HR 2337 · 112th Congress 2011–2013, ended

Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011

Fact sheet

Latest action · Sep 21, 2011 Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJun 23, 2011
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Peace Corps Act to require the Director of the Peace Corps: (1) as part of the training provided to all volunteers, to develop and implement comprehensive sexual assault risk-reduction and response training that conforms to best practices in the sexual assault field; and (2) once a trainee has arrived in such trainee's country of service, to provide that individual with training tailored to such country, including cultural training relating to gender relations, risk-reduction strategies, a safety plan in the event of an assault, treatment available in such country, MedEvac procedures, and information regarding the legal process for pressing charges against an attacker.

Requires the Director to provide each: (1) applicant for enrollment with a historical analysis of crimes against, and risks to, volunteers in the country in which the applicant has been invited to serve; and (2) trainee, before enrolling as a volunteer, with contact information of the Peace Corps' Inspector General for purposes of reporting violations of the sexual assault protocol or any other criminal or administrative wrongdoing by individuals who do business with the Peace Corps, and with clear, written guidelines regarding whom to contact and what steps to take in the event of a sexual assault.

Requires the Director to: (1) develop, implement, and distribute comprehensive sexual assault protocol guidelines that conform to best practices in the sexual assault field that are applicable to all posts at which volunteers serve, and train all in-country staff regarding the protocol and guidelines; (2) expeditiously remove a volunteer who feels at risk of imminent bodily harm and requests removal from the site in which such volunteer is serving, and assess and evaluate the safety of the site; (3) establish sexual assault response teams; (4) conduct case reviews of a statistically significant number of cases on a quarterly basis; (5) establish a global tracking and recording system to track and record incidents of assault against volunteers; (6) establish an alternative reporting system and hotline access system through which volunteers who are assault victims can report and receive support anonymously; and (7) assign a certified victims advocate in Peace Corps headquarters who shall report directly to the Director.

Establishes in the Peace Corps a Sexual Assault Advisory Council.

Requires the Director to: (1) establish goals, metrics, and monitoring and evaluation plans for all Peace Corps programs and Country Directors; (2) annually conduct a confidential survey of volunteers regarding the effectiveness of Peace Corps programs and staff and the safety of volunteers; (3) establish and maintain a process to protect confidentiality and safety of volunteers reporting incidents and the information reported and to ensure that such information is acted on appropriately; and (4) determine the level of access to communication, including cellular and Internet access, of each volunteer.

Prohibits the Director from: (1) disclosing personally identifying information or personal information of a volunteer who is a victim of assault collected in connection with services requested, utilized, or denied through Peace Corps programs; or (2) revealing such information without the informed, purpose-limited, and reasonably time-limited consent of such volunteer about whom such information is sought.

Cosponsors 89

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 23, 2011 to Apr 23, 2012, with 13 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-NYAnn Marie BuerkleOriginalJun 23, 2011
R-CADana RohrabacherOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-ASEni F. H. FaleomavaegaOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-FLFrederica S. WilsonOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-VAGerald E. ConnollyOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-CAHoward L. BermanOriginalJun 23, 2011
R-FLIleana Ros-LehtinenOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-CAJackie SpeierOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-CAJim CostaOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-TXLloyd DoggettOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-MAMichael E. CapuanoOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-MANiki TsongasOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-CASam FarrOriginalJun 23, 2011
D-ILBobby L. RushJul 6, 2011
D-IABruce L. BraleyJul 6, 2011

Actions 4

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Sep 21, 2011Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  2. Sep 21, 2011Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
  3. Jun 23, 2011Introduced in House
  4. Jun 23, 2011Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Related bills 2

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 1280Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011Related billNov 21, 2011
HR 2699Peace Corps Volunteer Service Improvement Act of 2011Related billSep 21, 2011

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jun 23, 2011Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.