89–010 

Calendar No. 375 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 111–186 

TORTURE VICTIMS RELIEF 

REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010 

MAY 13, 2010.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. KERRY, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 2839] 

The Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under consideration the bill (S. 2839) to amend the Torture Victims Relief Act of 

1998 to authorize appropriations to provide assistance for domestic 

and foreign programs and centers for the treatment of victims of 

torture, and for other purposes, reports favorably thereon, as 

amended in the nature of a substitute, and recommends that the 

bill (as amended) do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose ........................................................................................................... 1 

II. Committee Action .......................................................................................... 1 

III. Discussion ....................................................................................................... 2 

IV. Cost Estimate ................................................................................................. 2 

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact .................................................................. 3 

VI. Changes in Existing Law .............................................................................. 4 

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 2839 is to amend the Torture Victims Relief 

Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations to provide assistance for domestic and foreign programs and centers for the treatment of victims of torture. 

II. COMMITTEE ACTION

S. 2839 was introduced by Senators Klobuchar, Graham, and 

Franken on December 4, 2009. On April 13, 2010, the committee 

ordered the bill, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, 

reported favorably by voice vote. Changes in the substitute amendment included striking section four on U.S. contributions to the 

United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. 


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III. DISCUSSION

An increasing number of refugees and political asylees who arrive in the United States are victims of torture. These victims often 

suffer from flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, depression, and 

other symptoms in addition to the physical consequences of torture. 

With treatment, they stand a better chance of integrating into U.S. 

society and contributing to their families and communities. 

S. 2839 reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States to support programs to help these individuals obtain the treatment and 

other assistance they need to recover and reestablish a sense of 

stability. It authorizes $25 million for each of fiscal years 2011 and 

2012 for grants to domestic treatment centers, including grants 

awarded for specialized treatment and training programs focused 

on the needs of torture victims. Pursuant to the same model, S. 

2839 authorizes $12 million for each of fiscal years 2011 and 2012 

for grants to foreign treatment centers and programs. 

IV. COST ESTIMATE

In accordance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(a) of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the committee provides this estimate of the 

costs of this legislation prepared by the Congressional Budget Office. 

UNITED STATES CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, April 20, 2010. 

Hon. JOHN F. KERRY, JR., 

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2839, the Torture Victims 

Relief Authorization Act of 2010. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is John Chin. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF, 

Director. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

April 20, 2010. 

S. 2839 

Torture Victims Relief Authorization Act of 2010 

AS ORDERED REPORTED BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN

RELATIONS ON APRIL 13, 2010

S. 2839 would authorize the appropriation of $37 million in both 

2011 and 2012 for programs to assist victims of torture. CBO 

estimates that implementing the bill would cost $74 million over 

the 2011–2013 period, assuming that the authorized amounts are 


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appropriated and that outlays will follow historical spending patterns for those programs. 

Enacting S. 2839 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. S. 2839 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined 

in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs 

on state, local, or tribal governments. State governments could benefit from grant funds authorized by the bill. Any costs to states 

would be incurred voluntarily as conditions of federal assistance. 

The estimated budgetary impact of S. 2839 is shown in the following table. The costs of this legislation fall within budget functions 150 (international affairs) and 550 (health). 

Changes in Spending, Subject to Appropriation, Due to S. 2839 

By Fiscal Year, in Millions of Dollars 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011–2015 

Domestic Treatment Centers 

Authorization Level ...................................... 25 25 0 0 0 50 

Estimated Outlays ....................................... 1 25 24 0 0 50 

Foreign Treatment Centers 

Authorization Level ...................................... 12 12 0 0 0 24 

Estimated Outlays ....................................... 1 12 11 0 0 24 

Total Changes 

Authorization Level ............................. 37 37 0 0 0 74 

Estimated Outlays .............................. 2 37 35 0 0 74 

Section 2 would authorize the appropriation of $25 million in 

both 2011 and 2012 for the Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) for domestic treatment of victims of torture. In 

2009 (the most recent year for which such data is available), 

HHS received an appropriation of $11 million to award grants to 

programs in the United States that provide psychological and physical rehabilitation, social services, and legal services to victims of 

torture. 

Section 3 would authorize the appropriation of $12 million in 

both 2011 and 2012 for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for foreign treatment of victims of torture. In 2009, 

USAID received an appropriation of $13 million to award grants to 

programs in developing countries that provide psychological and 

physical rehabilitation, social services, and training and advocacy 

services to victims of torture. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is John Chin. This estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(b) of the Standing Rules 

of the Senate, the committee has determined that there is no regulatory impact as a result of this legislation. 


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VI. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 12 of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill, as 

reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted 

is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman). 

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961 

* * * * * * * 

TORTURE VICTIMS RELIEF ACT OF 1998 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 4. FOREIGN TREATMENT CENTERS. 

(a) AMENDMENTS TO THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961. * * 

* 

(b) FUNDING.— 

ø(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the amounts 

authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 

pursuant to chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act 

of 1961 [22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.], there are authorized to be appropriated to the President to carry out section 130 of such Act 

[this section] $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 and $13,000,000 

for fiscal year 2007.¿ 

(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 2011 and 2012 pursuant to chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 

1961, there are authorized to be appropriated to the President 

to carry out section 130 of such Act $12,000,000 for each of the 

fiscal years 2011 and 2012. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 5. DOMESTIC TREATMENT CENTERS. 

(a) ASSISTANCE FOR TREATMENT OF TORTURE VICTIMS.—* * * 

* * * * * * * 

(b) FUNDING.— 

ø(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the amounts 

authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Health 

and Human Services for fiscal years 2006 and 2007, there are 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a) 

$25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 and 2007.¿ 

(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Health and 

Human Services for fiscal years 2011 and 2012, there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a) 

$25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2011 and 2012. 

Æ 


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