any employee, contractor, expert, consultant, or Foreign
Service national employed or contracted by the Peace Corps, whether in the
United States or in a foreign country.
3.Safety and
security agreement regarding Peace Corps volunteers serving in foreign
countries
(a)Not later than six
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Peace
Corps shall consult with the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic
Security and enter into a memorandum of understanding that specifies the duties
and obligations of the Peace Corps and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the
Department of State with respect to the protection of Peace Corps volunteers
and staff members serving in foreign countries, including with respect to
investigations of safety and security incidents and crimes committed against
such volunteers and staff members.
(b)
(1)The Inspector General of the Peace Corps
shall review the memorandum of understanding described in subsection (a) and be
afforded the opportunity to recommend changes that advance the safety and
security of Peace Corps volunteers before its entry into force.
(2)The Director of the Peace Corps shall
consider the recommendations of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps
regarding the memorandum of understanding described in subsection (a). If the
Director enters into such memorandum without implementing a recommendation of
the Inspector General, the Director shall submit to the Inspector General a
written explanation relating thereto.
(3)
(A)Requirement to
submit reportIf, by the date that is 6 months after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Director of the Peace Corps is unable to
obtain agreement with the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security
and certification by the Inspector General of the Peace Corps, the Director
shall submit to the committees of Congress specified in subparagraph (C) a
report explaining the reasons for such failure.
(B)If, by the date that is
9 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the memorandum of
understanding described in subsection (a) has not entered into force, no funds
available to the Peace Corps may be obligated or expended to extend to Peace
Corps volunteers invitations for service or to deploy Peace Corps trainees
overseas unless the Director of the Peace Corps certifies to the committees of
Congress specified in subparagraph (C) that—
(i)significant
progress is being made toward finalizing such memorandum; and
(ii)the
Peace Corps is using best efforts to provide volunteers with the training,
support, and information they need to stay safe and secure.
(C)Committees of
Congress specifiedThe
committees of Congress specified in this subparagraph are the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate.
4.Independence of
the Inspector General of the Peace CorpsThe limitations specified in section
7(a)(2)(A) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2506(a)(2)(A)) on the length of
appointment or assignment under section 7(a)(2) of such Act, section 7(a)(2)(B)
of such Act on reappointment or reassignment of an individual whose appointment
or assignment under section 7(a)(2) of such Act has been terminated, and
section 7(a)(5) of such Act on the circumstances under which an appointment or
assignment under section 7(a)(2) of such Act may exceed five years shall not
apply to—
(1)the Inspector
General of the Peace Corps; and
(2)officers and
employees of the Office of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps.
5.Safety and
security reports
(a)The Director of the
Peace Corps shall annually submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a
report on the safety of Peace Corps volunteers. Each such report shall at a
minimum include the following information:
(1)The incidence of
crimes, together with the number of arrests, prosecutions, and incarcerations
for every country in which volunteers serve for the preceding year.
(2)A three year trend analysis of the types
and frequency of crimes committed against volunteers for every country in which
the Peace Corps has operated for at least the three preceding years.
(b)Not later than
two years after the date of the enactment of this section and at least once
every five years thereafter (or more frequently as appropriate), the Inspector
General of the Peace Corps shall perform an audit of Peace Corps implementation
of safety and security protocols, including the status of any Inspector General
findings and recommendations from previous audits that have not been adequately
remediated or implemented.
6.
(a)The Director of the
Peace Corps shall, at least once every three years (or more frequently as
appropriate), perform a review to evaluate the allocation and delivery of
resources across the countries the Peace Corps serves or is considering for
service. Such portfolio reviews shall at a minimum include the following with
respect to each such country:
(1)An evaluation of the country’s commitment
to the Peace Corps program.
(2)An analysis of the
safety and security of volunteers.
(3)An evaluation of
the country’s need for assistance.
(4)An analysis of
country program costs.
(5)An evaluation of
the effectiveness of management of each post within a country.
(6)An evaluation of
the country’s congruence with the Peace Corps’ mission and strategic
priorities.
(b)The Director of the Peace Corps shall
prepare a report on each portfolio review required under subsection (a). Each
such report shall discuss performance measures and sources of data used (such
as project status reports, volunteer surveys, impact studies, reports of
Inspector General of the Peace Corps, and any relevant external sources) in
making such review’s findings and conclusions. The Director shall make each
such report available upon request to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Foreign Relations of the Senate in a manner consistent with the protection
of classified information if determined necessary to protect sensitive
information.