1.This Act may be cited as the
Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer
Protection Act of 2011
.
2.Peace Corps
volunteer protectionThe Peace
Corps Act is amended by inserting after section 8 (22 U.S.C. 2507) the
following new sections:
8A.Sexual assault risk-reduction and response
training(a)As part of the
training provided to all volunteers under section 8(a), the Director of the
Peace Corps shall develop and implement comprehensive sexual assault
risk-reduction and response training that conforms to best practices in the
sexual assault field as appropriate for first responders and other
staff.
(b)Development and
consultation with expertsIn developing the sexual assault
risk-reduction and response training under subsection (a), the Director of the
Peace Corps shall consult with and incorporate, as appropriate, the
recommendations and views of experts in the sexual assault field.
(c)Once a trainee has
arrived in the trainee’s country of service, the Director of the Peace Corps
shall provide the trainee with training tailored to the country, including
cultural training relating to gender relations, risk-reduction strategies, a
safety plan in the event of an assault, treatment available in such country
(such as forensic rape exams, PEP for HIV exposure, STD screening, and
pregnancy testing), MedEvac procedures, and information regarding the legal
process for pressing charges against an attacker.
(d)The Director of the
Peace Corps shall provide each applicant for enrollment with a historical
analysis of crimes and risks against volunteers in the country in which the
applicant has been invited to serve.
(e)The Director of the Peace Corps shall provide each
trainee, before each such trainee enrolls as a volunteer, with—
(1)the contact information of the Inspector
General of the Peace Corps for purposes of reporting violations of the sexual
assault protocol under section 8B or any other criminal or administrative
wrongdoing by volunteers, personnel (including experts and consultants), or
other individuals (including contractors) who do business with the Peace Corps;
and
(2)clear, written
guidelines regarding whom to contact, including the direct telephone number for
a victim advocate and what steps to take in the event of a sexual
assault.
(f)In this section and sections 8B through
8G:
(1)
(A)The term
assault
means an act that—
(i)creates an
apprehension in an individual of an imminent, harmful, or offensive contact;
or
(ii)is a harmful or
offensive touching.
(B)The
term assault
includes stalking and sexual assault.
(2)The term
sexual assault
means any conduct described in chapter 109A of
title 18, United States Code, relating to aggrevated sexual abuse, sexual
abuse, and sexual conduct, whether or not the conduct occurs in the special
maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and includes both
assaults committed by offenders who are strangers to the victim and assaults
committed by offenders who are known or related by blood or marriage to the
victim.
(3)The term stalking
means
engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause
a reasonable person to—
(A)fear for his or her safety or the safety of
others; or
(B)suffer substantial
emotional distress.
(4)The term volunteers
includes
trainees.
8B.Sexual assault protocol and
guidelines(a)The Director of the Peace Corps shall develop and
implement comprehensive sexual assault protocol and guidelines that—
(1)conform to best
practices in the sexual assault field; and
(2)are applicable to
all posts at which volunteers serve.
(b)Development and
consultation with expertsIn
developing the sexual assault policy under subsection (a), the Director of the
Peace Corps shall consult with and incorporate, as appropriate, the
recommendations and views of experts in the sexual assault field.
(c)The
sexual assault protocol and guidelines developed under subsection (a) shall
include, at a minimum, the following services with respect to a volunteer who
has been a victim of sexual assault:
(1)Protection of such
volunteer’s confidentiality.
(2)Provision of a
victim’s advocate to the volunteer.
(3)Provision of a
sexual assault forensic evidence kit to the volunteer upon request.
(4)Provision of
emergency health care to the volunteer, including, to the greatest extent
practicable, a choice of medical providers and a mechanism for such volunteer
to evaluate such provider.
(5)Provision of
counseling and psychiatric medecine.
(6)Completion of a
safety and treatment plan with the volunteer.
(7)Evacuation of the
volunteer, accompanied by a Peace Corps staffer at the request of such
volunteer.
(8)An explanation to
the volunteer of available law enforcement, prosecutorial options, and legal
representation.
(d)Distribution and
trainingThe Director of the
Peace Corps shall distribute to and train all in-country staff regarding the
sexual assault protocol and guidelines developed under subsection (a).
(e)Removal and
assessment and evaluation
(1)If a volunteer feels
at risk of imminent bodily harm and requests removal from the site in which
such volunteer is serving, the Director of the Peace Corps shall, as
expeditiously as practical after receiving such request, remove the volunteer
from the site. If the Director of the Peace Corps receives such a request, the
Director of the Peace Corps shall assess and evaluate the safety of such site
and may not assign another volunteer to the site until such time as the
assessment and evaluation is complete and the site has been determined to be
safe.
(2)Determination of
site as unsafeVolunteers may
remain at a site during an assessment and evaluation under paragraph (1). If
the Director the Peace Corps determines that a site is unsafe, the Director of
the Peace Corps shall, as expeditiously as practical, remove all volunteers
from the site.
(f)Sexual assault
response teamsThe Director
of the Peace Corps shall establish sexual assault response teams, including
Safety and Security Officers, medical staff, and a victim advocate, that can
respond to reports of sexual assault against a volunteer.
(g)The Director of the
Peace Corps shall conduct case reviews of a statistically significant number of
cases on a quarterly basis to determine if proper procedures were followed in
accordance with the sexual assault protocols and guidelines developed under
subsection (a) and including the elements specified in subsection (c).
(h)The Director of the
Peace Corps shall establish a global tracking and recording system to track and
record incidents of assault against volunteers.
(i)Prohibition on
combining incidentsThe Director of the Peace Corps may not
combine into one incident for purposes of tracking and recording under
subsection (h) reports by different volunteers of assault against such
volunteers even if such assaults were committed by one individual against such
volunteers at any one time.
(j)The Director of the
Peace Corps shall establish an alternative reporting system and hotline access
system through which volunteers who are victims of assault can report and
receive support on an anonymous basis. The alternative systems shall be
published in the Volunteer Handbook.
8C.(a)
(1)The Director of the
Peace Corps shall assign a certified victims advocate in Peace Corps
headquarters who shall report directly to the Director. The Director of the
Peace Corps shall assign not fewer than three additional certified victims
advocates to assist the victims advocate. The additional victims advocates
shall have regional expertise and may be posted abroad if the victims advocate
determines that it is necessary.
(2)Peace
Corps Medical Officers, Safety and Security Officers, and program staff may not
serve as victims advocates. The victims advocate and additional victims
advocates may not have any other duties in the Peace Corps.
(3)The
victims advocate and additional victims advocates shall be exempt from the five
year rule on appointments and assignments under section 7(a)(5).
(b)The victims advocate and additional victims
advocates shall help develop and implement the sexual assault risk-reduction
and response training described in section 8A and the sexual assault protocol
and guidelines described in section 8B and ensure such training and such
protocol and guidelines are being properly updated and followed. The victims
advocate and additional victims advocates shall assist volunteers who are
victims of assault by making such victims aware of the services specified in
section 8B(c) available to them and facilitating their access to such
services.
(c)The victims advocate and additional victims advocates
shall provide to volunteers who are victims of assault regular updates on the
status of their cases if such volunteers have opted to pursue
prosecution.
(d)A
victims advocate who is working with a volunteer who is a victim of assault and
who relocates back to the United States shall assist the volunteer to receive
the services specified in section 8B(c) required by such volunteer, including
through the duration of the claim with the Department of Labor, even after the
volunteer is medically separated.
8D.Establishment of Sexual Assault
Advisory Council(a)There
is established in the Peace Corps a Sexual Assault Advisory Council (in this
section referred to as the Council
).
(b)The
Council shall be composed of individuals selected by the Director of the Peace
Corps who are returned volunteers (including volunteers who were victims of
sexual assault and volunteers who were not victims of sexual assault) and
governmental and nongovernmental experts and professionals in the sexual
assault field.
(c)The Council shall
meet not less often than annually to review the sexual assault risk-reduction
and response training developed under section 8A, sexual assault policy
developed under section 8B, and the confidentiality policy developed under
section 8F to ensure that such training and policies conform to best practices
in the sexual assault field.
(d)The
Council shall annually submit to the Director of the Peace Corps and the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate a report on its findings based on the reviews
conducted pursuant to subsection (c).
(e)Members of the Council shall not be considered Federal
employees for any purpose and shall not receive compensation other than
reimbursement of travel expenses and per diem allowance.
(f)The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall
not apply to the Council.
8E.Volunteer feedback and Peace Corps
review(a)Monitoring and
evaluationNot later than one
year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Director of the Peace
Corps shall establish goals, metrics, and monitoring and evaluation plans for
all Peace Corps programs and Country Directors. Monitoring and evaluation plans
shall incorporate best practices from monitoring and evaluation studies and
analyses.
(b)The Director of the Peace Corps shall annually conduct a
confidential survey of volunteers regarding the effectiveness of Peace Corps
programs and staff and the safety of volunteers.
(c)Peace Corps
Inspector GeneralThe
Inspector General of the Peace Corps shall submit to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate the following:
(1)A biennial report
on reports received from volunteers relating to misconduct, mismanagement, or
policy violations of Peace Corps staff, any breaches of the confidentiality of
volunteers, and any actions taken to assure the safety of volunteers who
provide such reports.
(2)A report, not later than two years after
the date of the enactment of this section and every five years thereafter,
evaluating the effectiveness and implementation of the assault risk-reduction
and response training developed under section 8A and the sexual assault
protocol and guidelines developed under section 8B.
(3)A trend analysis
every three years of the annual volunteer surveys, including actions taken in
response to such surveys.
(4)A report, not
later than two years after the date of the enactment of this section,
describing how Country Directors are hired, how Country Directors are
terminated, and how Country Directors hire staff.
(d)For purposes of this
section, the term evaluation
means the systematic collection and
analysis of information about the characteristics and outcomes of programs and
projects as a basis for judgments, to improve effectiveness, or inform
decisions about current and future programming.
8F.Nondisclosure of confidential or
private information(a)The Director of the Peace Corps shall establish and
maintain a process to allow volunteers to report incidents of assault,
incidents of misconduct or mismanagement, or violations of any policy, of the
Peace Corps in order to protect the confidentiality in accordance with
subsection (c) and safety of such volunteers and of the information reported,
and to ensure that such information is acted on appropriately. The Director of
the Peace Corps shall train all volunteers and staff about this process.
(b)The
Director of the Peace Corps shall provide guidance to officers and employees of
the Peace Corps who have access to the information reported by volunteers under
subsection (a) in order to protect against the inappropriate disclosure of such
information and ensure the safety of such volunteers.
(c)
(1)Except as provided in
paragraphs (2) and (3), the Director of the Peace Corps may not—
(A)disclose any personally identifying
information or personal information of a volunteer who is a victim of assault
collected in connection with services requested, utilized, or denied through
Peace Corps programs; or
(B)reveal such information without the
informed, purpose-limited, and reasonably time-limited consent of the volunteer
about whom such information is sought.
(2)If
the release of information described in paragraph (1) is authorized by statute
or compelled by court order, the Director of the Peace Corps shall—
(A)make reasonable
attempts to provide notice to the volunteer with respect to whom such
information is being released; and
(B)take such action
as is necessary to protect the privacy and safety of the volunteer.
(3)The Director of the Peace Corps may share—
(A)nonpersonally identifying data in the
aggregate regarding services to volunteers and nonpersonally identifying
demographic information in order to comply with reporting, evaluation, or data
collection requirements;
(B)nonpersonally
identifying information that would protect the safety of volunteers;
(C)court-generated information and
law-enforcement generated information contained in secure, governmental
registries for protection order enforcement purposes; and
(D)law enforcement- and prosecution-generated
information necessary for law enforcement and prosecution purposes.
(d)In
this section, the terms personally identifying information
and
personal information
mean information for or about a volunteer
who is a victim of assault, including information likely to disclose the
location of such victim, including the following:
(1)A first and last
name.
(2)A home or other
physical address.
(3)Contact
information (including a postal, email, or Internet protocol address, or
telephone or facsimile number).
(4)A social security
number.
(5)Any other
information, including date of birth, racial or ethnic background, or religious
affiliation, that, in combination with information described in paragraphs (1)
through (4), would serve to identify the victim.
8G.(a)The Director of the Peace Corps shall annually submit to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report summarizing information
on—
(1)sexual assault
against volunteers;
(2)assault against
volunteers; and
(3)the annual rate of
early termination of volunteers, including, to the maximum extent practicable,
demographic data associated with such early termination.
(b)Not
later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate a report evaluating the quality and accessibility
of health care provided through the Department of Labor to returned volunteers
upon their separation from the Peace Corps.
(c)
(1)The Director of the
Peace Corps, in coordination with all Country Directors, shall determine the
level of access to communication, including cellular and Internet access, of
each volunteer.
(2)Not later than six months after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Director of the Peace Corps shall submit to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report on the costs of providing
all volunteers with access to adequate communication, including cellular
service and Internet access.
(d)Report on
monitoring and evaluationNot
later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section and
annually thereafter, the Director of the Peace Corps shall submit to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate a report on the monitoring and evaluation of Peace
Corps programs and Country Directors, including information on the
following:
(1)A description of
the monitoring and evaluation activities conducted in the preceding
year.
(2)A forecast of the
monitoring and evaluation activities planned for the subsequent year.
(3)A description of
the ways in which the results of the monitoring and evaluation activities have
informed the design and operation of development policies and programs during
the preceding
year.
.
3.
(a)Inclusion of
sexual assault risk-Reduction and response trainingThe Peace Corps Act is amended—
(1)in section 5(a)
(22 U.S.C. 2504(a)), in the second sentence, by inserting (including
training under section 8A)
after training
; and
(2)in section 8(a)
(22 U.S.C. 2507(a)), in the first sentence, by inserting , including
training under section 8A,
after training
.
(b)Section 5(e) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(e))
is amended, in the first sentence—
(1)by inserting
(including, if necessary, for volunteers and trainees, services under
section 8C)
after health care
; and
(2)by inserting
including services provided in accordance with section 8C (except that
the six-month limitation shall not apply in the case of such services),
before as the President
.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer
Protection Act of 2011
.
2.Peace Corps volunteer
protectionThe Peace Corps Act
is amended by inserting after section 8 (22 U.S.C. 2507) the following new
sections:
8A.Sexual
assault risk-reduction and response training(a)As part of the
training provided to all volunteers under section 8(a), the President shall
develop and implement comprehensive sexual assault risk-reduction and response
training that is based upon best practices in the sexual assault field to
respond to reports of sexual assault.
(b)Development and
consultation with expertsIn developing the sexual assault
risk-reduction and response training under subsection (a), the President shall
consult with and incorporate, as appropriate, the recommendations and views of
experts in the sexual assault field.
(c)Training under
subsection (a) shall be tailored to the country of service, and shall include
cultural training relating to gender relations, risk-reduction strategies, a
safety plan in the event of an assault, treatment available in such country
(including forensic rape exams, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV
exposure, screening for sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy testing),
and MedEvac procedures.
(d)Information regarding
crimes and risksEach applicant for enrollment as a volunteer
shall be provided with information regarding crimes against and risks to
volunteers in the country in which the applicant has been invited to
serve.
(e)The President shall provide each applicant, before
the applicant enrolls as a volunteer, with—
(1)the contact information of the Inspector
General of the Peace Corps for purposes of reporting sexual assault
mismanagement or any other mismanagement, misconduct, wrongdoing, or violations
of law or policy whenever it involves a Peace Corps employee, trainee,
volunteer, consultant, contractor, or outside party that receives funds from
the Peace Corps; and
(2)clear, written guidelines
regarding whom to contact, including the direct telephone number for the
designated SAVSL and the Office of Victims Advocacy and what steps to take in
the event of a sexual assault or other crime.
(f)In this section and sections 8B through
8G:
(1)The term
sexual assault
means any conduct prescribed by chapter 109A of
title 18, United States Code, whether or not the conduct occurs in the special
maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and includes both
assaults committed by offenders who are strangers to the victim and assaults
committed by offenders who are known or related by blood or marriage to the
victim.
(2)The term volunteers
includes
trainees.
8B.(a)The President shall develop and implement a comprehensive
sexual assault policy that—
(1)includes a system for
restricted and unrestricted reporting of sexual assault;
(2)protects the
confidentiality of a volunteer who is a victim of sexual assault until such
time that he or she elects to pursue unrestricted reporting of the
assault;
(3)mandates, for each Peace
Corps country program, the designation of a Sexual Assault Victim Support
Liaison (SAVSL), who shall receive comprehensive training on procedures to
respond to reports of sexual assault, with duties including ensuring that
volunteers who are victims of sexual assault are moved to a safe environment
and receive prompt access to medical care;
(4)requires SAVSLs to
immediately contact the Office of Victims Advocacy upon receiving a report of
sexual assault;
(5)is based upon best
practices in the sexual assault field; and
(6)is applicable to all
posts at which volunteers serve.
(b)Development and
consultation with expertsIn
developing the sexual assault policy under subsection (a), the President shall
consult with and incorporate, as appropriate, the recommendations and views of
experts in the sexual assault field.
(c)The
sexual assault policy developed under subsection (a) shall include, at a
minimum, the following with respect to a volunteer who has been a victim of
sexual assault:
(1)The option of pursuing
either restricted or unrestricted reporting of an assault.
(2)Provision of a SAVSL and
victim’s advocate to the volunteer.
(3)Provision of a sexual
assault forensic evidence examination to the volunteer in accordance with
applicable law.
(4)Provision of emergency
health care to the volunteer.
(5)Completion of a safety
and treatment plan with the volunteer.
(6)Evacuation of the
volunteer for medical treatment, accompanied by a Peace Corps staffer at the
request of such volunteer.
(7)An explanation to the
volunteer of available law enforcement and prosecutorial options, and legal
representation.
(d)The President shall train all in-country
staff regarding the sexual assault policy developed under subsection
(a).
(e)Removal and assessment
and evaluation
(1)If a volunteer feels
at risk of imminent bodily harm and requests removal from the site in which
such volunteer is serving, the President shall, as expeditiously as practical
after receiving such request, remove the volunteer from the site. If the
President receives such a request, the President shall assess and evaluate the
safety of such site and may not assign another volunteer to the site until such
time as the assessment and evaluation is complete and the site has been
determined to be safe.
(2)Determination of site
as unsafeVolunteers may
remain at a site during an assessment and evaluation under paragraph (1). If
the President determines that a site is unsafe, the President shall, as
expeditiously as practical, remove all volunteers from the site.
(f)The President shall
establish a global tracking and recording system to track and record incidents
of crimes against volunteers.
(g)
(1)The policies and procedures established by this section
shall also apply in instances when a volunteer reports stalking.
(2)In this subsection, the term
stalking
means engaging in a course of conduct directed at a
specific person that would cause a reasonable person to—
(A)fear for his or her safety or the safety of
others; or
(B)suffer substantial
emotional distress.
8C.Office of victims
advocacy(a)Establishment of
office of victims advocacy
(1)The President shall
establish an Office of Victims Advocacy in Peace Corps headquarters headed by a
full-time victims advocate who shall report directly to the Director. The
Office of Victims Advocacy may deploy personnel abroad when necessary to help
assist victims.
(2)Peace
Corps Medical Officers, Safety and Security Officers, and program staff may not
serve as victims advocates. The victims advocate referred to in paragraph (1)
may not have any other duties in the Peace Corps.
(3)The
victims advocate and any additional victims advocates shall be exempt from the
five year rule on appointments and assignments under section 7(a)(5).
(b)The Office of Victims Advocacy shall help
develop and update the sexual assault risk-reduction and response training
described in section 8A and the sexual assault policy described in section 8B
and ensure that volunteers who are victims of crime receive services described
in the sexual assault policy. The Office of Victims Advocacy shall assist
volunteers who are victims of crime by making such victims aware of the
services available to them and facilitating their access to such
services.
(c)The Office of Victims Advocacy shall provide to
volunteers who are victims of assault regular updates on the status of their
cases if such volunteers have opted to pursue prosecution.
(d)The
Office of Victims Advocacy shall assist volunteers who are victims of crime and
whose service has terminated in receiving any benefits to which they are
entitled under section 8142 of title 5, United States Code.
8D.Establishment of Sexual Assault
Advisory Council(a)There
is established a Sexual Assault Advisory Council (in this section referred to
as the Council
).
(b)The
Council shall be composed of not less than 8 individuals selected by the
President who are returned volunteers (including volunteers who were victims of
sexual assault and volunteers who were not victims of sexual assault) and
governmental and nongovernmental experts and professionals in the sexual
assault field. No Peace Corps employee shall be a member of the Council. The
number of governmental experts appointed to the Council shall not exceed the
number of nongovernmental experts.
(c)The Council shall
meet not less often than annually to review the sexual assault risk-reduction
and response training developed under section 8A, the sexual assault policy
developed under section 8B, and such other matters related to sexual assault
the Council views as appropriate, to ensure that such training and policy is
based upon best practices in the sexual assault field.
(d)Not
later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, annually
thereafter for four years, and every three years thereafter, the Council shall
submit to the President and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs
and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report on
its findings based on the reviews conducted pursuant to subsection (c).
(e)Members of the Council shall not be considered
employees of the United States Government for any purpose and shall not receive
compensation other than reimbursement of travel expenses and per diem
allowance.
(f)The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not
apply to the Council.
8E.Volunteer feedback and Peace Corps
review(a)Monitoring and
evaluationThe President
shall establish performance plans with performance elements and standards for
Peace Corps representatives and shall review the performance of Peace Corps
representatives not less than annually to determine whether they have met these
performance elements and standards. Nothing in this subsection shall be
construed as limiting the discretion of the President to remove a Peace Corps
representative.
(b)The President shall annually conduct a confidential
survey of volunteers regarding the effectiveness of Peace Corps programs and
staff and the safety of volunteers. The results shall be provided in aggregate
form without identifying information to the Committee on Foreign Relations and
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign
Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(c)Peace Corps Inspector
GeneralThe Inspector General
of the Peace Corps shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs
and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives the
following:
(1)A biennial report on
reports received from volunteers relating to misconduct, mismanagement, or
policy violations of Peace Corps staff, any breaches of the confidentiality of
volunteers, and any actions taken to assure the safety of volunteers who
provide such reports.
(2)A report, not later than two years after
the date of the enactment of this section and every three years thereafter,
evaluating the effectiveness and implementation of the sexual assault
risk-reduction and response training developed under section 8A and the sexual
assault policy developed under section 8B. The evaluation shall include a case
review of a statistically significant number of cases.
(3)A report, not later than
two years after the date of the enactment of this section, describing how Peace
Corps representatives are hired, how Peace Corps representatives are
terminated, and how Peace Corps representatives hire staff, including an
assessment of the implementation of subsection (a).
8F.Nondisclosure of confidential or private
informationThe President shall
establish and maintain a process to allow volunteers to report incidents of
misconduct or mismanagement, or violations of any policy, of the Peace Corps in
order to protect the confidentiality and safety of such volunteers and of the
information reported, and to ensure that such information is acted on
appropriately. The President shall train all volunteers and staff about this
process.
8G.(a)The President shall annually submit to the Committee on
Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives a report summarizing information on—
(1)sexual assault of
volunteers;
(2)other crimes against
volunteers; and
(3)the annual rate of early
termination of volunteers, including demographic data associated with such
early termination.
(b)Not
later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on
Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives a report evaluating the quality and accessibility of health
care provided through the Department of Labor to returned volunteers upon their
separation from the Peace Corps.
(c)
(1)The President shall
determine the level of access to communication, including cellular and Internet
access, of each volunteer.
(2)Not later than six months after the date of
the enactment of this section, the President shall submit to the Committee on
Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives a report on the costs of providing all volunteers with
access to adequate communication, including cellular service and Internet
access.
.
3.Retention of counsel for
crime victimsSection 5(l) of
the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(l)) is amended by inserting before the
period at the end the following: and counsel may be employed and counsel
fees, court costs and other expenses may be paid in the support of volunteers
who are parties, complaining witnesses, or otherwise participating in the
prosecution of crimes committed against such volunteers
.
4.Sense of Congress on
staffing of Office of Victims AdvocacyIt is the sense of Congress that the Office
of Victims Advocacy established under section 8C of the Peace Corps Act, as
added by section 2, should maintain a staffing level sufficient to ensure the
provision of timely and comprehensive services to Peace Corps
volunteers.
5.Personal service
contractsSection 10(a)(5) of
the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2509(a)(5)) is amended by deleting any
purpose
and inserting the purposes of any law administered by
the Office of Personnel Management
.
6.Independence of the
inspector general of the peace corpsSection 7(a) of the Peace Corps Act (22
U.S.C. 2506(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
(7)The limitations specified
in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) and in paragraph (5) shall not
apply to—
(A)the Inspector General of
the Peace Corps; and
(B)officers and employees of
the Office of the Inspector General of the Peace
Corps.
.
7.
(a)Inclusion of sexual
assault risk-reduction and response trainingThe Peace Corps Act is amended—
(1)in section 5(a) (22
U.S.C. 2504(a)), in the second sentence, by inserting (including
training under section 8A)
after training
; and
(2)in section 8(a) (22
U.S.C. 2507(a)), in the first sentence, by inserting , including
training under section 8A,
after training
.
(b)Section 5(e) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(e))
is amended, in the first sentence—
(1)by inserting
(including, if necessary, for volunteers and trainees, services under
section 8B)
after health care
; and
(2)by inserting
including services provided in accordance with section 8B (except that
the six-month limitation shall not apply in the case of such services),
before as the President
.
September 21, 2011
Reported with an amendment