I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4578 
To require that Peace Corps volunteers be subject to the same limitations 
regarding coverage of abortion services as employees of the Peace Corps 
with respect to coverage of such services, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 6, 2014 
Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Mr. FARR, Mr. HONDA, Mr. KENNEDY, and Mr. 
GARAMENDI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To require that Peace Corps volunteers be subject to the 
same limitations regarding coverage of abortion services 
as employees of the Peace Corps with respect to coverage 
of such services, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Peace Corps Equity 
Act of 2014’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Women of the United States, particularly 
women serving the United States overseas, deserve a 
basic standard of care when it comes to their health. 
(2) Since its founding in 1961, the Peace Corps 
has advanced interests of the United States by work-
ing to promote peace and friendship between the 
United States and the 139 countries in which the 
Peace Corps has operated. 
(3) Over the past 50 years, more than 210,000 
Peace Corps volunteers have served the United 
States by working in developing countries to address 
needs in areas such as education, health, youth and 
community development, business and information 
and communications technology, agriculture, and the 
environment. 
(4) More than 60 percent of the more than 
8,000 current Peace Corps volunteers are women. 
(5) Peace Corps volunteers face inherent risks 
to their safety and security by virtue of living and 
working abroad. 
(6) Data from the Peace Corps from 2000 to 
2009 indicate that more than 1,000 Peace Corps 
volunteers experienced sexual assaults, including 221 
rapes or attempted rapes. Data from the Peace 
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Corps also show that incidents of sexual assault and 
rape against volunteers often go unreported. 
(7) Recognizing the high incidence of sexual as-
sault in the Peace Corps, Congress enacted the Kate 
Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 
2011 (Public Law 112–57) to strengthen protections 
and support for sexual assault survivors. 
(8) Since fiscal year 1979, annual appropria-
tions Acts have prohibited the Peace Corps from 
covering abortion services for its volunteers (includ-
ing trainees), even in cases of rape, incest, and life 
endangerment of the woman. Employees of the 
Peace Corps, on the other hand, are provided this 
coverage. 
(9) Abortion services in cases of rape, incest, 
and life endangerment of the woman are now avail-
able to almost all groups of women of the United 
States covered by Federal law, except Peace Corps 
volunteers. 
(10) Abortion coverage in cases of rape, incest, 
and life endangerment of the woman is available to 
most women, excluding Peace Corps volunteers, cov-
ered under Federal health plans, including employ-
ees covered by the Federal Employee Health Bene-
fits Program, servicewomen covered by TRICARE, 
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Native Americans covered by the Indian Health 
Service, women inmates and immigration detainees, 
and Medicaid and Medicare recipients. 
(11) There is no rational basis for denying 
Peace Corps volunteers a basic health care benefit 
that is extended to other women covered under Fed-
eral health care plans. 
SEC. 3. EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF PEACE CORPS VOLUN-
TEERS AND EMPLOYEES WITH RESPECT TO 
COVERAGE OF ABORTION SERVICES. 
Section 5(e) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 
2504(e)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(e) Volunteers’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(e) HEALTH CARE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Volunteers’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF VOLUNTEERS 
AND EMPLOYEES WITH RESPECT TO COVERAGE OF 
ABORTION SERVICES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Coverage of abortion 
services by the Peace Corps for volunteers shall 
be subject to the same limitations as the limita-
tions that apply to employees of the Peace 
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Corps with respect to coverage by the Peace 
Corps of such services. 
‘‘(B) APPLICABILITY.—Subparagraph (A) 
shall apply notwithstanding any provision of 
law, including a provision of law enacted after 
the date of the enactment of the Peace Corps 
Equity Act of 2014, unless such law explicitly 
excludes application of such subparagraph by 
reference to such subparagraph. 
‘‘(C) 
CONSTRUCTION.—This 
paragraph 
may not be construed to limit coverage of med-
ical evacuations.’’. 
Æ 
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