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House Committee Approves Bills to Protect Peace Corps Volunteers

On September 21, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved en bloc, by voice vote, the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act (H.R. 2337) and the Peace Corps Volunteer Service Improvement Act (H.R. 2699). The committee held a hearing on H.R. 2337 on May 11 (see The Source, 5/13/11) and approved on July 21 the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 2583), which contains provisions to protect volunteers from sexual assault (see The Source, 7/22/11). The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved its version of H.R. 2337 (S. 1280) on July 26 (see The Source, 7/29/11).

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), would require the director of the Peace Corps to develop a comprehensive program to prevent and reduce sexual assault of volunteers and provide them with country-specific training and safety plans.

Volunteers who have been victimized would receive pregnancy testing, forensic rape exams, testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, medical evacuation, and legal information relating to a victim’s options against the perpetrator.

The bill would provide clear, written guidelines on whom to contact and what to do in the event of a sexual assault and would establish a Sexual Assault Advisory Council to review training policies and practices within the Peace Corps. The council would be required to submit to Congress a yearly report on its findings.

The committee adopted a substitute amendment by Rep. Poe that would make technical changes to the bill and establish a sexual assault hotline for Peace Corps volunteers.

During consideration of H.R. 2337, the committee also adopted during the same en bloc vote:

  • An amendment by Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) to require the Peace Corps to provide applicants with information regarding crimes and risks; and
  • An amendment by Rep. Wilson to prohibit volunteers from losing their living allowances for reporting a sexual assault.

The Peace Corps Volunteer Service Improvement Act (H.R 2699) would require the director of the Peace Corps and the assistant secretary of State for diplomatic security to agree to the responsibilities of each agency to protect Peace Corps volunteers.

The director also would be required to submit to Congress annual reports on sexual assaults among volunteers.

During consideration of the bill, the committee approved in the same en bloc vote:

  • An amendment by Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) to strike language that would remove funding if the director and assistant secretary were unable to reach an agreement within nine months; and
  • An amendment by Rep. Wilson to require the director to include countries formerly served or that may be served in the future by the Peace Corps when evaluating the safety of countries in which volunteers may serve.