Should the Peace Corps Give Volunteers a Raise & Provide More Health and Safety Support? (H.R. 2259)

What is H.R. 2259?

(Updated October 28, 2018)

This bill was enacted on October 9, 2018

This bill — known as the Sam Farr Peace Corps Enhancement Act — would increase monetary, medical, safety, and administrative support for Peace Corps volunteers. It’d increase the monthly pay rate for Peace Corps volunteers, require that they have access to medical facilities and a qualified Peace Corps Medical Officer at overseas outposts. Additionally, it’d require the Peace Corps to provide healthcare for returning volunteers with service-related conditions after the end of their service for 180 days while they wait for coverage through the Dept. of Labor to take effect.

Additionally, to improve volunteer safety, this bill would:

• Mandate the provision of country-specific health and safety risk information to volunteers before they begin their Peace Corps deployments;

• Provide better agency support for returned volunteers and victims of sexual assault and violence;

• Improve policies and procedures for antimalarial drugs;

• Increase disability payments for RPCVs that are disabled and unable to work due to service-related conditions;

• Reauthorize and expand key provisions of the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act to enhance the Peace Corps’ ability to assist and protect volunteers that have experienced sexual assault.

Regarding sexual assault, this bill would make the Office of Victim Advocacy in Health Corps headquarters permanent to support Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) who are subjected to violence. It would also make a number of changes to the Sexual Assault Advisory Council: 1) expanding its membership; 2) requiring that at least one council member have mental health field expertise, and 3) extended the council through October 1, 2023.

Finally, the administration-related parts of this bill would have the President of the Peace Corps conduct annual volunteer surveys through September 30, 2023 that are currently only required through September 2018; allow the Inspector General of the Peace Corps to hire an expert, consultant, or organization without regard to certain daily salary requirement; and require the Peace Corps to periodically report to Congress on volunteer access to health care benefits.

Argument in favor

Peace Corps volunteers are an important part of American volunteer efforts abroad who improve the quality of life for many people in the developing world. They deserve a raise and this bill ensures their health and safety while they’re serving abroad.

Argument opposed

The Peace Corps is already making strides to improve health and safety for volunteers, who don’t need a raise. Alternatively, the Peace Corps should turned into a non-profit agency that doesn’t rely on federal taxpayer support.

Impact

Peace Corps volunteers; and the Peace Corps.

Cost of H.R. 2259

The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2019-2023 period and wouldn’t significantly increase the deficit. However, it has no basis to assess the budgetary impact of how the Peace Corps may use the other authorities in this bill.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) introduced this bill to ensure that Peace Corps volunteers are supported overseas:

“When young American Peace Corps volunteers head overseas, they must know that the U.S. government has their back. In 2011, Congress took a historic step in passing the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act, but there is more work to be done. This bill will go even further to both keep volunteers healthy and to ensure that those who have experienced sexual assault have the assistance and protection that they need.”

After the bill’s passage in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in May 2018, Rep. Poe added:

“Far too often, our volunteers are injured, sexually assaulted, or contract severe diseases while serving overseas. This legislation will ensure that our angels abroad have access to qualified medical professionals (in-country) and extends protections for survivors of sexual assault. It also ensures that ill and/or injured volunteers do not have to spend months dealing with federal bureaucratic red tape just to receive the care they need and deserve. These young men and women sacrifice years of their lives to help people they never even met – they are the face of our country in places where America’s shining beacon of hope and liberty may not always shine so bright. Their service to our country should not turn into a nightmare that ruins or even ends their lives. It’s time we take a stand and take action for our volunteers who are some of the very best we have.”

The National Peace Corps Association and Health Justice for Peace Corps both support this legislation.

This bill has 61 cosponsors, including 43 Democrats and 18 Republicans.

Of Note: The Peace Corps provides all serving volunteers with comprehensive healthcare: routine health care provided by a medical officer at each outpost, plus emergency care is provided as necessary, including medical evacuation to the U.S.

Recently, the issue came to light after the January 2013 death of Nick Castle, a 23-year-old Peace Corps volunteer teaching in rural China who fell violently ill and died due to medical negligence and insufficient Peace Corps Medical Officer response to his condition. Since Nick’s death, the Peace Corps attempted to reform its operations, improve its efficiency, and increase support for volunteers in the field.

However, much remains to be done, and some of the Peace Corps’ problems require legislative fixes. For example, current laws restrict the Peace Corps from complying with the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommendations regarding its administration of antimalarial medications to volunteers.

Similarly, although Congress mandated a number of reforms to address sexual assault in the Peace Corps in 2011, the Peace Corps, with the help of an advisory council comprised of experts in the sexual assault field, made progress toward establishing a comprehensive sexual assault policy — but there remains work to be done to ensure the new policy’s implementation at Peace Corps posts throughout the world.

On the safety and security front, volunteers’ safety and security has long been a prime concern of the Peace Corps program. In January 2010, two reports on 20/20 brought new attention to those issues: one concerning the 2009 murder of volunteer Kate Puzey in Benin, and the other addressing the rape of volunteers. The 20/20 reports catalogued failure of some Peace Corps staff to maintain whistleblower confidentiality, inaction in response to volunteer reports of threatening behavior, a lack of compassion for victims of crime, a tendency to blame the victim, and insensitivity to the parents of a crime victim.

Following the 20/20 reports and a House hearing on May 11, 2011, more rape victims came forward with stories suggesting disregard for victims and a possible institutional failure to offer adequate support. Ultimately, several pieces of legislation seeking to address this issue were introduced in the House and Senate in 2011. On November 21, 2011, the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011 was signed into law.

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) Initial Press Release
  
• Sponsoring Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) Press Release
  
• CBO Cost Estimate