69–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 110–537 

RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION CIVILIAN 

MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2008 

MARCH 4, 2008.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. BERMAN, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1084] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 1084) to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the State 

Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, and the Foreign Service 

Act of 1980 to build operational readiness in civilian agencies, and 

for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably 

thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill as 

amended do pass. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

The Amendment ...................................................................................................... 2 

Summary .................................................................................................................. 5 

Background and Purpose for the Legislation ........................................................ 5 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 8 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 8 

Votes of the Committee ........................................................................................... 8 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 8 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 8 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 8 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 13 

Constitutional Authority Statement ...................................................................... 13 

New Advisory Committees ...................................................................................... 13 

Congressional Accountability Act ........................................................................... 13 

Earmark Identification ............................................................................................ 13 

Section-by-Section Analysis and Discussion .......................................................... 14 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 19 

Exchange of Letters—Committee on Foreign Affairs Committee and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ................................................... 22 


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THE AMENDMENT

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

(1) In June 2004, the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (referred to as the ‘‘Coordinator’’) was established in the Department 

of State with the mandate to lead, coordinate, and institutionalize United 

States Government civilian capacity to prevent or prepare for post-conflict situations and help reconstruct and stabilize a country or region that is at risk of, 

in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife. 

(2) In December 2005, the Coordinator’s mandate was reaffirmed by the National Security Presidential Directive 44, which instructed the Secretary of 

State, and at the Secretary’s direction, the Coordinator, to coordinate and lead 

integrated United States Government efforts, involving all United States departments and agencies with relevant capabilities, to prepare, plan for, and conduct reconstruction and stabilization operations. 

(3) National Security Presidential Directive 44 assigns to the Secretary, with 

the Coordinator’s assistance, the lead role to develop reconstruction and stabilization strategies, ensure civilian interagency program and policy coordination, coordinate interagency processes to identify countries at risk of instability, 

provide decision-makers with detailed options for an integrated United States 

Government response in connection with reconstruction and stabilization operations, and carry out a wide range of other actions, including the development 

of a civilian surge capacity to meet reconstruction and stabilization emergencies. The Secretary and the Coordinator are also charged with coordinating 

with the Department of Defense on reconstruction and stabilization responses, 

and integrating planning and implementing procedures. 

(4) The Department of Defense issued Directive 3000.05, which establishes 

that stability operations are a core United States military mission that the Department of Defense must be prepared to conduct and support, provides guidance on stability operations that will evolve over time, and assigns responsibilities within the Department of Defense for planning, training, and preparing to 

conduct and support stability operations. 

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Administrator of 

the United States Agency for International Development. 

(2) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ means any entity included in chapter 1 of 

title 5, United States Code. 

(3) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 

of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. 

(4) DEPARTMENT.—Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the term ‘‘Department’’ means the Department of State. 

(5) PERSONNEL.—The term ‘‘personnel’’ means individuals serving in any service described in section 2101 of title 5, United States Code, other than in the 

legislative or judicial branch. 

(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of State. 

SEC. 4. AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION 

CRISES. 

Chapter 1 of part III of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2351 et 

seq.) is amended by inserting after section 617 the following new section: 

‘‘SEC. 618. ASSISTANCE FOR A RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION CRISIS. 

‘‘(a) ASSISTANCE.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If the President determines that it is in the national security interests of the United States for United States civilian agencies or nonFederal employees to assist in reconstructing and stabilizing a country or region 

that is at risk of, in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife, the President 

may, in accordance with the provisions set forth in section 614(a)(3), subject to 

paragraph (2) of this subsection but notwithstanding any other provision of law, 


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and on such terms and conditions as the President may determine, furnish assistance to such country or region for reconstruction or stabilization using funds 

under paragraph (3). 

‘‘(2) PRE-NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.—The President may not furnish assistance pursuant paragraph (1) until five days (excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and 

legal public holidays) after the requirements under section 614(a)(3) of this Act 

are carried out. 

‘‘(3) FUNDS.—The funds referred to in paragraph (1) are funds made available 

under any other provision of law and under other provisions of this Act, and 

transferred or reprogrammed for purposes of this section, and such transfer or 

reprogramming shall be subject to the procedures applicable to a notification 

under section 634A of this Act. 

‘‘(b) LIMITATION.—The authority contained in this section may be exercised only 

during fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010, except that the authority may not be exercised to furnish more than $100,000,000 in any such fiscal year.’’. 

SEC. 5. RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION. 

Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a 

et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 

‘‘SEC. 62. RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION. 

‘‘(a) OFFICE OF THE COORDINATOR FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION.—

‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within the Department of State 

the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. 

‘‘(2) COORDINATOR FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION.—The head of the 

Office shall be the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, who shall 

be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Coordinator shall report directly to the Secretary. 

‘‘(3) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization shall include the following: 

‘‘(A) Monitoring, in coordination with relevant bureaus and offices of the 

Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), political and economic instability worldwide to anticipate 

the need for mobilizing United States and international assistance for the 

reconstruction and stabilization of a country or region that is at risk of, in, 

or are in transition from, conflict or civil strife. 

‘‘(B) Assessing the various types of reconstruction and stabilization crises 

that could occur and cataloging and monitoring the non-military resources 

and capabilities of agencies (as such term is defined in section 3 of the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008) that are 

available to address such crises. 

‘‘(C) Planning, in conjunction with USAID, to address requirements, such 

as demobilization, disarmament, rebuilding of civil society, policing, human 

rights monitoring, and public information, that commonly arise in reconstruction and stabilization crises. 

‘‘(D) Coordinating with relevant agencies to develop interagency contingency plans and procedures to mobilize and deploy civilian personnel and 

conduct reconstruction and stabilization operations to address the various 

types of such crises. 

‘‘(E) Entering into appropriate arrangements with agencies to carry out 

activities under this section and the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008. 

‘‘(F) Identifying personnel in State and local governments and in the private sector who are available to participate in the Civilian Reserve Corps 

established under subsection (b) or to otherwise participate in or contribute 

to reconstruction and stabilization activities. 

‘‘(G) Taking steps to ensure that training and education of civilian personnel to perform such reconstruction and stabilization activities is adequate and is carried out, as appropriate, with other agencies involved with 

stabilization operations. 

‘‘(H) Taking steps to ensure that plans for United States reconstruction 

and stabilization operations are coordinated with and complementary to reconstruction and stabilization activities of other governments and international and nongovernmental organizations, to improve effectiveness and 

avoid duplication. 

‘‘(I) Maintaining the capacity to field on short notice an evaluation team 

consisting of personnel from all relevant agencies to undertake on-site 

needs assessment. 

‘‘(b) RESPONSE READINESS CORPS.—


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‘‘(1) RESPONSE READINESS CORPS.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and the 

heads of other appropriate agencies of the United States Government, may establish and maintain a Response Readiness Corps (referred to in this section 

as the ‘Corps’) to provide assistance in support of reconstruction and stabilization operations in countries or regions that are at risk of, in, or are in transition 

from, conflict or civil strife. The Corps shall be composed of active and standby 

components consisting of United States Government personnel, including employees of the Department of State, the United States Agency for International 

Development, and other agencies who are recruited and trained (and employed 

in the case of the active component) to provide such assistance when deployed 

to do so by the Secretary to support the purposes of this Act. ‘‘(2) CIVILIAN RESERVE CORPS.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, may establish a Civilian Reserve Corps for which purpose the Secretary is authorized 

to employ and train individuals who have the skills necessary for carrying out 

reconstruction and stabilization activities, and who have volunteered for that 

purpose. The Secretary may deploy members of the Civilian Reserve Corps pursuant to a determination by the President under section 618 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. ‘‘(3) MITIGATION OF DOMESTIC IMPACT.—The establishment and deployment of 

any Civilian Reserve Corps shall be undertaken in a manner that will avoid 

substantively impairing the capacity and readiness of any State and local governments from which Civilian Reserve Corps personnel may be drawn. ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated 

to the Secretary of State such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2007 

through 2010 for the Office and to support, educate, train, maintain, and deploy a 

Response Readiness Corps and a Civilian Reserve Corps. ‘‘(d) EXISTING TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS.—The Secretary shall ensure 

that personnel of the Department, and, in coordination with the Administrator of 

USAID, that personnel of USAID, make use of the relevant existing training and 

education programs offered within the Government, such as those at the Center for 

Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School and the 

Interagency Training, Education, and After Action Review Program at the National 

Defense University.’’. 

SEC. 6. AUTHORITIES RELATED TO PERSONNEL. 

(a) EXTENSION OF CERTAIN FOREIGN SERVICE BENEFITS.—The Secretary, or the 

head of any agency with respect to personnel of that agency, may extend to any individuals assigned, detailed, or deployed to carry out reconstruction and stabilization activities pursuant to section 62 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act 

of 1956 (as added by section 5 of this Act), the benefits or privileges set forth in 

sections 413, 704, and 901 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3973, 22 

U.S.C. 4024, and 22 U.S.C. 4081) to the same extent and manner that such benefits 

and privileges are extended to members of the Foreign Service. 

(b) AUTHORITY REGARDING DETAILS.—The Secretary is authorized to accept details 

or assignments of any personnel, and any employee of a State or local government, 

on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis for the purpose of carrying out this Act, 

and the head of any agency is authorized to detail or assign personnel of such agency on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis to the Department of State for purposes of section 62 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, as added 

by section 5 of this Act. 

SEC. 7. RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION STRATEGY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator 

of the United States Agency for International Development, shall develop an interagency strategy to respond to reconstruction and stabilization operations. 

(b) CONTENTS.—The strategy required under subsection (a) shall include the following: 

(1) Identification of and efforts to improve the skills sets needed to respond 

to and support reconstruction and stabilization operations in countries or regions that are at risk of, in, or are in transition from, conflict or civil strife. 

(2) Identification of specific agencies that can adequately satisfy the skills sets 

referred to in paragraph (1). 

(3) Efforts to increase training of Federal civilian personnel to carry out reconstruction and stabilization activities. 

(4) Efforts to develop a database of proven and best practices based on previous reconstruction and stabilization operations. 

(5) A plan to coordinate the activities of agencies involved in reconstruction 

and stabilization operations. 


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SEC. 8. ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually 

for each of the five years thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of this Act. The 

report shall include detailed information on the following: 

(1) Any steps taken to establish a Response Readiness Corps and a Civilian 

Reserve Corps, pursuant to section 62 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (as added by section 5 of this Act). 

(2) The structure, operations, and cost of the Response Readiness Corps and 

the Civilian Reserve Corps, if established. 

(3) How the Response Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve Corps coordinate, interact, and work with other United States foreign assistance programs. 

(4) An assessment of the impact that deployment of the Civilian Reserve 

Corps, if any, has had on the capacity and readiness of any domestic agencies 

or State and local governments from which Civilian Reserve Corps personnel 

are drawn. 

(5) The reconstruction and stabilization strategy required by section 7 and 

any annual updates to that strategy. 

(6) Recommendations to improve implementation of subsection (b) of section 

62 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, including measures 

to enhance the recruitment and retention of an effective Civilian Reserve Corps. 

(7) A description of anticipated costs associated with the development, annual 

sustainment, and deployment of the Civilian Reserve Corps. 

SUMMARY

H.R. 1084, the ‘‘Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008,’’ amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 

to authorize the President to provide assistance to stabilize and reconstruct a country or region that is at risk of, in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife. The bill provides the President 

with the authority to transfer or reprogram not more than $100 

million in any given fiscal year under any other provision of law 

or under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for the purposes of furnishing stabilization or reconstruction assistance to a country or region that is at risk of, in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil 

strife. 

H.R. 1084 also amends the State Department Basic Authorities 

Act of 1956 by: 1) authorizing the establishment of an Office of the 

Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization within the Department of State to provide civilian management of stabilization 

and reconstruction efforts; 2) authorizing the Secretary of State to 

establish and maintain a Response Readiness Corps to provide assistance in support of stabilization and reconstruction operations, 

which includes active, standby, and reserve components with various functions and responsibilities; and 3) authorizing funds to support, educate, train, maintain, and use the Response Readiness 

Corps. 

Finally, the bill provides the Secretary of State with various personnel authorities to carry out the Act; requires the Secretary of 

State to develop an interagency strategy to respond to stabilization 

and reconstruction operations; and requires the Secretary of State 

to submit to Congress a report on implementation of the Act. 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been involved in stabilization and reconstruction missions throughout the 

world, without a clearly developed strategy to guide U.S. activities 

and policies. The experiences of the last two decades have revealed 

that the United States Government lacks the capacity to train and 


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rapidly deploy civilian personnel with relevant expertise to participate in sustained stabilization and reconstruction activities. As a 

result, the armed forces have shouldered much of the burden in 

stability operations where civilian expertise should have been 

brought to bear. 

In the 1990s, the Department of State froze hiring of new Foreign Service officers for a period of time. USAID dropped from a 

high of 15,000 permanent staff in the 1960s and 1970s to about 

3,000 officers in the 1990s. Today, the Foreign Service component 

of the USAID footprint has been reduced to approximately 1,400 

personnel. Throughout this time, experts identified the need to improve and increase civilian participation in peacekeeping operations, especially for those activities related to planning and conducting operations and to establishing a secure environment. The 

May 1997 Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 56, entitled, The 

Clinton Administration’s Policy on Managing Complex Contingency 

Operations, constituted an important step forward with respect to 

this problem. PDD 56 sought to address interagency planning and 

coordination problems, but the provisions of this directive were 

never formally implemented. In December 2005, President Bush 

issued National Security Presidential Directive (NSPD) 44, which 

replaced PDD 56 and instructed the Secretary of State to coordinate and lead integrated United States Government efforts to prepare, plan for, and conduct stabilization and reconstruction operations. 

Simultaneously, as a result of its experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defense Department issued Directive 3000.05, 

which established that stability operations are a core United States 

military mission that the Department of Defense must be prepared 

to conduct and support. The Committee notes that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has been a vocal advocate for enhancing the capacity of U.S. civilian agencies, specifically the Department of State 

and the U.S. Agency for International Development. On February 

6, 2008, in a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the 

FY2009 budget, Secretary Gates expressed his strong support for 

the Secretary of State’s request for international affairs funding. 

He stated that ‘‘we need civilian expertise and robust engagement 

around the world to build goodwill, represent United States values 

and commitment to our partners, complement the contributions of 

our military, and set the long-term conditions for peace, prosperity, 

and an environment inhospitable to extremism.’’

Various studies since 2003 have also endorsed the creation of cohesive, rapidly-deployable units of civilian experts for stabilization 

and reconstruction operations. In November 2003, the National Defense University released a report recommending the concurrent 

deployment of civilian ‘‘stabilization and reconstruction’’ personnel 

with combat forces, in order to expedite the transfer of responsibilities to civilians. The report called for the creation of a standing 

interagency stabilization and reconstruction team within the government, along with the development of an ‘‘on-call’’ civilian crisis 

management corps of medical, legal, interpretation, and law enforcement personnel from state and local governments and the private sector. In April 2004, the United States Institute of Peace 

urged the establishment of a reserve corps, as well as a separate 

office in the Office of the Secretary of State that would have auVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:46 Mar 05, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR537.XXX HR537

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thority to recruit, deploy, and manage constabulary police units, 

judges, attorneys, and other legal professionals. The Defense 

Science Board recommended in 2004 that the Department of State 

‘‘develop and maintain a portfolio of detailed and adaptable plans 

and capabilities for the civilian roles in reconstruction operations’’

and that it ‘‘prepare, deploy, and lead the civilian components of 

the reconstruction missions.’’ In a September 2007 report, the Government Accountability Office concluded that the Department of 

State lacks staff with appropriate skills to carry out its foreign assistance management and responsibilities. Finally, in February 

2008, the RAND Corporation’s report on ‘‘War by Other Means: 

Building Complete and Balanced Capabilities for Counterinsurgency,’’ recommended a strategy for civil counterinsurgency and an 

assessment of the skills and numbers of people as well as the funding needed to implement that strategy. The report also noted that 

the United States is ‘‘grossly short of civil capabilities for counterinsurgency.’’ The Committee supports the need to rebuild the civilian capacity within the Executive Branch. This legislation is the 

first step toward achieving this goal which is important to the promotion of United States’ national security priorities. 

The ‘‘Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act 

of 2008’’ (‘‘the Act’’) is designed to improve the capacity of the 

United States civilian agencies to respond to stabilization and reconstruction crises. It provides additional authority to the President to furnish assistance to countries and regions that are at risk 

of, in, or are in transition from, conflicts or civil strife, ensures that 

the Department of State is the lead U.S. agency to plan, prepare 

for, and coordinate United States assistance to respond to stabilization and reconstruction crises, and improves the capacity of the 

United States civilian agencies to respond to such crises. Among 

other things, the Act: 

• Authorizes the President to furnish assistance to countries or 

regions that are at risk of, in, or are in transition from, conflict or civil strife for stabilization and reconstruction if the 

President determines that it is in the national security interests of the United States to provide such assistance; 

• Authorizes the establishment of the Office of the Coordinator 

for Reconstruction and Stabilization within the Department 

of State and authorizes the head of such office to plan, prepare for, and coordinate the United States response to countries or regions that are at risk of, in, or are in transition 

from, conflict or civil strife; 

• Creates the Response Readiness Corps consisting of an active and standby component to provide assistance in support 

of stabilization and reconstruction operations in countries or 

regions that are at risk of, in, or are in transition from, conflict or civil strife and a Civilian Reserve Corps composed of 

individuals who have the skills necessary for carrying out 

stabilization and reconstruction activities, and who have volunteered to be deployed to carry out such activities in countries or regions that are at risk of, in, or are in transition 

from, conflict or civil strife; 


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• Authorizes funding to support, educate, train, maintain, and 

deploy the Response Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve Corps; 

• Requires the Secretary of State to develop an interagency 

strategy to respond to stabilization and reconstruction operations; and 

• Requires the Secretary of State to submit annual reports on 

the implementation of the Act. 

HEARINGS

On February 12, 2008, the Committee held a hearing entitled, 

‘‘International Relations Budget for Fiscal Year 2009.’’ Testimony 

was given by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and she discussed the President’s request for funding a Civilian Response 

Corps and the need for increasing the capacity of the United States 

civilian agencies. On February 7, 2007, the Committee held a hearing entitled, ‘‘International Relations Budget for Fiscal Year 2008,’’

in which the Committee heard testimony from Secretary Rice on 

the need to establish a Civilian Response Corps and to increase 

funding for a U.S. civilian response to stabilization and reconstruction crises. 

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On February 27, 2008, the Committee held a markup and considered H.R. 1084. H.R. 1084 was ordered favorably reported, as 

amended, by unanimous consent, a quorum being present. 

VOTES OF THE COMMITTEE

There were no recorded votes ordered on H.R. 1084. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee reports that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

This legislation authorizes the President to transfer or repro- gram up to $100 million in any given fiscal year under any other 

provision of law or under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for the 

purposes of furnishing stabilization or reconstruction assistance to 

a country or region that is at risk of, in, or is in transition from, 

conflict or civil strife. This legislation also authorizes funding to 

support, educate, train, maintain, and deploy the Response Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve Corps. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the bill, H.R. 1084, the following estimate and comparison prepared 


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by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under Section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, March 4, 2008. 

Hon. HOWARD L. BERMAN, Acting Chairman, 

Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1084, the Stabilization 

and Reconstruction Civilian Management Act of 2008. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sunita D’Monte, who can 

be reached at 226–2840. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG. 

Enclosure 

cc: Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 

Ranking Member 

H.R. 1084—Stabilization and Reconstruction Civilian Management 

Act of 2008 

SUMMARY

H.R. 1084 would establish an Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization within the Department of State to conduct reconstruction and stabilization operations. The bill would authorize the Secretary of State to establish and maintain a response 

readiness corps and a civilian reserve corps and would authorize 

the appropriation of such sums as may be necessary over the 2007–

2010 period for personnel, education and training, equipment, travel, and deployment costs. The bill also would authorize the President to provide assistance of up to $100 million a year over the 

2008–2010 period to stabilize and rebuild a country or region that 

is in, or emerging from, conflict or civil strife. 

CBO estimates that H.R. 1084 would increase discretionary 

spending by $620 million over the 2009–2013 period, assuming appropriation of the estimated amounts. Implementing the bill would 

have an insignificant effect on direct spending and no effect on revenues. 

H.R. 1084 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

ESTIMATED COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 1084 is shown in the following table. The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 150 (international affairs). 


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By Fiscal Year, in Millions of Dollars 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 1

Reconstruction and Stabilization 

Estimated Authorization Level 250 202 0 0 0 

Estimated Outlays 213 199 25 3 1 

Foreign Assistance 

Estimated Authorization Level 100 100 0 0 0 

Estimated Outlays 23 57 50 30 20 

Total Changes 

Estimated Authorization Level 350 302 0 0 0 

Estimated Outlays 236 256 75 33 21 

1 Enacting H.R. 1084 also would affect direct spending, but CBO estimates that those effects would be less than 

$500,000 a year. 

BASIS OF ESTIMATE

CBO estimates that under H.R. 1084 the Department of State 

would require additional appropriations of $350 million in 2009 

and $302 million in 2010. For this estimate, CBO assumes that 

this legislation will be enacted before the end of fiscal year 2008, 

that the estimated authorization amounts will be appropriated 

near the start of each fiscal year, and that outlays will follow historical spending patterns for similar programs. 

Spending Subject to Appropriation 

H.R. 1084 would establish a new program of stabilization and reconstruction efforts at the Department of State, for which we estimate funding requirements of about $450 million over the next two 

years, and would authorize up to $100 million a year over the 

2008–2010 period in foreign assistance. In total, CBO estimates 

that implementing the bill would cost $620 million over the 2009–

2013 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. 

Reconstruction and Stabilization. Section 5 would formalize a 

new initiative within the State Department to provide civilian 

management of stabilization and reconstruction efforts and authorize the Secretary of State to establish and maintain a response 

readiness corps and a civilian reserve corps to carry out those efforts. CBO expects that this authority would be employed in a 

manner consistent with the Civilian Stabilization Initiative proposed in the President’s recent budget submission to the Congress. 

Under that proposal, the response readiness corps would be composed of an active component of 250 federal employees assigned to 

the program full time and a standby component with 2,000 employees from various civilian federal agencies who could be called upon 

as needed, and the civilian reserve corps would include 2,000 volunteers drawn from the private sector and state and local governments. 

The bill would authorize the appropriation of such sums as may 

be necessary through 2010 for personnel, education and training, 

equipment, travel, and deployment costs related to those corps. In 

addition, Public Law 110–28 (the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’

Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations 

Act, 2007) provided up to $50 million for the civilian reserve corps, 

contingent on future authorization by the Congress. Under current 


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law, the department plans to use those funds for existing programs 

and activities. Under H.R. 1084, the department would use about 

$26 million to develop training programs and to start a recruiting 

program for the civilian reserve. However, CBO estimates that 

those funds would be spent at about the same rate under H.R. 

1084 as under current law. 

The costs of this program would include: 

• Operating expenses for the Office of the Coordinator, 

• Pay and benefits for 250 new full-time employees, 

• Amounts for training and equipping 4,250 active, standby, 

and civilian reserve members, and 

• Contingency funds to initiate mobilization and deployment of 

the corps. 

Based on information provided by the Department of State, CBO 

estimates that implementing those provisions would cost $440 million over the 2009–2013 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts in 2009 and 2010. 

Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. 

The Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization 

was created in the State Department in 2004. Section 5 would codify the establishment of that office and specify its responsibility to 

monitor and assess international crises, to prepare contingency 

plans for various types of crises, to coordinate plans with other 

agencies, to identify and train personnel with the necessary skills 

for stabilization and reconstruction operations, and should the 

President decide it is in the national interest, to coordinate the 

U.S. assistance in stabilizing and reconstructing the affected country or region. CBO estimates that the office would require appropriations of $23 million a year in each of 2009 and 2010. 

Response Readiness Corps. Section 5(b) would authorize the establishment of a response readiness corps with active and standby 

components composed of federal employees. CBO estimates that 

implementing that provision would require appropriations of $76 

million in 2009 and $67 million in 2010. 

CBO estimates that the 250-member active component would deploy frequently, but in small numbers and to relatively safe environments, and that it would require annual appropriations of about 

$37 million in 2009 and $36 million in 2010. Those amounts include annual per capita costs of about $110,000 for salary and benefits, $5,000 for office support, and $10,000 for travel. In 2009, average costs for equipment and training would be about $20,000, but 

those costs would decline in 2010 to about $16,000. 

The standby and reserve corps would be available should the 

President determine that national security interests required a 

larger, more-sustained presence. Since the standby component of 

the response readiness corps would be drawn from among existing 

federal employees, costs for those members when not deployed 

would be limited to the costs of training and equipment. As with 

the active-component members, CBO estimates that average costs 

for training and equipment would be about $20,000 in 2009 and 

$16,000 in 2010. CBO estimates the standby component would require appropriations of $39 million in 2009 and $31 million in 

2010. 


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12 

Civilian Reserve Corps. In its first full year, CBO estimates the 

2,000-member civilian reserve corps would have average per capita 

costs of $8,500 for recruitment, screening, and enrollment; $18,000 

for training and equipment; $10,400 for salary during training; and 

$6,500 for administrative expenses. In 2010, costs for recruitment, 

screening, and enrollment would fall by two-thirds and costs for 

training and equipment would fall by one-half. Training pay also 

would decline in 2010 to an average of $6,200 and administrative 

costs would average $5,600. In total, CBO estimates the corps 

would require appropriations of $87 million in 2009 and $47 million in 2010. 

Contingency Costs. Should the President determine that a larger 

presence was required, the standby and civilian reserve corps members could be activated, generally deploying alongside military 

forces. Over a two-month period, CBO estimates that mobilizing a 

small force of about 130 members—three field teams of 25 members each and a headquarters unit of 55 members—would require annual appropriations of about $65 million. That amount would include about $30 million for pay and allowances, equipment, travel, 

predeployment training, and supplies. Based on the costs of security for similar teams in Afghanistan, CBO estimates that security 

costs would be about $22 million and contracts for experts in various fields would amount to $13 million. 

Any contingency could expand beyond the initial 130 members 

and would likely continue well beyond two months. The President’s 

initiative envisions the program having sufficient funds to initiate 

a deployment, and then either transferring the necessary amounts 

from other accounts or requesting additional funds from the Congress for an extended deployment. CBO cannot predict the extent 

or cost of such contingencies. 

Foreign Assistance. Section 4 would authorize the President to 

provide assistance of up to $100 million a year over the 2008–2010 

period to stabilize and rebuild a country or region that is in, or 

emerging from, conflict or civil strife. Considering the number of 

regions in the world in conflict or recovering from conflict and the 

magnitude of the appropriations for the reconstruction of Iraq and 

Afghanistan (more than $30 billion over the 2003–2008 period), reconstruction efforts could require much higher funding. Accordingly, CBO expects that those funds would be used for an initial 

response to an international crisis and not for major reconstruction 

efforts and would be expended for a mix of activities with an aggregate spending pattern similar to that of the Economic Support 

Fund (a program that provides assistance to promote economic 

growth, free markets, and sustainable democracy). CBO estimates 

that implementing this provision would cost $180 million over the 

2009–2013 period, assuming appropriation of the estimated 

amounts. 

Direct Spending 

Enacting H.R. 1084 would have an insignificant effect on direct 

spending for retirement benefits. Depending on the circumstances, 

designating volunteers for the civilian reserve corps as temporary 

federal employees could result in either small costs or small savings to the federal retirement programs. CBO estimates that any 

effects would be insignificant for each year. 


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13 

INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE–SECTOR IMPACT

H.R. 1084 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, 

local, or tribal governments. 

PREVIOUS CBO ESTIMATE

On April 2, 2007, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 613, the 

Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2007, 

as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 

on March 28, 2007. The bills and their five-year costs are similar, 

but S. 613 would provide specific authorizations of appropriations 

for the 2008–2012 period while H.R. 1084 would authorize the appropriation of such sums as may be necessary over the 2008–2010 

period. 

ESTIMATE PREPARED BY: 

Federal Costs: Sunita D’Monte (226–2840) 

Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Neil Hood (225–

3220) 

Impact on the Private Sector: Jacob Kuipers (226–2940) 

ESTIMATE APPROVED BY: 

Peter H. Fontaine 

Assistant Director for Budget Analysis 

PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Pursuant to clause (3)(c) of House rule XIII, upon enactment of 

this legislation, the Department of State and USAID would begin 

to rebuild the civilian capacity to respond to stabilization and reconstruction crises. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d) (1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee finds the authority for this legislation in article I, section 8 of the Constitution. 

NEW ADVISORY COMMITTEES

H.R. 1084 does not establish or authorize any new advisory committees. 

CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

H.R. 1084 does not apply to the Legislative Branch. 

EARMARK IDENTIFICATION

H.R. 1084 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), 

or 9(f) of rule XXI. 


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14 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

Section 1. Short Title 

This section states that the act may be referred to as the ‘‘Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008.’’

Section 2. Findings 

This section contains congressional findings describing efforts to 

improve the United States’ capacity to respond to stabilization and 

reconstruction operations, including the establishment of the Office 

of the Coordinator for Stabilization and Reconstruction in June 

2004, the issuance of the National Security Presidential Directive 

44 which instructed the Secretary of State to coordinate and lead 

integrated United States Government efforts to prepare, plan for, 

and conduct stabilization and reconstruction operations, and release of Department of Defense Directive 3000.05 which established 

that stability operations are a core United States military mission 

that the Department of Defense must be prepared to conduct and 

support. 

Section 3. Definitions 

This section provides definitions for use in the act. 

Section 4. Authority to Provide Assistance for Stabilization and Reconstruction Crises 

Section 4 amends Chapter 1 of part III of the Foreign Assistance 

Act of 196.1 by adding section 618—Assistance for a Reconstruction 

and Stabilization Crisis—which provides that the President may, in 

accordance with section 614(a)(3) of the Foreign Assistance Act, 

and subject to pre-notification requirements and notwithstanding 

any other provision of law, furnish assistance to a country or region 

that is at risk of, in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife 

for stabilization or reconstruction if the President determines that 

it is in the national security interests of the United States for 

United States civilian agencies or non-Federal employees to assist 

in stabilizing or reconstructing such country or region. Section 618 

prohibits the President from providing stabilization and reconstruction assistance unless Congress is notified five working days before 

such assistance is provided. This section also allows funds to be 

made available (subject to the same pre-notification requirements) 

for stabilization and reconstruction assistance under any other provision of law and under provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 

1961 that are transferred or reprogrammed for the purpose of carrying out stabilization and reconstruction assistance. 

The Committee recognizes that the authority to provide stabilization and reconstruction assistance is in addition to other authorities to provide similar assistance, and thus, the fact that not more 

than $100,000,000 may be used annually under this authority does 

not preclude additional funds being used under separate authorities. The Committee understands that the authority of this section 

can be exercised with respect to funds transferred under section 

1207 of the FY 2006 National Defense Authorization Act, as 

amended by Section 1210 of the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, subject to the requirement for notification in accordVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:46 Mar 05, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR537.XXX HR537

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ance with the procedures that apply to section 634 of the Foreign 

Assistance Act and the $100,000,000 limitation described above. 

The use of the phrase ‘‘country or region’’ in this section and elsewhere in the bill is not meant to allow for the designation of a 

multi-country region in a way that subverts the need for countryspecific determinations under section 618. Instead, the term ‘‘region’’ is included to accommodate cases in which it may not be 

practicable to recognize a certain territory as being a ‘‘country,’’ for 

example, in cases where sovereignty over an area is in dispute. 

Section 5. Reconstruction and Stabilization 

This section amends Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 by adding Section 62, which establishes the 

Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization within the Department of State and creates the Response Readiness 

Corps. 

The new section 62(a) codifies the Office of the Coordinator for 

Reconstruction and Stabilization at the State Department, which 

was established in June, 2004. This section requires that the Coordinator be appointed by the President with the advice and consent 

of the Senate. The Coordinator will report directly to the Secretary. 

Section 62(a) outlines the functions of the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. The Committee expects 

the Office to coordinate with relevant bureaus and offices within 

the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development in monitoring political and economic stability worldwide. 

The Committee expects the Office to provide fulsome briefings to 

the Committee on its efforts to monitor such instability and efforts 

taken to address such instability through the provision of U.S. assistance. In monitoring for potential crises, the Office should utilize 

the current intelligence, data collection and monitoring efforts of 

other agencies as well as available information gathered by international organizations and other countries. 

Subsection (a) of the new section also directs the Office to plan 

and prepare for stabilization and reconstruction crises to address 

law enforcement, security, human rights, humanitarian, and economic issues that may arise in such crises. The Committee strongly 

urges the Office to work with the U.S. Agency for International Development in planning, preparing, and deploying personnel for stabilization and reconstruction crises as it relates to humanitarian, 

human rights, and economic issues. In particular, the Committee 

expects the Office to draw upon the experience and expertise of the 

Disaster Assistance Response Teams under the Office of Disaster 

Assistance and the Office of Transition Initiatives within the U.S. 

Agency for International Development. These two entities have 

long histories in responding to humanitarian crises and post-conflict situations and are experienced in conducting assessments and 

programs in areas such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, the Balkans, 

Pakistan, and Democratic Republic of Congo, among others. The 

Committee believes that the Office should learn from such experiences when it utilizes its own personnel who are deployed on short 

notice to undertake on-site needs assessments. Moreover, this new 

provision of law does not preclude the President from designating 

an official from outside the Department of State, particularly an ofVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:46 Mar 05, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR537.XXX HR537

smartinez on PRODPC61 with REPORTS
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ficial of USAID, to act as coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization assistance. 

The Office should also enter into appropriate arrangements with 

other agencies, such as the Department of Defense, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Health and Human 

Services, to ensure effective and efficient interagency planning, 

preparation, and implementation of activities in response to countries or regions that are at risk of, in, or are in transition from, 

conflict or civil strife. Given that State and local governments, and 

the private sector have extensive expertise in areas impacted by 

stabilization and reconstruction crises, such as law enforcement, 

engineering and infrastructure management, and rule of law, the 

Committee expects that the Office will work to identify volunteers 

from such entities who are available to participate in the Civilian 

Reserve Corps established by this Act. The Committee believes that 

personnel in the Response Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve Corps should have the necessary training and education in 

relevant stabilization and reconstruction activities, such as language training, conflict mediation, rule of law, law enforcement, 

human rights, and disaster assistance, and that such training and 

education is carried out with other United States agencies involved 

with stabilization operations. 

Stabilization and reconstruction crises can have a significant impact on peace and global security. As a result, other countries and 

international organizations, such as the United Nations, are heavily engaged in providing assistance to countries and regions impacted by conflict or civil strife. As a result, the Committee finds 

it extremely important that the Office coordinate the activities of 

the United States with other governments and international organizations in order to improve effectiveness and avoid duplication. 

Section 62(b), as amended by Section 5 of the ‘‘Reconstruction 

and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008,’’ authorizes the 

Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator for the 

U.S. Agency for International Development and heads of other appropriate agencies of the United States Government, to establish a 

Response Readiness Corps which contains an active and standby 

component consisting of United States Government personnel, including employees of the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for 

International Development, and other agencies who are recruited 

and trained to provide assistance when deployed to respond to stabilization and reconstruction crises. The Committee believes that 

personnel from other agencies, including, as appropriate, members 

of the uniformed services of the Department of Defense, may participate in the active and standby components of the Response 

Readiness Corps. Although the Corps may include personnel from 

USAID and other agencies, its activities should be complementary 

to, but distinct from, the activities of those other agencies, particularly in light of the higher threshold that limits its deployment to 

genuine crises and conflicts. 

Subsection (b) of Section 62 also authorizes the Secretary of 

State, in consultation with the Administrator for the U.S. Agency 

for International Development, to establish a Civilian Reserve 

Corps. The Civilian Reserve Corps may include employees from 

State and local governments, the private sector (including employees of nongovernmental organizations), and retired Federal employVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:46 Mar 05, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR537.XXX HR537

smartinez on PRODPC61 with REPORTS
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ees or retired military. The bill also authorizes the Secretary of 

State to employ and train such individuals with the skills necessary for carrying out stabilization and reconstruction activities. 

In both the Response Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve 

Corps, the Committee expects that the areas of expertise of the individuals making up both entities might include, but not be limited 

to, public information and communications, rule of law, governance 

and civil administration, security and public order, health and education, and construction and engineering. The Committee also expects that such individuals will have the requisite regional or country expertise and the necessary language skills. The Committee 

commends the Department of State for taking initial steps to establish the active, standby, and reserve components of the Response 

Readiness Corps and expects that the authority provided in this 

legislation will bolster such efforts. The Committee believes that 

the Civilian Reserve Corps should only be deployed in cases where 

the President determines that it is in the national security interests of the United States to furnish assistance to countries or regions that are at risk of, in, or are in transition from, conflict or 

civil strife. As directed by subparagraph (3) of subsection 62(b), the 

Committee expects that the Civilian Reserve Corps will be established and deployed in a manner that does not substantively impair 

the capacity and readiness of any State and local government from 

which personnel of the Corps may be drawn. 

The Committee fully expects that the Secretary will take all 

steps necessary to ensure the voluntariness of service by individual 

members of the Civilian Reserve Corps. For example, any agreements or memoranda of understanding with State or local governments should include provisions to ensure that any State or local 

employee who might be detailed to or deployed by the Civilian Reserve Corps has personally consented to such service. 

Subsection(c) of Section 62 authorizes funding to the Secretary of 

State for fiscal years 2007 through 2010 for the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization and to support, educate, train, maintain, and deploy a Response Readiness Corps and 

a Civilian Reserve Corps. The Committee intends with this provision to allow the Department of State to use up to $50 million for 

the Civilian Reserve Corps that was appropriated in the U.S. Troop 

Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007. The Committee understands that 

approximately $25 million remains from this appropriation and authorizes the Secretary of State to utilize such funding for the establishment and deployment of the Civilian Reserve Corps. Although 

by its terms funds are authorized to the Secretary of State, the 

Committee believes that it would not be inconsistent with section 

62(c) to have some of the funds for the active component of the Response Readiness Corps be made available to other agencies where 

members of the Corps will be employed on a day-to-day basis. Such 

an approach would be consistent, for example, with efforts in the 

President’s request to increase the capacity of USAID. 

Subsection (d) of Section 62 requires the Secretary of State to ensure that personnel of the Department of State utilize the relevant 

existing training and education programs offered within the U.S. 

Government. The Committee believes that training of civilian government personnel to assist in post-conflict stabilization and reconVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:46 Mar 05, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR537.XXX HR537

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struction operations has been lacking. The Committee notes that 

there are notable training and education programs offered at the 

Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies at the Naval 

Postgraduate School and the Interagency Training, Education, and 

After Action Review Program at the National Defense University. 

The Committee strongly encourages the Secretary of State to ensure that members of the Response Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve Corps participate in such programs before deployment. 

Such programs should ensure that members who are deployed have 

had extensive training on stabilization and reconstruction with 

their counterparts in other U.S. agencies, including the Department of Defense. 

Section 6. Authorities Related to Personnel 

This section authorizes the Secretary of State, or the head of any 

U.S. agency with respect to personnel of that agency, to extend to 

any individual assigned, detailed, or deployed under this Act certain death gratuity, training, and travel expense benefits or privileges that are provided to members of the Foreign Service under 

the Foreign Service Act of 1980. The Committee also authorizes the 

Secretary of State to accept detailees or assignments from other executive agencies, members of the uniformed services, and employees of State or local governments on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis. The Committee understands that concerns have 

been raised by certain agencies that they do not have authority to 

provide their personnel on a non-reimbursable basis for the purposes described in this Act. Therefore, the Committee specifically 

authorizes the head of any U.S. agency to detail or assign its personnel on a reimbursable and a non-reimbursable basis in order to 

participate in the Response Readiness Corps. 

Section 7. Reconstruction and Stabilization Strategy 

The Committee notes that, despite the National Security President Directive 44 and the Department of Defense Directive 

3000.05, the United States Government lacks a comprehensive and 

coherent interagency strategy to respond to stabilization and reconstruction operations. This section requires the Secretary of State to 

develop such a strategy which would include, but not be limited to: 

the identification of, and efforts to improve, the skills set needed 

to respond to and support stabilization and reconstruction operations; the identification of specific agencies that can adequately 

satisfy such skills sets; efforts to increase training of Federal civilian personnel to carry out stabilization and reconstruction activities; efforts to develop a database of proven and best practices 

based on previous stabilization and reconstruction operations; and 

a plan to coordinate the activities of agencies involved in stabilization and reconstruction operations. The Committee expects that in 

developing a strategy with regard to specific stabilization and reconstruction operations and the furnishing of assistance for such 

purposes, the Secretary of State shall coordinate with relevant ambassadors in the field, along with the Administrator of USAID and 

relevant USAID bureaus and missions. As our nation’s primary 

international development agency, USAID plays a leading role in 

shaping and implementing development policy. Given USAID’s expertise and experience in humanitarian and reconstruction activiVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:46 Mar 05, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR537.XXX HR537

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ties, and the inevitable use of certain funds administered by 

USAID for reconstruction and stabilization operations, the Committee expects a significant role for USAID in these activities. 

However, the Committee notes that the descent of a country or region into conflict or civil strife may require the Department of 

State and USAID to reevaluate the long-term goals for such country or region. 

Section 8. Annual Reports to Congress 

This section requires the Secretary of State to submit a report 

on the implementation of this Act to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 180 

days after enactment and annually thereafter. The Committee expects the Secretary of State to provide information on efforts to establish the Response Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve 

Corps, including any obstacles perceived in establishing such entities. The Committee also encourages the Secretary of State to provide recommendations to improve implementation of the Response 

Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve Corps, including legislation that may be necessary to enhance the recruitment and retention of an effective Civilian Reserve Corps. The Committee remains 

concerned about the anticipated costs in setting up, maintaining, 

and deploying the Response Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve Corps, and expects the Secretary of State to include a description of such costs in the annual reports. As underscored by 

subsection (3), the Committee also remains concerned that Corps 

activities should be coordinated with other United States foreign 

assistance activities in order to improve efficiency and avoid duplication. As indicated by the reporting requirements of subsection 

(4), the Committee intends to monitor compliance with the new section 62(b)(3) of Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities 

Act (added by section 5 of the bill), which directs that the establishment and deployment of a Civilian Reserve Corps shall avoid substantively impairing the domestic capacity of State and local governments whose personnel may volunteer for service. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italics 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

SECTION 618 OF THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961 

SEC. 618. ASSISTANCE FOR A RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION 

CRISIS. 

(a) ASSISTANCE.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—If the President determines that it is in the 

national security interests of the United States for United 

States civilian agencies or non-Federal employees to assist in 

reconstructing and stabilizing a country or region that is at risk 

of, in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife, the President may, in accordance with the provisions set forth in section 

614(a)(3), subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection but notwithstanding any other provision of law, and on such terms 


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20 

and conditions as the President may determine, furnish assistance to such country or region for reconstruction or stabilization 

using funds under paragraph (3). 

(2) PRE-NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.—The President may not 

furnish assistance pursuant paragraph (1) until five days (excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) after 

the requirements under section 614(a)(3) of this Act are carried 

out. 

(3) FUNDS.—The funds referred to in paragraph (1) are funds 

made available under any other provision of law and under 

other provisions of this Act, and transferred or reprogrammed 

for purposes of this section, and such transfer or reprogramming shall be subject to the procedures applicable to a notification under section 634A of this Act. 

(b) LIMITATION.—The authority contained in this section may be 

exercised only during fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010, except that 

the authority may not be exercised to furnish more than 

$100,000,000 in any such fiscal year. 

* * * * * * * 

STATE DEPARTMENT BASIC AUTHORITIES ACT OF 1956 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE I—BASIC AUTHORITIES GENERALLY 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 62. RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION. 

(a) OFFICE OF THE COORDINATOR FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION.—

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within the Department of State the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction 

and Stabilization. 

(2) COORDINATOR FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZA- TION.—The head of the Office shall be the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, who shall be appointed by the 

President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. 

The Coordinator shall report directly to the Secretary. 

(3) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization shall include the following: 

(A) Monitoring, in coordination with relevant bureaus 

and offices of the Department of State and the United 

States Agency for International Development (USAID), political and economic instability worldwide to anticipate the 

need for mobilizing United States and international assistance for the reconstruction and stabilization of a country or 

region that is at risk of, in, or are in transition from, conflict or civil strife. 

(B) Assessing the various types of reconstruction and stabilization crises that could occur and cataloging and monitoring the non-military resources and capabilities of agencies (as such term is defined in section 3 of the ReconstrucVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:46 Mar 05, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR537.XXX HR537

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21 

tion and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008) 

that are available to address such crises. 

(C) Planning, in conjunction with USAID, to address requirements, such as demobilization, disarmament, rebuilding of civil society, policing, human rights monitoring, and 

public information, that commonly arise in reconstruction 

and stabilization crises. 

(D) Coordinating with relevant agencies to develop interagency contingency plans and procedures to mobilize and 

deploy civilian personnel and conduct reconstruction and 

stabilization operations to address the various types of such 

crises. 

(E) Entering into appropriate arrangements with agencies to carry out activities under this section and the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 

2008. 

(F) Identifying personnel in State and local governments 

and in the private sector who are available to participate 

in the Civilian Reserve Corps established under subsection 

(b) or to otherwise participate in or contribute to reconstruction and stabilization activities. 

(G) Taking steps to ensure that training and education of 

civilian personnel to perform such reconstruction and stabilization activities is adequate and is carried out, as appropriate, with other agencies involved with stabilization 

operations. 

(H) Taking steps to ensure that plans for United States 

reconstruction and stabilization operations are coordinated 

with and complementary to reconstruction and stabilization 

activities of other governments and international and nongovernmental organizations, to improve effectiveness and 

avoid duplication. 

(I) Maintaining the capacity to field on short notice an 

evaluation team consisting of personnel from all relevant 

agencies to undertake on-site needs assessment. 

(b) RESPONSE READINESS CORPS.— (1) RESPONSE READINESS CORPS.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 

International Development and the heads of other appropriate 

agencies of the United States Government, may establish and 

maintain a Response Readiness Corps (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Corps’’) to provide assistance in support of reconstruction and stabilization operations in countries or regions 

that are at risk of, in, or are in transition from, conflict or civil 

strife. The Corps shall be composed of active and standby components consisting of United States Government personnel, including employees of the Department of State, the United States 

Agency for International Development, and other agencies who 

are recruited and trained (and employed in the case of the active component) to provide such assistance when deployed to do 

so by the Secretary to support the purposes of this Act. 

(2) CIVILIAN RESERVE CORPS.—The Secretary, in consultation 

with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, may establish a Civilian Reserve Corps 

for which purpose the Secretary is authorized to employ and 


smartinez on PRODPC61 with REPORTS
22 

train individuals who have the skills necessary for carrying out 

reconstruction and stabilization activities, and who have volunteered for that purpose. The Secretary may deploy members of 

the Civilian Reserve Corps pursuant to a determination by the 

President under section 618 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 

1961. 

(3) MITIGATION OF DOMESTIC IMPACT.—The establishment 

and deployment of any Civilian Reserve Corps shall be undertaken in a manner that will avoid substantively impairing the 

capacity and readiness of any State and local governments from 

which Civilian Reserve Corps personnel may be drawn. 

(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to 

be appropriated to the Secretary of State such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2007 through 2010 for the Office and to support, educate, train, maintain, and deploy a Response Readiness 

Corps and a Civilian Reserve Corps. 

(d) EXISTING TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS.—The Secretary shall ensure that personnel of the Department, and, in coordination with the Administrator of USAID, that personnel of 

USAID, make use of the relevant existing training and education 

programs offered within the Government, such as those at the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School and the Interagency Training, Education, and 

After Action Review Program at the National Defense University. 

* * * * * * * 

EXCHANGE OF LETTERS—COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM

U.S. CONGRESS, 

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 

Washington, DC, March 4, 2008. 

Hon. HENRY A. WAXMAN, Chairman, 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 

1084, the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management 

Act of 2008, which authorizes the President to provide assistance 

to stabilize and reconstruct a country or region that is at risk of, 

in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife, and establishes 

a Response Readiness Corps and Civilian Reserve Corps to respond 

to such country or region. 

I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this legislation. I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall within 

the jurisdiction of the Committee on Oversight and Government 

Reform. I acknowledge that the Committee will not seek a sequential referral of the bill and agree that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill. does not prejudice the Oversight 

Committee’s jurisdictional interests and prerogatives regarding this 

bill or similar legislation 

Further, as to any House-Senate conference on the bill, I understand that your committee reserves the right to seek the appointment of conferees for consideration of portions of the bill that are 


smartinez on PRODPC61 with REPORTS
23 

within the Committee’s jurisdiction, and I agree to support a request by the Committee with respect to serving as conferees on the 

bill (or similar legislation). 

I will ensure that our of letters is included in my Committee’s 

report on the bill and in the Congressional Record during consideration on the House floor of H.R. 1084, and I look forward to working with you on this important legislation 

Cordially, 

HOWARD BERMAN, Acting Chairman. 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 

Washington, DC, March 4, 2008. 

Hon. HOWARD BERMAN, Acting Chairman, 

Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR CHAIRMAN BERMAN: I am writing to confirm our mutual 

understanding with respect to the consideration of H.R. 1084, the 

Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008. 

As you know, on February 27, 2008, the Committee on Foreign 

Affairs ordered H.R. 1084 reported to the House. The Committee 

on Oversight and Government Reform (Oversight Committee) appreciates your effort to consult regarding those provisions of H.R. 

1084 that fall within the Oversight Committee’s jurisdiction, including matters related to the federal workforce. 

In the interest of expediting consideration of H.R. 1084, the 

Oversight Committee will not separately consider this legislation. 

The Oversight Committee does so, however, with the understanding that this does not prejudice the Oversight Committee’s jurisdictional interests and prerogatives regarding this bill or similar 

legislation. 

I respectfully request your support for the appointment of outside 

conferees from the Oversight Committee should H.R. 1084 or a 

similar Senate bill be considered in conference with the Senate. I 

also request that you include our exchange of letters on this matter 

in the Report by the Committee on Foreign Affairs on H.R. 1084 

and in the Congressional Record during consideration of this legislation on the House floor. 

Thank you for your attention to these matters. 

Sincerely, 

HENRY A. WAXMAN, Chairman. 

cc: Tom Davis 

Ranking Minority Member 

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