May 21, 2004: Headlines: Congress: Legislation: Safety and Security of Volunteers: Dayton Daily News: Senator Mike DeWine endorses Hyde safety bill, introduces version in Senate

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Special Reports: April 2, 2004: Henry Hyde sponsors Peace Corps Safety and Security Bill: April 2, 2004 - Dayton Daily News: Hyde Bill would create Peace Corps Ombudsman, independent Inspector General, modify five-year rule : May 21, 2004: Headlines: Congress: Legislation: Safety and Security of Volunteers: Dayton Daily News: Senator Mike DeWine endorses Hyde safety bill, introduces version in Senate

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-115-42.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.115.42) on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 5:31 am: Edit Post

Senator Mike DeWine endorses Hyde safety bill, introduces version in Senate

Senator Mike DeWine endorses Hyde safety bill, introduces version in Senate

Senator Mike DeWine endorses Hyde safety bill, introduces version in Senate

Bill would improve safety in Peace Corps

Legislation would establish watchdog for agency

By Mei-Ling Hopgood

mhopgood@coxnews.com

WASHINGTON | U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine on Thursday introduced a bill that aims to improve the safety of Peace Corps volunteers.

DeWine, R-Ohio, with Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., introduced the Peace Corps Volunteers Health, Safety, and Security Act of 2004, a bill that mirrors legislation previously introduced in the House by Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., chairman of the International Relations Committee.

The legislation would establish an independent watchdog for the agency, an ombudsman who would handle safety and medical concerns of volunteers, former volunteers and their families. Additionally, the bill would permanently eliminate the current five-year term limit for those individuals responsible for ensuring the safety of volunteers and permanently establish a new Office of Safety and Security.

A hearing on the bill before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is tentatively scheduled for June, according to a spokeswoman for Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who sits on the committee. Voinovich and DeWine requested a hearing last year, following a Dayton Daily News examination of the safety concerns of volunteers. Voinovich has not yet signed onto the proposed bill.

"This legislation is necessary to enhance the safety of our Peace Corps volunteers around the world," DeWine said in a statement. "We must ensure the safety of our citizens, regardless of where they live or work. I hope my colleagues, and the Peace Corps itself, will see the necessity of this legislation and help it pass quickly."



April 2, 2004 - Hyde Bill would create Peace Corps Ombudsman, independent Inspector General, modify five-year rule

Hyde Bill would create Peace Corps Ombudsman, independent Inspector General, modify five-year rule



On April 2 Henry Hyde introduced HR 4060, the Health, Safety, and Security of Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2004, that would 1) create an Ombudsman who would respond to safety, medical and other concerns of volunteers and former volunteers, 2) establish an independent inspector general, who would be nominated by the president, approved by the Senate and would submit reports to Congress, 3) permanently establish an office of safety, and 4) waive the Peace Corps' five-year employment limitation for Peace Corps staff who deal with the safety of volunteers.

Many RPCVs have a concern about the modification to the Peace Corps Act that would exempt some Peace Corps employees from the five year rule (employees in the IG's office, employees working in safety and security, and health care professionals within the office responsible for medical services) and caution that changes to the Peace Corps Act should not be made lightly or without considering what the unintended consequences may be.

The five-year rule, established by Sargent Shriver and written into law in 1965, is one of the cornerstones of Peace Corps' organizational structure because it ensures that the Peace Corps culture constantly renews itself with the infusion of young staffers with new ideas who keep the organization from "hardening of the bureaucratic arteries." Congress should take a close look at the provisions in HR 4060 regarding the five-year rule before they vote for this bill. As RPCV Congressman Sam Farr said so eloquently during the hearings, "[Don't] change the nature of the Peace Corps and essentially have a "Fortress America" Peace Corps Volunteer - because that would destroy it. Try to preserve that initial spirit that has served us so well." We'll be discussing this issue in more detail in future issues of PCOL. For now, read the story and leave your comments at:


Bill would create Peace Corps watchdog*

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



Bill would create Peace Corps watchdog

By Mei-Ling Hopgood

mhopgood@coxnews.com

WASHINGTON | The House International Relations Committee passed a bill that would establish an ombudsman for the U.S. Peace Corps and create an independent watchdog for the agency.

The Health, Safety, and Security of Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2004, sponsored by Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Illinois, and co-sponsored by the committee's ranking minority member, Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif, would create an ombudsman who would respond to safety, medical and other concerns of volunteers and former volunteers.

The bill also would establish an independent inspector general, who would be nominated by the president and approved by the Senate and would submit reports to Congress. Currently the inspector general, who is charged with investigating crimes against volunteers and critiquing the agency's operations, is appointed by and reports to the Peace Corps director.

The legislation, which the committee passed Wednesday, also would waive the Peace Corps' five-year employment limitation for inspector general employees and Peace Corps staff who deal with the safety of volunteers and permanently establish an office of safety.

The bill also requires the Peace Corps to report to Congress about the medical screening of volunteer applicants, an issue raised by Lantos during a hearing last week.

The legislation and hearing followed a Dayton Daily News examination on the safety and security of volunteers.

The newspaper reported in October that the number of reported assaults from 1991-2002 had more than doubled, yet the agency continued to put many volunteers in danger by sending them to live alone in risky areas without adequate housing, supervision or a job that kept them busy. The series also found that the agency omitted many crime victims from its published statistics.

Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez told the International Relations Committee at a hearing in March that safety is the agency's top priority and outlined several measures, including establishing the safety office in 2002, increasing the number of security staff members by 80 and emphasizing safety and cross-cultural training.

More than 7,500 volunteers are serving in more than 70 countries.

Hyde's bill goes to the full House and the Senate. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee had scheduled a hearing for the end of March on the issue of safety and security of volunteers at the request of Ohio Senators George Voinovich and Mike DeWine. However, that hearing has been postponed, and a new date has not been set.

Contact Mei-Ling Hopgood in the Washington bureau at 202-887-8328

revised posting 4/6/2004




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Story Source: Dayton Daily News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Congress; Legislation; Safety and Security of Volunteers

PCOL11515
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By F.Vol (ca1462-ch01-bl06.ma-cambridg0.sa.earthlink.net - 207.69.137.205) on Tuesday, December 27, 2005 - 9:01 am: Edit Post

It never happened. I think we should propose a General Counsel for all volunteers and former Volunteers. This would not be in conflict with the General Counsel at Peace Corps today. They only help employees primarily anyway.

Proposals have been made and may be discussed.

F. Vol


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