I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2870 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 24, 2015 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Torture Victims Relief 

5 Reauthorization Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR DOMES2 TIC TREATMENT CENTERS FOR VICTIMS OF 

3 TORTURE. 

4 Section 5(b)(1) of the Torture Victims Relief Act of 

5 1998 (22 U.S.C. 2152 note) is amended to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of 

7 the amounts authorized to be appropriated for the 

8 Department of Health and Human Services for fis9 cal years 2016 and 2017, there are authorized to be 

10 appropriated to carry out subsection (a) 

11 $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2016 and 

12 2017.’’. 

13 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR FOR14 EIGN TREATMENT CENTERS FOR VICTIMS OF 

15 TORTURE. 

16 Section 4(b)(1) of the Torture Victims Relief Act of 

17 1998 (22 U.S.C. 2152 note) is amended to read as follows: 

18 ‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of 

19 the amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal 

20 years 2016 and 2017 pursuant to chapter 1 of part 

21 I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, there are 

22 authorized to be appropriated to the President to 

23 carry out section 130 of such Act $12,000,000 for 

24 each of the fiscal years 2016 and 2017.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. SPECIALIZED TRAINING FOR FOREIGN SERVICE OF2 FICERS. 

3 Section 7 of the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 

4 (22 U.S.C. 2152 note) is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding 

6 paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘through the Foreign 

7 Service Institute’’ after ‘‘foreign service officers’’; 

8 and 

9 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub10 section: 

11 ‘‘(c) REPORT.—The Secretary of State shall submit 

12 to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep13 resentatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

14 the Senate an annual report on the implementation of sub15 section (a) for the preceding year, including a description 

16 of training on victims of torture for foreign service officers 

17 and the number of foreign service officers trained.’’. 

18 SEC. 5. REPORT ON VICTIMS OF TORTURE WHO ENTER THE 

19 UNITED STATES. 

20 The Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee 

21 on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and 

22 the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate an an23 nual report on the percentage and number of identified 

24 victims of torture who are approved to enter the United 

25 States as refugees and their initial placement in the 

26 United States. 


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1 SEC. 6. GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS FOR2 EIGN TREATMENT CENTERS AND PROGRAMS 

3 FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the United 

5 States Agency for International Development shall provide 

6 guidance and support for indigenous foreign treatment 

7 centers and programs for victims of torture in order to 

8 increase the capacity of such centers and programs and 

9 to train other local health care providers, including hos10 pitals, clinics and other health treatment facilities. 

11 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the 

12 amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 

13 2016 and 2017 to carry out section 130 of the Foreign 

14 Assistance Act of 1961, there are authorized to be appro15 priated to the Administrator such sums as may be nec16 essary to carry out subsection (a) for each of the fiscal 

17 years 2016 and 2017. 

Æ 


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