I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3456 
To amend the Peace Corps Act to reauthorize the Peace Corps, better support 
current, returning, and former volunteers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 25, 2019 
Mr. GARAMENDI (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, Ms. 
SHALALA, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, and Mr. SIRES) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in ad-
dition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be sub-
sequently 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 Peace Corps Act to reauthorize the Peace 
Corps, better support current, returning, and former vol-
unteers, 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 Reauthor-
ization Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. FUNDING FOR THE PEACE CORPS; INTEGRATION OF 
INFORMATION AGE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNI-
TIES. 
Section 3(b) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 
2502(b)(1)) is amended— 
(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’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$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’’ and inserting 
‘‘obligation through the end of the subsequent fiscal 
year’’; 
(3) by redesignating subsection (h) as sub-
section (e); and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(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 le-
verage the internet, as appropriate, for development, edu-
cation, and social and economic mobility and to develop 
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positions for volunteers that include such programs, 
projects, training, and other activities.’’. 
SEC. 3. READJUSTMENT ALLOWANCES FOR VOLUNTEERS 
AND VOLUNTEER LEADERS. 
(a) VOLUNTEERS.—Section 5 of the Peace Corps Act 
(22 U.S.C. 2504) is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence of subsection (b), by in-
serting ‘‘, safety’’ after ‘‘health’’; 
(2) in the first sentence of subsection (c), by 
striking ‘‘$125’’ and inserting ‘‘$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)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsection (e)’’; and 
(5) in subsection (m), as so redesignated— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘sub-
section (e)’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘subsection (d)’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘sub-
section (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1)’’. 
(b) VOLUNTEER LEADERS.—Section 6(1) of the 
Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2505(1)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘$125’’ and inserting ‘‘$417’’. 
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SEC. 4. PEACE CORPS NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL. 
Section 12 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2511) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by striking ‘‘conduct on-site in-
spections, 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’’ after the semicolon at the end; 
(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 volun-
teers 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’’ 
and inserting ‘‘seven’’; and 
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(bb) by striking ‘‘President, 
by and with the advice and con-
sent of the Senate’’ and inserting 
‘‘Director of the Peace Corps’’; 
and 
(II) by striking the second sen-
tence and inserting the following new 
sentence: ‘‘At least four of such mem-
bers shall be former Peace Corps vol-
unteers, 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: 
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‘‘(3) The Director of the Peace Corps shall des-
ignate 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’’ and inserting 
‘‘At its first meeting each calendar year’’; and 
(B) in the second sentence, by inserting 
before the period at the end the following: ‘‘, 
and shall each serve in that capacity for a pe-
riod not to exceed two years.’’; 
(4) in subsection (h)(1), by striking ‘‘The Coun-
cil’’ and all that follows through the period at the 
end and inserting the following: ‘‘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.’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following new sub-
sections: 
‘‘(k) INDEPENDENCE
OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.— 
None of the activities or functions of the Council under 
subsection (b)(2) may undermine the independence or su-
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persede 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 dona-
tions without further appropriation for administrative ex-
penses 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, re-
turning, 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 non-
profit organization at issue to transfer all donated funds 
received under such agreement to the Peace Corps for use 
under subsection (m).’’. 
SEC. 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) is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the pe-
riod at the end the following: ‘‘, except that the offi-
cial seal or emblem and the name ‘Peace Corps’ may 
be used on any death announcement, gravestone, 
plaque, or other grave marker of any person who 
served as a volunteer or as an officer or employee 
of the Peace Corps under such rules as may be pre-
scribed by the Director’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), in the first sentence, by 
inserting ‘‘or in accordance with the exception speci-
fied in paragraph (1),’’ before ‘‘shall be fined’’. 
SEC. 6. CODIFICATION OF CERTAIN EXECUTIVE ORDER RE-
LATING TO EXISTING NONCOMPETITIVE ELI-
GIBILITY FEDERAL HIRING STATUS FOR RE-
TURNING VOLUNTEERS. 
The Peace Corps Act is amended— 
(1) by redesignating sections 26 through 28 (22 
U.S.C. 2522, 2523, and 2501 note) as sections 27 
through 29; and 
(2) by inserting after section 25 the following 
new section: 
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‘‘CODIFICATION OF CERTAIN EXECUTIVE ORDER RELAT-
ING
TO
EXISTING
NONCOMPETITIVE
ELIGIBILITY 
FEDERAL HIRING STATUS FOR RETURNING VOLUN-
TEERS 
‘‘SEC. 26. (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 re-
spect to any Executive agency at which the indi-
vidual has applied for employment; or 
‘‘(C) the individual is receiving disability com-
pensation under section 8142 of title 5, United 
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States Code, based on their service as a Peace Corp 
volunteer, retroactive to the date the individual ap-
plied for such compensation. 
‘‘(2) For purposes of subsection (b)— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘hiring freeze’ means any memo-
randum, Executive order, or other action by the 
President that prohibits an Executive agency from 
filling vacant Federal civilian employee positions or 
creating new such positions; and 
‘‘(B) the term ‘Executive agency’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 105 of title 5, United 
States Code, and includes the United States Postal 
Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission, but 
does not include the Government Accountability Of-
fice.’’. 
SEC. 7. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH BUREAU OF 
DIPLOMATIC SECURITY OF THE DEPART-
MENT 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 Memo-
randum 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 
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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 Se-
curity shall jointly submit to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee 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. 
SEC. 
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)), 
by inserting ‘‘or nationals of the United States’’ 
after ‘‘citizens’’ each place such term appears; 
(2) in section 8(b) (22 U.S.C. 2507(b)), by in-
serting ‘‘or nationals of the United States’’ after 
‘‘citizens’’; 
(3) in section 10(b) (22 U.S.C. 2509(b)), by in-
serting ‘‘, national of the United States,’’ after ‘‘cit-
izen’’; 
(4) in section 12(g) (22 U.S.C. 2511(g), by in-
serting ‘‘or nationals of the United’’ after ‘‘citizens’’; 
and 
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(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), re-
spectively; and 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (4) the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) The term ‘national’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 101(a)(22)(B) of the Immigra-
tion 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1101(a)(22)(B)).’’. 
SEC. 9. WORKERS COMPENSATION FOR PEACE CORPS VOL-
UNTEERS. 
(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’’ 
and inserting ‘‘GS–11’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraph (2) (and redes-
ignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs 
(2) and (3), respectively); and 
(2) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(c)(3)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (c)(2)’’. 
(b) APPLICATION.—The amendment made by sub-
section (a)(1)(A) shall apply to any volunteer (as that 
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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. 
SEC. 10. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
The Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.) is 
amended— 
(1) in section 7 (22 U.S.C. 2506)— 
(A) in subsection (a), by moving para-
graphs (7) and (8) two ems to the left; and 
(B) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub-
section (b); 
(2) 
in 
section 
8A(d)(2) 
(22 
U.S.C. 
2507a(d)(2)), insert ‘‘the’’ before ‘‘information’’; 
(3) in section 8C (22 U.S.C. 2507c), in the 
heading of subsection (a), by striking ‘‘VICTIMS’’ 
and inserting ‘‘VICTIM’’; 
(4) in section 8E (22 U.S.C. 2507e)— 
(A) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘sub-
section (c),,’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (c),’’; 
and 
(B) in subsection (e)(1)(F), by striking 
‘‘Corp’s’’ and inserting ‘‘Corps’ ’’; 
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(5) in section 9 (22 U.S.C. 2508), by striking 
‘‘Act proceedings’’ and inserting ‘‘Act. Removal pro-
ceedings’’; 
(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’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘sections 
3101(a), 
3101(c), 3104, 3106, 3301(b)(2), and 6101 of 
title 41, United States Code’’; and 
(B) in subsection (j), in the first sentence, 
by striking the second period; 
(7) in section 15(c) (22 U.S.C. 2514(c)), in the 
first sentence, by striking ‘‘that Act’’ and inserting 
‘‘that subchapter’’; 
(8) in section 23 (22 U.S.C. 2520), by striking 
‘‘Universal Military Training and Service Act’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. 
3801 et seq.)’’; and 
(9) in section 27 (as redesignated pursuant to 
section 6 of this Act)— 
(A) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated pur-
suant to section 8 of this Act), by striking 
‘‘5(m)’’ and inserting ‘‘5(n)’’; and 
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(B) in paragraph (9) (as redesignated pur-
suant to section 8 of this Act)— 
(i) by redesignating clauses (i) and 
(ii) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respec-
tively; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (A), as so redes-
ignated, by striking ‘‘section 5(f)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 5(e)’’. 
Æ 
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