Short Title

This Act may be cited as the Health, Safety, and Security of Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2004.

Ombudsman of the Peace Corps

The Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 4 the following new section:

4A.

Ombudsman of the Peace Corps

(a)

Establishment

There is established in the Peace Corps the Office of the Ombudsman of the Peace Corps (hereinafter in this section referred to as the Office). The Office shall be headed by the Ombudsman of the Peace Corps (hereinafter in this section referred to as the Ombudsman), who shall be appointed by and report directly to the Director of the Peace Corps. (b)

Volunteer Complaints and Other Matters

The Ombudsman shall receive and, as appropriate, inquire into complaints, questions, or concerns submitted by current or former volunteers regarding services or support provided by the Peace Corps to its volunteers, including matters pertaining to— (1)the safety and security of volunteers; (2)due process, including processes relating to separation from the Peace Corps; (3)benefits and assistance that may be due to current or former volunteers; (4)medical or other health-related assistance; and (5)access to files and records of current or former volunteers. (c)

Employee Complaints and Other Matters

The Ombudsman shall receive and, as appropriate, inquire into complaints, questions, or concerns submitted by current or former employees of the Peace Corps on any matters of grievance. (d)

Additional Duties

The Ombudsman shall— (1)recommend responses to individual matters received under subsections (b) and (c); (2)make recommendations for administrative or regulatory adjustments to address recurring problems or other difficulties of the Peace Corps; (3)identify systemic issues that relate to the practices, policies, and administrative procedures of the Peace Corps affecting volunteers and employees; and (4)call attention to problems not yet adequately considered by the Peace Corps. (e)

Standards of Operation

The Ombudsman shall carry out the duties under this section in a manner that is— (1)independent, impartial in the conduct of inquiries, and confidential; and (2)consistent with the revised Standards for the Establishment and Operation of Ombudsman Offices (August 2003) as endorsed by the American Bar Association. (f)

Involvement in Matters Subject to Ongoing Adjudication, Litigation, or Investigation

The Ombudsman shall refrain from any involvement in the merits of individual matters that are the subject of ongoing adjudication or litigation, or investigations related to such adjudication or litigation. (g)

Reports

(1)

In General

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, and semiannually thereafter, the Ombudsman shall submit to the Director of the Peace Corps, the Chair of the Peace Corps National Advisory Council, and Congress a report containing a summary of— (A)the complaints, questions, and concerns considered by the Ombudsman; (B)the inquiries completed by the Ombudsman; (C)recommendations for action with respect to such complaints, questions, concerns, or inquiries; and (D)any other matters that the Ombudsman considers relevant. (2)

Confidentiality

Each report submitted under paragraph (1) shall maintain confidentiality on any matter that the Ombudsman considers appropriate in accordance with subsection (e). (h)

Definition

In this section, the term employee means an employee of the Peace Corps, an employee of the Office of Inspector General of the Peace Corps, an individual appointed or assigned under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.) to carry out functions under this Act, or an individual subject to a personal services contract with the Peace Corps.

Office of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps

The Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.), as amended by section 2 of this Act, is further amended by inserting after section 4A the following new section:

4B.

Office of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps

(a)

Establishment

There is established in the Peace Corps the Office of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps (hereinafter in this section referred to as the Office). The Office shall be headed by the Associate Director of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps, who shall be appointed by and report directly to the Director of the Peace Corps. (b)

Responsibilities

The Office established under subsection (a) shall be responsible for all safety and security activities of the Peace Corps, including background checks of volunteers and staff, safety and security of volunteers and staff (including training), safety and security of facilities, security of information technology, and other responsibilities as required by the Director. (c)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that— (1)the Associate Director of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps, as appointed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, should assign a Peace Corps country security coordinator for each country where the Peace Corps has a program of volunteer service for the purposes of carrying out the field responsibilities of the Office established under subsection (a); and (2)each country security coordinator— (A)should be under the supervision of the Peace Corps country director in each such country; (B)should report directly to the Associate Director of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps, as appointed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, on all matters of importance as the country security coordinator considers necessary; (C)should be responsible for coordinating with the regional security officer of the Peace Corps responsible for the country to which such country security officer is assigned; and (D)should be a United States citizen who has access to information, including classified information, relating to the possible threats against Peace Corps volunteers.

Office of Medical Services of the Peace Corps

(a)

Report on Medical Screening and Placement Coordination

Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Peace Corps shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that— (1)describes the medical screening procedures and guidelines used by the office responsible for medical services 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 guidelines used by the Peace Corps to ensure that applicants for Peace Corps service are matched with a host country where the applicant, reasonable accommodations notwithstanding, can complete at least two years of volunteer service without interruption due to foreseeable medical conditions; and (3)with respect to each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2003 and the first six months of fiscal year 2004, states the number of— (A)medical screenings of applicants conducted; (B)applicants who have received worldwide clearance, limited clearance, deferral periods, and medical disqualifications to serve; (C)appeals to the Medical Screening Review Board of the Peace Corps and the number of times that an initial screening decision was upheld; (D)requests to the head of the office responsible for medical services of the Peace Corps for reconsideration of a decision of the Medical Screening Review Board and the number of times that the decision of the Medical Screening Review Board was upheld by the head of such office; (E)Peace Corps volunteers who became medically qualified to serve because of a decision of the Medical Screening Review Board and who were later evacuated or terminated their service early due to medical reasons; (F)Peace Corps volunteers who became medically qualified to serve because of a decision of the head of the office responsible for medical services of the Peace Corps and who were later evacuated or terminated their service early due to medical reasons; (G)Peace Corps volunteers who the agency has had to separate from service due to the discovery of undisclosed medical information; and (H)Peace Corps volunteers who have terminated their service early due to medical, including psychological, reasons. (b)

Definition

In subsection (a), the term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. (c)

Full Time Director of Medical Services

Section 4(c) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2503(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(5)The Director of the Peace Corps shall ensure that the head of the office responsible for medical services of the Peace Corps does not occupy any other position in the Peace Corps.

Reports on the Five Year Rule and on Work Assignments of Volunteers of the Peace Corps

(a)

Report by the Comptroller General

(1)

In general

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the effects of the limitation on the duration of employment, appointment, or assignment of officers and employees of the Peace Corps under section 7 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2506) on the ability of the Peace Corps to effectively manage Peace Corps operations. (2)

Contents

The report described in paragraph (1) shall include— (A)a description of such limitation; (B)a description of the history of such limitation and the purposes for which it was enacted and amended; (C)an analysis of the impact of such limitation on the ability of the Peace Corps to recruit capable volunteers, establish productive and worthwhile assignments for volunteers, provide for the health, safety, and security of volunteers, and, as declared in section 2(a) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501(a)), promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the peoples served and a better understanding of other peoples on the part of the American people; (D)an assessment of whether the application of such limitation has accomplished the objectives for which it was intended; and (E)recommendations, if any, for legislation to amend provisions of the Peace Corps Act relating to such limitation. (b)

Report on Work Assignments of Volunteers

(1)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Peace Corps shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the extent to which the work assignments of Peace Corps volunteers fulfill the commitment of the Peace Corps to ensuring that such assignments are well developed, with clear roles and expectations, and that volunteers are well-suited for their assignments. (2)

Contents

The report described in paragraph (1) shall include— (A)an assessment of the extent to which agreements between the Peace Corps and host countries delineate clear roles for volunteers in assisting host governments to advance their national development strategies; (B)an assessment of the extent to which the Peace Corps recruits volunteers who have skills that correlate with the expectations cited in the country agreements and assigns such volunteers to such posts; (C)a description of procedures for determining volunteer work assignments and minimum standards for such assignments; (D)a volunteer survey on health, safety, and security issues as well as satisfaction surveys which will have been conducted after the date of the enactment of this Act; and (E)an assessment of the plan of the Peace Corps to increase the number of volunteers who are assigned to projects in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Western Hemisphere, particularly among communities of African descent within countries in the Western Hemisphere, which help combat HIV/AIDS and other global infectious diseases. (c)

Definition

In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

Inspector General of the Peace Corps

(a)

Establishment of Independent Inspector General

(1)

In General

The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended— (A)in section 8G(a)(2), by striking , the Peace Corps; (B)in section 9(a)(1), by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(X)of the Peace Corps, the office of that agency referred to as the Office of Inspector General; and

; and

(C)in section 11— (i)in paragraph (1), by striking or the Office of Personnel Management and inserting the Office of Personnel Management, or the Peace Corps; and (ii)in paragraph (2), by inserting , the Peace Corps after the Office of Personnel Management. (2)

Technical Amendment

Section 9(a)(1)(U) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by striking and at the end. (b)

Temporary Appointment

The Director of the Peace Corps may appoint an individual to assume the powers and duties of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) on an interim basis until such time as a person is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, pursuant to the amendments made in this section. (c)

Exemption from Employment Term Limits Under the Peace Corps Act

(1)

In General

Section 7 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2506) is amended— (A)by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b); and (B)by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(c)The provisions of this section that limit the duration of service, appointment, or assignment of individuals shall not apply to— (1)the Inspector General of the Peace Corps; (2)officers of the Office of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps; (3)any individual whose official duties primarily include the safety and security of Peace Corps volunteers or employees; (4)the head of the office responsible for medical services of the Peace Corps; or (5)any health care professional within the office responsible for medical services of the Peace Corps.

(2)

Conforming Amendment

The first proviso of section 15(d)(4) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2514(d)(4)) is amended by striking 7(c) and inserting 7(b). (d)

Compensation

Section 7 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2506), as amended by subsection (c) of this section, is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(d)The Inspector General of the Peace Corps shall be compensated at the rate provided for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.