Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2019

To amend the Peace Corps Act to reauthorize the Peace Corps, better support current, returning, and former volunteers, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2019 2. Funding for the Peace Corps; Integration of information age volunteer opportunities Section 3(b) of the Peace Corps Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2502(b)(1) (1) in paragraph (1), by striking $270,000,000 for fiscal year 2000, $298,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $327,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $365,000,000 for fiscal year 2003 $450,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking that fiscal year and the subsequent fiscal year obligation through the end of the subsequent fiscal year (3) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (e); and (4) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (f) In recognition of the transformative power of internet access in developing countries, the Peace Corps shall be administered to give particular attention to those programs, projects, training, and other activities which leverage the internet, as appropriate, for development, education, and social and economic mobility and to develop positions for volunteers that include such programs, projects, training, and other activities. . 3. Readjustment allowances for volunteers and volunteer leaders (a) Volunteers Section 5 of the Peace Corps Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2504 (1) in the first sentence of subsection (b), by inserting , safety health (2) in the first sentence of subsection (c), by striking $125 $417 (3) by redesignating subsections (e) through (p) as subsections (d) through (o), respectively; (4) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, in the first sentence, by striking subsection (f) subsection (e) (5) in subsection (m), as so redesignated— (A) in paragraph (2), by striking subsection (e) subsection (d) (B) in paragraph (4), by striking subsection (1) paragraph (1) (b) Volunteer leaders Section 6(1) of the Peace Corps Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2505(1) $125 $417 4. Peace Corps National Advisory Council Section 12 of the Peace Corps Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2511 (1) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (2)— (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking conduct on-site inspections, and make examinations, of the activities of the Peace Corps in the United States and in other countries in order to (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking and (iii) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); and (iv) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the the following new subparagraph: (D) make recommendations for utilizing the expertise of returned Peace Corps volunteers in fulfilling the goals of the Peace Corps; and ; (2) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (A)— (I) in the first sentence— (aa) by striking fifteen seven (bb) by striking President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate Director of the Peace Corps (II) by striking the second sentence and inserting the following new sentence: At least four of such members shall be former Peace Corps volunteers, and not more than four of such members may be members of the same political party. (ii) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows: (B) No member appointed under this paragraph may be an officer or employee of the Peace Corps. ; (iii) by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows: (D) The members of the council shall be appointed to 2-year terms. ; and (iv) by striking subparagraphs (E), (F), (G), (H), and (I); and (B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows: (3) The Director of the Peace Corps shall designate one of the voting members of the Council as Chair, who shall serve in such capacity for a period not to exceed two years. ; (3) in subsection (g)— (A) in the first sentence, by striking At its first meeting and at its first regular meeting in each calendar year thereafter At its first meeting each calendar year (B) in the second sentence, by inserting before the period at the end the following: , and shall each serve in that capacity for a period not to exceed two years. (4) in subsection (h)(1), by striking The Council The Council shall hold a regular meeting during each calendar quarter at a date and time to be determined by the Chair of the Council or at the call of the Director of the Peace Corps. (5) by adding at the end the following new subsections: (k) Independence of Inspector General None of the activities or functions of the Council under subsection (b)(2) may undermine the independence or supersede the duties of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps. (l) Nonapplicability of FACA The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Council. (m) Acceptance and use of donations The Director of the Peace Corps may accept donations of funds, gifts, and in-kind contributions and use such donations without further appropriation for administrative expenses relating to the functions of the Council. (n) Multi-Year agreement The Director of the Peace Corps may enter into a multi-year agreement with a nonprofit organization that supports current, returning, or former Peace Corps volunteers, authorizing such nonprofit organization to solicit donations, on behalf of the Peace Corps, solely to support the administrative expenses relating to the functions of the Council. Any agreement under this subsection shall require the nonprofit organization at issue to transfer all donated funds received under such agreement to the Peace Corps for use under subsection (m). . 5. Use of official seal, emblem, and name of the Peace Corps Subsection (b) of section 19 of the Peace Corps Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2518 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the period at the end the following: , except that the official seal or emblem and the name Peace Corps (2) in paragraph (2), in the first sentence, by inserting or in accordance with the exception specified in paragraph (1), shall be fined 6. Codification of certain Executive order relating to existing noncompetitive eligibility Federal hiring status for returning volunteers The Peace Corps Act is amended— (1) by redesignating sections 26 through 28 ( 22 U.S.C. 2522 (2) by inserting after section 25 the following new section: 26. Codification of certain Executive order relating to existing noncompetitive eligibility Federal hiring status for returning volunteers (a) Executive Order 11103 (28 Fed. Reg. 3571; Apr. 10, 1963), as amended by Executive Order 12107 (44 Fed. Reg. 1055; Dec. 28, 1978), as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this section, shall remain in effect and have the full force and effect of law, consistent with subsection (b). (b) (1) The period of eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the civil service provided to an individual by operation of subsection (a), including any individual who is so eligible on the date of enactment of this section, shall be extended by the total number of days that, during such period— (A) a hiring freeze for civilian employees of the executive branch is in effect by order of the President with respect to any Executive agency at which the individual has applied for employment; (B) there is a lapse in appropriations with respect to any Executive agency at which the individual has applied for employment; or (C) the individual is receiving disability compensation under section 8142 of title 5, United States Code, based on their service as a Peace Corp volunteer, retroactive to the date the individual applied for such compensation. (2) For purposes of subsection (b)— (A) the term hiring freeze (B) the term Executive agency . 7. Memorandum of Agreement with Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the Department of State (a) In general At least once every five years, the Director of the Peace Corps and the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security shall review the Memorandum of Agreement between the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the Department of State and the Peace Corps regarding security support and protection of Peace Corps volunteers and staff members abroad and update such Memorandum of Agreement, as appropriate. (b) Notification The Director of the Peace Corps and the Assistance Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security shall jointly submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate any update to the Memorandum of Agreement under subsection (a) not later than 30 days before such update shall take effect. 8. Clarification regarding eligibility of United States nationals The Peace Corps Act is amended— (1) in section 7(a)(5) ( 22 U.S.C. 2506(a)(5) or nationals of the United States citizens (2) in section 8(b) ( 22 U.S.C. 2507(b) or nationals of the United States citizens (3) in section 10(b) ( 22 U.S.C. 2509(b) , national of the United States, citizen (4) in section 12(g) ( 22 U.S.C. 2511(g) or nationals of the United citizens (5) in section 27 (as redesignated pursuant to section 6 of this Act)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (8) as paragraphs (6) through (9), respectively; and (B) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new paragraph: (5) The term national 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)(B) . 9. Workers compensation for Peace Corps volunteers (a) In general Section 8142 of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking GS–7 GS–11 (B) by striking paragraph (2) (and redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively); and (2) in subsection (d)(1), by striking subsection (c)(3) subsection (c)(2) (b) Application The amendment made by subsection (a)(1)(A) shall apply to any volunteer (as that term is defined in subsection (a) of section 8142 of title 5, United States Code) with respect to whom benefits under chapter 81 of such title commence, by operation of such section, on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 10. Technical and conforming amendments The Peace Corps Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2501 (1) in section 7 ( 22 U.S.C. 2506 (A) in subsection (a), by moving paragraphs (7) and (8) two ems to the left; and (B) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b); (2) in section 8A(d)(2) ( 22 U.S.C. 2507a(d)(2) the information (3) in section 8C ( 22 U.S.C. 2507c Victims Victim (4) in section 8E ( 22 U.S.C. 2507e (A) in subsection (b), by striking subsection (c),, subsection (c), (B) in subsection (e)(1)(F), by striking Corp’s Corps’ (5) in section 9 ( 22 U.S.C. 2508 Act proceedings Act. Removal proceedings (6) in section 10 ( 22 U.S.C. 2509 (A) in subsection (d), by striking section 3709 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as amended, section 302 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 sections 3101(a), 3101(c), 3104, 3106, 3301(b)(2), and 6101 of title 41, United States Code (B) in subsection (j), in the first sentence, by striking the second period; (7) in section 15(c) ( 22 U.S.C. 2514(c) that Act that subchapter (8) in section 23 ( 22 U.S.C. 2520 Universal Military Training and Service Act Military Selective Service Act ( 50 U.S.C. 3801 (9) in section 27 (as redesignated pursuant to section 6 of this Act)— (A) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated pursuant to section 8 of this Act), by striking 5(m) 5(n) (B) in paragraph (9) (as redesignated pursuant to section 8 of this Act)— (i) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively; and (ii) in subparagraph (A), as so redesignated, by striking section 5(f) section 5(e)

Summary: Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes the Peace Corps through FY2023 and makes various changes to the Peace Corps. Peace Corps volunteers and volunteer leaders shall receive a readjustment allowance of at least $417 for each month of satisfactory service, up from the current minimum of $125 per month. For workers compensation purposes, a Peace Corps volunteer shall be deemed to be paid at the minimum rate of a GS-11 employee on the General Schedule pay scale. Currently, volunteers are treated as minimum rate GS-7 employees for such purposes, while volunteer leaders are already treated as minimum rate GS-11 employees. The bill provides statutory authority for existing practices making certain former Peace Corps volunteers eligible for certain types of civil service employment. The bill also extends the eligibility period in certain instances, such as when a former volunteer applied to an agency where there was a lapse in appropriations. The bill specifies that U.S. nationals are eligible for Peace Corps employment and for related programs. (Individuals born in an outlying U.S. possession are U.S. nationals but do not automatically acquire citizenship through birth in the outlying possession.) The bill authorizes the use of the Peace Corps name as well as the official seal and emblem on the death announcement or grave marker of a person who served in the Peace Corps. The bill makes various changes to the structure and responsibilities of the Peace Corps National Advisory Council.