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This bill — known as the Sam Farr Peace Corps Enhancement Act — would increase monetary, medical, safety, and administrative support for Peace Corps volunteers. It’d increase the monthly pay rate for Peace Corps volunteers, require that they have access to medical facilities and a qualified Peace Corps Medical Officer at overseas outposts. Additionally, it’d require the Peace Corps to provide healthcare for returning volunteers with service-related conditions after the end of their service for 180 days while they wait for coverage through the Dept. of Labor to take effect.

Additionally, to improve volunteer safety, this bill would:

Mandate the provision of country-specific health and safety risk information to volunteers before they begin their Peace Corps deployments;
Provide better agency support for returned volunteers and victims of sexual assault and violence;
Improve policies and procedures for antimalarial drugs;
Increase disability payments for RPCVs that are disabled and unable to work due to service-related conditions;
Reauthorize and expand key provisions of the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act to enhance the Peace Corps’ ability to assist and protect volunteers that have experienced sexual assault.

Regarding sexual assault, this bill would make the Office of Victim Advocacy in Health Corps headquarters permanent to support Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) who are subjected to violence. It would also make a number of changes to the Sexual Assault Advisory Council: 1) expanding its membership; 2) requiring that at least one council member have mental health field expertise, and 3) extended the council through October 1, 2023.

Finally, the administration-related parts of this bill would have the President of the Peace Corps conduct annual volunteer surveys through September 30, 2023 that are currently only required through September 2018; allow the Inspector General of the Peace Corps to hire an expert, consultant, or organization without regard to certain daily salary requirement; and require the Peace Corps to periodically report to Congress on volunteer access to health care benefits.

","official_title":"To amend the Peace Corps Act to expand services and benefits for volunteers, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Sam Farr Peace Corps Enhancement Act\n\nThis bill increases the monthly pay rate for Peace Corps volunteers.\n\nThe Peace Corps shall provide initial medical care to a former volunteer for a service-related condition for 180 days after termination of service, which period may be extended under specified circumstances.\n\nThe bill grants the government jurisdiction over, and imposes penalties upon, persons who commit certain crimes outside of the United States against a volunteer.\n\nThe Peace Corps Act is amended to authorize the designation of a position as a critical management support position if the position requires specialized technical or professional skills and knowledge of Peace Corps operations.\n\nThe President shall ensure that each overseas post has appropriate medical services, including by detailing to such a post the licensed medical staff of other U.S. agencies.\n\nEach volunteer applicant shall be provided with information regarding crime and health risks and volunteer satisfactio...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2019-2023 period and wouldn’t significantly increase the deficit. However, it has no basis to assess the budgetary impact of how the Peace Corps may use the other authorities in this bill.","impact":"Peace Corps volunteers; and the Peace Corps.","argument_for":"Peace Corps volunteers are an important part of American volunteer efforts abroad who improve the quality of life for many people in the developing world. They deserve a raise and this bill ensures their health and safety while they’re serving abroad.","argument_against":"The Peace Corps is already making strides to improve health and safety for volunteers, who don’t need a raise. 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","page_title":"US Federal legislation related to Foreign Aid, International Trade and Relations and Human Rights - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/black_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/grey_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/white_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Will","vote_count":206,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10107327428940695/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10107327428940695/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10107327428940695/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10107327428940695/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/emQLvkKZ/following","followers":"/api/users/emQLvkKZ/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":17,"is_following":null,"influence_score":260,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":3,"following_count":0,"position_count":141,"id":"emQLvkKZ","partner_id":null},{"name":"niahred27","vote_count":78,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/zm8q2Av9/large_zm8q2av9-1531791535.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/zm8q2Av9/small_zm8q2av9-1531791535.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/zm8q2Av9/tiny_zm8q2av9-1531791535.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/zm8q2Av9/following","followers":"/api/users/zm8q2Av9/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"niahred27","issue_count":10,"is_following":null,"influence_score":975,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":3,"following_count":3,"position_count":6,"id":"zm8q2Av9","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"60807173-fddb-4a95-85cf-eb66ee68f69a","argument_for":null,"argument_against":"Volunteers, by definition, are not paid. 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Should the Peace Corps Give Volunteers a Raise & Provide More Health and Safety Support?