June 17, 2003 - PCOL Exclusive: Significant Differences between the House (HR 2441) and Senate (S 925) Versions of the Peace Corps Bill

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Headlines: Peace Corps Headlines - 2003: June 2003 Peace Corps Headlines: June 17, 2003 - PCOL Exclusive: Significant Differences between the House (HR 2441) and Senate (S 925) Versions of the Peace Corps Bill
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By Admin1 (admin) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 11:35 am: Edit Post

Significant Differences between the House (HR 2441) and Senate (S 925) Versions of the Peace Corps Bill





Last Thursday PCOL attended the markup session of the House Committee on International Relations where the Committee overwhelmingly passed HR 2441 "The Millennium Challenge Account Authorization and Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2003" by a vote of 31 - 4. We have been told by a Senior member of the House Staff that the House bill may come up for consideration as early as this week. The Senate bill (S 925) was reported out of committee over a month ago and is on the calendar for consideration. All indications are that both bills will pass very shortly. The problem is that there are differences between the House version and the Senate version of the Peace Corps bill - some of them significant.

Both houses must approve an identical version of a bill before it can be sent to the President for signature. There is a process in Congress for resolving differences in bills that are passed by the Senate and the House. Usually House-Senate differences are resolved by informal consultation or by one house's acceptance of the other's bill without further amendment. Sometimes with major legislation a conference committee is appointed, composed of members selected from the standing committees that handled the legislation.

We have prepared a special report with a section by section comparison of the two bills that RPCVs can read by clicking on the link further down the page. We are providing a list of the major differences with our assessment of what the differences mean and which version is better for the Peace Corps and the Returned Volunteer community. Here's our list:
1. The House version contains a new reporting requirement for the Peace Corps called the "Annual Report on Congress on the Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program" on the progress of the Peace Corps in recruiting historically underrepresented groups. This clause is not included in the Senate Version.

Assessment: Not an important difference. This is already a priority with the Peace Corps.

2. The House version contains a new reporting requirement for the Peace Corps to "Maintain the Integrity of the Medical Screening and Medical Placement Coordination Process" that describes the medical screening procedures and standards of the Office of Medical Services/Screening Unit of the Peace Corps to determine whether an applicant for Peace Corps service has worldwide clearance, limited clearance, a deferral period, or is not medically, including psychologically, qualified to serve in the Peace Corps as a volunteer and analyzes Peace Corps volunteers who have terminated their service early due to medical, including psychological, reasons. This clause is not included in the Senate Version.

Assessment: This report is a good idea and could help the Peace Corps focus on reducing volunteer attrition.

3. The House version has an eleven member Peace Corps Advisory Council with six of the members being RPCVs and with members appointed by the Peace Corps Director and having two year terms. The Senate version has a seven member Council with four of the members being RPCVs and with members appointed by the President and having two year terms.

Assessment: Not an important difference.

4. The House version increases the re-adjustment allowance to $275 in 2004 and $300 in following years. The Senate version increase the allowance to $275 and it stays at $275.

Assessment: Not an important difference.

5. The House version says the purpose of the Innovation Fund is to "provide support for returned Peace Corps volunteers to develop and carry out programs and projects to promote the objectives of the Peace Corps Act, as set forth in section 2(a) of that Act (22 U.S.C. 2501(a))." The Senate version says the Innovation Fund 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)), relating to promoting an understanding of other peoples on the part of the American people."

Assessment: Our reading is that the House version would let RPCVs use grants from the Innovation Fund to promote any of the objectives of the Peace Corps while the Senate version would only allow funds to be used to promote the third goal. The US Peace Corps is already promoting goals 1 and 2 of the Peace Corps and with notable exceptions like World Wise Schools has never concentrated on the third goal of the Peace Corps. Our position is that the third goal is the responsibility of the RPCV community. That is the whole rationale for promoting the third goal with the creation of the Innovation Fund. Therefore grants through the Innovation Fund to RPCVs should be limited to third goal activities so as not to dilute the effect of their efforts. PCOL strongly supports the Senate Version.

6. In the House version the Peace Corps Director makes the award grants from the Innovation Fund to RPCVs or he or she may delegate this authority to the Corporation for National and Community Service. In the Senate version, the Corporation for National and Community Service makes the grants.

Assessment: In February, 2002 when PCOL initiated the discussion of the "New Mandate" legislation and later in May, 2002 when we published a draft version of the legislation for comment by the RPCV community, one of the arguments made against the Innovation Fund was that the Innovation Fund would become confused with funding for the US Peace Corps and create an "unreasonable constraint upon the use of Peace Corps funds." That was when Senator Dodd and his staff came up with the solution of having the Innovation Fund budgeted as a separate line item and administered separately with grants awarded by the Corporation for National and Community Service so that there could be no confusion that these were two separate and independent items in the budget.

The House version of the bill returns grant authority to the US Peace Corps. This creates an improper role for the NPCA and other RPCV organizations seeking grants and would result in their dependency upon the Peace Corps. This is a step backwards and therefore a step in the wrong direction. The power to award grants should be put in the hands of the Corporation for National and Community Service and based on objective criteria because they have experience making grants of this type and they are independent of the US Peace Corps.

Furthermore the present administration of the US Peace Corps has not endorsed the idea of the Innovation Fund or indicated that they see the value in third goal grants. This is an important issue. The third goal grant awards need to be made out of the Corporation for National and Community Service. PCOL strongly supports the Senate version.


7. The House version says grant requirements for funding individual programs or projects by returned Peace Corps volunteers under the Innovation Fund are not to exceed $50,000. The Senate version puts a limit of $100,000 on the grants.

Assessment: Not an important difference.
If it comes down to supporting one version of the bill in its entirety over the other, then PCOL supports the Senate version of the bill because the Senate version addresses the purpose of the Innovation Fund and the administration of the Innovation Fund in a way that will make a big difference in the success of the fund.

We encourage RPCVs to download the document we have prepared with the section by section comparison of the two versions of the Peace Corps Bill and let us know if there are any other issues that appear significant. Read our detailed report on the differences between the two bills at:


Click here to read the Comparison of the House (HR 2441) and Senate (S 925) Versions of the Peace Corps Bill*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Click here to read the Comparison of the House (HR 2441) and Senate (S 925) Versions of the Peace Corps Bill


Senate Version of the Peace Corps Bill (S 925)



Caption: Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spearheaded the Peace Corps Bill in the Senate.


S.925 Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2004 (Placed on Calendar in Senate)

TITLE IX--PEACE CORPS CHARTER FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

SEC. 901. SHORT TITLE.

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

SEC. 902. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) The Peace Corps was established in 1961 to promote world peace and friendship through the service of United States volunteers abroad.

(2) The Peace Corps has sought to fulfill three goals, as follows:

(A) To help people in developing nations meet basic needs.

(B) To promote understanding of America's values and ideals abroad.

(C) To promote an understanding of other peoples by Americans.

(3) The three goals, which are codified in the Peace Corps Act, have guided the Peace Corps and its volunteers over the years, and worked in concert to promote global acceptance of the principles of international peace and nonviolent coexistence among peoples of diverse cultures and systems of government.

(4) Since its establishment, approximately 165,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 135 countries.

(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 currently operating with an annual budget of $275,000,000 in 70 countries with 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers.

(8) The Peace Corps is an independent agency, and therefore no Peace Corps personnel or volunteers should be used to accomplish any goal other than the goals established by the Peace Corps Act.

(9) 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.

(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) 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 must 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 in discharging the Director's duties and responsibilities.

SEC. 903. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:

(1) DIRECTOR- The term `Director' means the Director of the Peace Corps .

(2) PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER- The term `Peace Corps volunteer' means a volunteer or a volunteer leader under the Peace Corps Act.

(3) 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. 904. STRENGTHENED INDEPENDENCE OF THE PEACE CORPS .

(a) RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS- 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 the Peace Corps is an independent agency, all recruiting of volunteers shall be undertaken primarily by 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: Provided further, That'.

SEC. 905. REPORTS AND CONSULTATIONS.

(a) ANNUAL REPORTS; CONSULTATIONS ON NEW INITIATIVES- The Peace Corps Act is amended by striking the heading for section 11 (22 U.S.C. 2510) and all that follows through the end of such section and inserting the following:

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

`(a) ANNUAL REPORTS- The Director shall transmit to Congress, at least once in each fiscal year, a report on operations under this Act. Each report shall contain--

`(1) a description of 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) a description of--

`(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 Congress;

`(B) the rationale for undertaking such new initiatives;

`(C) an estimate of the cost of such initiatives; and

`(D) any impact such initiatives may have on the safety of volunteers; and

`(3) a description of 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 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives with respect to any major new initiatives not previously discussed in the latest annual report submitted to Congress under subsection (a) or in budget presentations. Whenever possible, such consultations should take place prior to the initiation of such initiatives, but in any event as soon as is 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 containing--

(1) a description of the student loan forgiveness programs currently available to Peace Corps volunteers upon completion of their service;

(2) a comparison of such programs with other Government-sponsored student loan forgiveness programs; and

(3) recommendations for any additional student loan forgiveness programs that could attract more applicants from more low- and middle-income applicants facing high student loan obligations.

SEC. 906. INCREASING THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS.

(a) REQUIREMENT- The Director shall develop a plan to increase the number of Peace Corps volunteers to a number that is not less than twice the number of Peace Corps volunteers who were enrolled in the Peace Corps on September 30, 2002.

(b) REPORT ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS-

(1) INITIAL REPORT- 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 describing in detail the Director's plan for increasing the number of Peace Corps volunteers as described in subsection (a), including a five-year budget plan for funding such increase in the number of volunteers.

(2) SUBSEQUENT REPORTS- Not later than January 31 of each year in which the number of Peace Corps volunteers is less than twice the number of Peace Corps volunteers who were enrolled in the Peace Corps on September 30, 2002, the Director shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an update on the report described in paragraph (1).

SEC. 907. 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 to the appropriate congressional committees a report 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. 908. GLOBAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES INITIATIVE.

The Director, in cooperation with international public health experts such as experts of 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.

SEC. 909. PEACE CORPS ADVISORY COUNCIL.

Section 12 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2511) is amended--

(1) in subsection (b)(2) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the following:

`(D) make recommendations for utilizing the expertise of returned Peace Corps volunteers in fulfilling the goals of the Peace Corps .';

(2) in subsection (c)(2)--

(A) in subparagraph (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 shall be members of the same political party.';

(B) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the following:

`(D) The members of the Council shall be appointed for 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 striking subsection (g) and inserting the following:

`(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 striking subsection (h) and inserting the following:

`(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 striking subsection (i) and inserting the following:

`(i) REPORT- Not later than July 30 of each year, 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. 910. READJUSTMENT ALLOWANCES.

(a) INCREASED RATES- 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'.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the first day of the first month that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 911. 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)), relating to promoting an understanding of other peoples on the part of the American people.

(b) GRANTS TO CERTAIN NONPROFIT CORPORATIONS-

(1) GRANT AUTHORITY- The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service (hereafter in the section referred to 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 programs and projects to carry out the purpose described in subsection (a).

(2) PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS- The programs and projects that may receive grant funds under this section 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- To be eligible for a grant 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 management requirements that the Corporation determines appropriate and prescribes as conditions for eligibility for the grant.

(c) GRANT REQUIREMENTS- A grant under this section shall be made pursuant to a grant agreement between the Corporation and the nonprofit corporation that--

(1) requires grant funds be used only to support programs and projects to carry out the purpose described in subsection (a) through the funding of proposals submitted by returned Peace Corps volunteers (either individually or cooperatively with other returned volunteers);

(2) requires the nonprofit corporation to give preferential consideration to proposals submitted by returned Peace Corps volunteers that request less than $100,000 to carry out a program or project;

(3) requires that not more than 20 percent of the grant funds made available to the nonprofit corporation be used for the salaries, overhead, or other administrative expenses of the nonprofit corporation;

(4) prohibits the nonprofit corporation from receiving grant funds for more than 2 years unless, beginning in the third year, the nonprofit corporation makes available, to carry out the programs or projects that receive grant funds 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) requires the nonprofit corporation to manage, monitor, and report to the Corporation on the progress of each program or project for which the nonprofit corporation provides funding from 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 any member 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 shall--

(1) consider the need to minimize overhead costs and maximize resources available to fund programs and projects; and

(2) seek to ensure that programs and projects receiving grant funds are carried out across a broad geographical distribution.

(f) CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT- Grant recipients under this section shall be subject to the appropriate oversight procedures of Congress.

(g) FUNDING-

(1) IN GENERAL- In addition to any other funds made available to the Corporation under any other provision of law, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Corporation to carry out this section, $10,000,000.

(2) AVAILABILITY- Amounts appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) are authorized to remain available until expended.

SEC. 912. 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 at the end the following: `, $359,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, $401,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, $443,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and $485,000,000 for fiscal year 2007'.





House Version of the Peace Corps Bill (HR 2441)



Caption: Congressman Sam Farr (RPCV Colombia) spearheaded the Peace Corps Bill in the House of Representatives.

H.R.2441 Millennium Challenge Account Authorization and Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2003 (Introduced in House)

TITLE XI--AMENDMENTS TO PEACE CORPS ACT; RELATED PROVISIONS

SEC. 1101. ADVANCING THE GOALS OF THE PEACE CORPS.

(a) RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS- 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, the Peace Corps shall be responsible for recruiting all of its volunteers.'.

(b) DETAILS AND ASSIGNMENTS- Section 5(g) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(g)) is amended by striking `Provided, That' and inserting `Provided, That such detail or assignment furthers the fulfillment of Peace Corps' development and public diplomacy goals as described in section 2: Provided further, That'.

SEC. 1102. 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 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 Corps plans, including budgetary plans, to have 14,000 volunteers in service by 2007 while maintaining the quality of the volunteer experience, ensuring the safety and security of all volunteers, and providing for appropriate administrative and other support; 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 co-locating 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 shall consult with the appropriate congressional committees with respect to any major new initiatives not previously discussed in the latest annual report submitted to Congress under subsection (a) or in budget presentations. Whenever possible, such consultations should take place prior to the initiation of such initiatives, or as soon as practicable thereafter.'.

(b) ONE-TIME REPORT ON STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS- Not later than 30 days after the date of 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 applications from low- and middle-income individuals who are carrying considerable student-loan debt burdens.

(c) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS ON THE FEDERAL EQUAL OPPORTUNITY RECRUITMENT PROGRAM (FEORP)- Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Director shall report on the progress of the Peace Corps in recruiting historically underrepresented groups. The Director shall prepare this report in accordance with section 7201 of title 5, United States Code, and subpart B of part 720 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.

(d) REPORT ON MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF THE MEDICAL SCREENING AND MEDICAL PLACEMENT COORDINATION PROCESSES- Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall prepare and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that--

(1) describes the medical screening procedures and standards of the Office of Medical Services/Screening Unit of the Peace Corps to determine whether an applicant for Peace Corps service has worldwide clearance, limited clearance, a deferral period, or is not medically, including psychologically, qualified to serve in the Peace Corps as a volunteer;

(2) describes the procedures and criteria for matching applicants for Peace Corps service with a host country to ensure that the applicant, reasonable accommodations notwithstanding, can complete at least two years of volunteer service without interruption to host country national projects due to foreseeable medical conditions; and

(3) with respect to each of fiscal years 2000 through 2002 and the first six months of fiscal year 2003, states the number of--

(A) medical screenings conducted;

(B) applicants who have received worldwide clearance, limited clearance, deferral periods, and medical disqualifications to serve;

(C) Peace Corps volunteers who the agency has had to separate from service due to the discovery of undisclosed medical information; and

(D) Peace Corps volunteers who have terminated their service early due to medical, including psychological, reasons.

SEC. 1103. SPECIAL VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT FOR CERTAIN COUNTRIES.

(a) REPORT- Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that--

(1) describes 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 host countries; and

(2) lists 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 AND FORMER STAFF- The Director is authorized and strongly urged to utilize the services of returned Peace Corps volunteers and former Peace Corps staff who have relevant language and cultural experience and may have served previously in countries with substantial Muslim populations, in order to open or reopen Peace Corps programs in such countries.

SEC. 1104. GLOBAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES INITIATIVE; COORDINATION OF HIV/AIDS ACTIVITIES.

(a) INITIATIVE-

(1) 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 expand the Peace Corps' program of training for Peace Corps volunteers in the areas of education, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases which are prevalent in host countries in order to ensure that the Peace Corps increases its contribution to the global campaign against such diseases.

(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT- Activities for the education, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases in host countries by the Peace Corps shall be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with activities authorized under sections 104(c), 104A, 104B, and 104C of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

(b) COORDINATION OF HIV/AIDS ACTIVITIES-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Director should designate an officer or employee of the Peace Corps who is located in the United States to coordinate all HIV/AIDS activities within the Peace Corps. Such individual may be an individual who is an officer or employee of the Peace Corps on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) FIELD COORDINATION- In addition to the position established under paragraph (1), the Director should designate an individual within each country in sub-Saharan Africa, the Western Hemisphere, and Asia in which Peace Corps volunteers carry out HIV/AIDS activities to coordinate all such activities of the Peace Corps in such countries.

(c) 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. 1105. PEACE CORPS NATIONAL 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) in subsection (b)(2)--

(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking `and' after the semicolon;

(B) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); and

(C) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:

`(D) make recommendations for utilizing the expertise of returned Peace Corps volunteers and former Peace Corps staff in fulfilling the goals of the Peace Corps; and';

(2) in subsection (c)(2)--

(A) in subparagraph (A)--

(i) in the first sentence--

(I) by striking `fifteen' and inserting `eleven'; and

(II) by striking `President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate' and inserting `Director of the Peace Corps';

(ii) by striking the second sentence and inserting the following: `Six 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 six shall be members of the same political party.';

(B) by striking subparagraph (B);

(C) by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows:

`(D) The members of the Council shall be appointed to 2-year terms.';

(D) in subparagraph (H), by striking `nine' and inserting `seven';

(E) in subparagraph (I), by striking `President shall nominate' and inserting `Director shall appoint'; and

(F) by redesignating subparagraphs (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), and (I) as subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), and (H), respectively; and

(3) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:

`(g) CHAIR- The Director shall designate one of the voting members of the Council as Chair, who shall serve in that capacity for a term of two years. The Director may renew the term of a voting member appointed as Chair under the preceding sentence.'.

SEC. 1106. READJUSTMENT ALLOWANCES.

The Peace Corps Act is amended--

(1) in section 5(c) (22 U.S.C. 2504(c)), by striking `$125 for each month of satisfactory service' and inserting `$275 for each month of satisfactory service during fiscal year 2004 and $300 for each month of satisfactory service thereafter'; and

(2) in section 6(1) (22 U.S.C. 2505(1)), by striking `$125 for each month of satisfactory service' and inserting `$275 for each month of satisfactory service during fiscal year 2004 and $300 for each month of satisfactory service thereafter'.

SEC. 1107. PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS OF RETURNED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS AND FORMER STAFF.

(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 objectives of the Peace Corps Act, as set forth in section 2(a) of that Act (22 U.S.C. 2501(a)).

(b) GRANTS TO CERTAIN NONPROFIT CORPORATIONS-

(1) GRANT AUTHORITY-

(A) IN GENERAL- To carry out the purpose of this section, and subject to the availability of appropriations, the Director may 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 paragraph (2).

(B) DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND TRANSFER OF FUNDS- The Director may delegate the authority to award grants under subparagraph (A) and may transfer funds authorized under this section subject to the notification procedures of section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service (referred to in this section as the `Corporation').

(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 and former Peace Corps staff with a background in community service, education, or health. If the grants are made by the Corporation, 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 Peace Corps or 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 $50,000, 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 Peace Corps or the Corporation, as the case may be, 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 Peace Corps or 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 Congress.

(g) FUNDING-

(1) IN GENERAL- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section up to $10,000,000. Such sum shall be in addition to funds made available to the Peace Corps under this division.

(2) AVAILABILITY- Amounts appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) are authorized to remain available until expended.

(h) CRISIS CORPS-

(1) STATEMENT OF POLICY- Congress states that the Crisis Corps has been an effective tool in harnessing the skills and talents of returned Peace Corps volunteers.

(2) INCREASE IN NUMBER OF CRISIS CORPS ASSIGNMENTS- The Director, in consultation with the governments of host countries and appropriate nongovernmental organizations, shall increase the number of available Crisis Corps assignments for returned Peace Corps volunteers to at least 120 assignments in fiscal year 2004, 140 assignments in fiscal year 2005, 160 assignments in fiscal year 2006, and 165 assignments in fiscal year 2007.

SEC. 1108. DECLARATION OF POLICY.

Congress declares its support for the goal announced by President Bush of doubling the number of Peace Corps volunteers to 14,000 by 2007 and supports the funding levels necessary to accomplish this growth.

SEC. 1109. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

Section 3(b)(1) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2502(b)(1)) is amended by striking `and $365,000,000 fiscal year 2003' and inserting `$365,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, $366,868,000 for fiscal year 2004, $411,800,000 for fiscal year 2005, $455,930,000 for fiscal year 2006, and $499,400,000 for fiscal year 2007'.




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