II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1491

To authorize a comprehensive program of support for victims of torture

abroad.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

AUGUST 4, 1999

Mr. GRAMS (for himself and Mr. WELLSTONE) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To authorize a comprehensive program of support for victims

of torture abroad.

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 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. FOREIGN TREATMENT CENTERS FOR VICTIMS OF

7 TORTURE.

8 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the

9 amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years

10 2001, 2002, and 2003 pursuant to chapter 1 of part I
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1 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, there are author2 ized to be appropriated to the President $10,000,000 for

3 fiscal year 2001, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and

4 $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2003 to carry out section 129

5 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

6 (b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro7 priated pursuant to this section shall remain available

8 until expended.

9 SEC. 3. DOMESTIC TREATMENT CENTERS FOR VICTIMS OF

10 TORTURE.

11 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the

12 amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Depart13 ment of Health and Human Services for fiscal years 2001,

14 2002, and 2003, there are authorized to be appropriated

15 to carry out subsection (a) of section 5 of the Torture Vic16 tims Relief Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 2152) $10,000,000

17 for fiscal year 2001, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and

18 $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.

19 (b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro20 priated pursuant to this section shall remain available

21 until expended.

22 SEC. 4. MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE.

23 (a) FUNDING.—Of the amounts authorized to be ap24 propriated for fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003 pursuant

25 to chapter 3 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of
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1 1961, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Presi2 dent for contribution to the United Nations Voluntary

3 Fund for Victims of Torture (in this section referred to

4 as the ‘‘Fund’’) the following amounts for the following

5 fiscal years:

6 (1) FISCAL YEAR 2001.—For fiscal year 2001,

7 $5,000,000.

8 (2) FISCAL YEAR 2002.—For fiscal year 2002,

9 $5,000,000.

10 (3) FISCAL YEAR 2003.—For fiscal year 2003,

11 $5,000,000.

12 (b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro13 priated pursuant to subsection (a) shall remain available

14 until expended.

15 (c) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the

16 Congress that the President, acting through the United

17 States Permanent Representative to the United Nations,

18 should—

19 (1) request the Fund—

20 (A) to find new ways to support and pro21 tect treatment centers and programs that are

22 carrying out rehabilitative services for victims

23 of torture; and

24 (B) to encourage the development of new

25 such centers and programs;
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1 (2) use the voice and vote of the United States

2 to support the work of the Special Rapporteur on

3 Torture and the Committee Against Torture estab4 lished under the Convention Against Torture and

5 Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or

6 Punishment; and

7 (3) use the voice and vote of the United States

8 to establish a country rapporteur or similar proce9 dural mechanism to investigate human rights viola10 tions in a country if either the Special Rapporteur

11 or the Committee Against Torture indicates that a

12 systematic practice of torture is prevalent in that

13 country.

14 SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

15 Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment

16 of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report

17 to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and

18 the Committee on International Relations of the House

19 of Representatives on the specialized training for Foreign

20 Service officers required by section 7 of the Torture Vic21 tims Relief Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–320). The report

22 shall include detailed information regarding—

23 (1) efforts by the Department of State to imple24 ment the specialized training requirement;
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1 (2) the curriculum that is being used in the

2 specialized training;

3 (3) the number of Foreign Service officers who

4 have received the specialized training as of the date

5 of the report; and

6 (4) the nongovernmental organizations that

7 have been involved in the development of the special8 ized training curriculum or in providing the special9 ized training, and the nature and extent of that in10 volvement.

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