H. R. 2259 
One Hundred Fifteenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and eighteen 
An Act 
To amend the Peace Corps Act to expand services and benefits for volunteers, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sam Farr 
and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this Act 
is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SUPPORT 
Sec. 101. Peace Corps volunteer medical care reform. 
Sec. 102. Post-service Peace Corps volunteer medical care reform. 
Sec. 103. Peace Corps impact survey. 
Sec. 104. Extension of positions for Peace Corps employees. 
TITLE II—PEACE CORPS OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY 
Sec. 201. Peace Corps volunteer access to Inspector General. 
Sec. 202. Publication requirement for volunteer surveys. 
Sec. 203. Consultation with Congress required before opening or closing overseas 
offices and country programs. 
TITLE III—CRIME RISK REDUCTION ENHANCEMENTS 
Sec. 301. Independent review of volunteer death. 
Sec. 302. Additional disclosures to applicants for enrollment as volunteers. 
Sec. 303. Additional protections against sexual misconduct. 
Sec. 304. Extension of the office of victim advocacy. 
Sec. 305. Reform and extension of the Sexual Assault Advisory Council. 
Sec. 306. Definitions. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The term 
‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; 
(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; 
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives; and 
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director 
of the Peace Corps. 
(3) PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER.—The term ‘‘Peace Corps vol-
unteer’’ means an individual described in section 5(a) of the 
Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(a)).
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TITLE I—PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER 
SUPPORT 
SEC. 101. PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER MEDICAL CARE REFORM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Peace Corps Act is amended— 
(1) in section 5 (22 U.S.C. 2504)— 
(A) in subsection (e), in the first sentence, by striking 
‘‘receive such immunization and dental care preparatory 
to their service’’ and inserting ‘‘receive, preparatory to their 
service, such immunization, dental care, and information 
on prescription options and potential interactions, as nec-
essary and appropriate and in accordance with subsection 
(f)’’; 
(B) by re-designating subsections (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), 
(k), (l), (m), and (n) as subsections (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), 
(l), (m), (n), and (o); 
(C) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
subsection— 
‘‘(f) The Director of the Peace Corps shall consult with health 
experts outside the Peace Corps, including experts licensed in the 
field of mental health, and follow guidance by the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention regarding the prescription of medi-
cations to a volunteer.’’; and 
(D) in subsection (i), as so redesignated, by striking 
‘‘section, and’’ and inserting ‘‘section), and’’; and 
(2) by inserting after section 5 the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 5A. HEALTH CARE FOR VOLUNTEERS AT PEACE CORPS POSTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall ensure that each over-
seas post has the services of a medical office that is consistent 
in size and scope with the needs of the Peace Corps at such 
post, including, if necessary, by detailing to any such post the 
licensed medical staff of other United States departments, agencies, 
or establishments. 
‘‘(b) HIRING CRITERIA.—In selecting medical officers and support 
staff for overseas Peace Corps posts, the Director of the Peace 
Corps shall hire well-qualified and capable personnel to support 
the effectiveness of health care for Peace Corps volunteers by evalu-
ating each candidate’s— 
‘‘(1) medical training, experience, and accreditations or 
other qualifications; 
‘‘(2) record of performance; 
‘‘(3) administrative capabilities; 
‘‘(4) understanding of the local language and culture; 
‘‘(5) ability to work in the English language; 
‘‘(6) interpersonal skills; and 
‘‘(7) such other factors that the Director determines appro-
priate. 
‘‘(c) CERTAIN TRAINING.—The Director of the Peace Corps shall 
ensure that each Peace Corps medical officer serving in a malaria- 
endemic country receives training in the recognition of the side 
effects of such medications. 
‘‘(d) REVIEW AND EVALUATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Peace Corps, acting 
through the Associate Director of the Office of Health Services 
and the country directors, shall review and evaluate the
H. R. 2259—3 
performance and health care delivery of all Peace Corps medical 
staff, including medical officers, to— 
‘‘(A) ensure compliance with all relevant Peace Corps 
policies, practices, and guidelines; and 
‘‘(B) ensure that medical staff complete the necessary 
continuing medical education to maintain their skills and 
satisfy licensing and credentialing standards, as designated 
by the Director. 
‘‘(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Director of the Peace Corps 
shall include, in the annual Peace Corps congressional budget 
justification, a confirmation that the review and evaluation 
of all Peace Corps medical staff required under paragraph 
(1) has been completed. 
‘‘(e) ANTIMALARIAL DRUGS.—The Director of the Peace Corps 
shall consult with experts at the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention regarding recommendations for prescribing malaria 
prophylaxis, in order to provide the best standard of care within 
the context of the Peace Corps environment.’’. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE INSPECTOR 
GENERAL OF THE PEACE CORPS.— 
(1) INSPECTOR
GENERAL
REPORT.—As promptly as prac-
ticable, the Director shall implement the actions outlined in 
the agency response for all open recommendations of the 
Inspector General of the Peace Corps set forth in the report 
entitled ‘‘Final Program Evaluation Report: OIG Follow-up 
Evaluation of Issues Identified in the 2010 Peace Corps/Morocco 
Assessment of Medical Care’’ (Report No. IG–16–01–E). 
(2) SEMIANNUAL REPORTS.— 
(A) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall 
submit a report to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees that describes the Director’s strategy for implementing 
the recommendations referred to in paragraph (1). 
(B) SUBSEQUENT REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the submission of the report required under subpara-
graph (A), and semiannually thereafter, the Director shall 
submit a report to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees that describes the progress in implementing the rec-
ommendations referred to in paragraph (1) until all such 
recommendations have been implemented in accordance 
with the agency’s response to the report referred to in 
such paragraph. 
(3) NOTIFICATION.—After the submission of each report 
required under paragraph (2), the Inspector General of the 
Peace Corps may notify the appropriate congressional commit-
tees of any recommendations from the report referred to in 
paragraph (1) that the Inspector General determines remain 
unresolved. 
SEC. 102. POST-SERVICE PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER MEDICAL CARE 
REFORM. 
Section 8142 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary shall authorize the Director of the Peace 
Corps to furnish medical benefits to a volunteer, who is injured 
during the volunteer’s period of service, for a period of 120 days 
following the termination of such service if the Director certifies