Garamendi Reintroduces Bipartisan Peace Corps Reauthorization Act
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Ethiopia 1966-1968) and co-chair of the Congressional Peace Corps Caucus, reintroduced the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (H.R.1273). The reintroduction coincides with the 62nd anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s founding of the Peace Corps.
Original cosponsors of the reintroduced House version of the legislation include Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Garret Graves (R-LA), who co-chairs the Congressional Peace Corps Caucus with Congressman Garamendi; and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen(R-AS). The bill is endorsed by the National Peace Corps Association and the National Whistleblower Center.
The Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (H.R.1273) would provide resources to advance the Peace Corps' mission around the world and better support current, returning, and former Peace Corps Volunteers.
"My wife Patti and I owe so much to our service in the Peace Corps. It inspired a lifetime of public service that began in Ethiopia during the late 1960s and continued into state government in California, the Clinton Administration, and now the U.S. Congress," said Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), co-chair of the Congressional Peace Corps Caucus. "Now more than ever, Congress must support the Peace Corps' mission and realize President Kennedy's vision of generations of young Americans ready to serve their nation and make the world a better place.
"Our reauthorization bill does exactly that, and provides much-needed resources to Peace Corps Volunteers," Garamendi continued. "This bipartisan legislation would also provide the resources necessary for the redeployment of Peace Corps Volunteers, with the goal of reaching 10,000 Volunteers serving annually around the world."
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also welcomed the bill’s reintroduction. Chairman Menendez previously introduced and led the Committee’s unanimous approval legislation in the 117th Congress.
“I welcome my House colleagues’ re-introduction of our legislation to reauthorize the Peace Corps, which I plan to reintroduce in the Senate,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Menendez said. “Approved unanimously by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year, our bill is the product of strong, bipartisan and bicameral commitment to ensure the Peace Corps is both reflective of the United States’ rich diversity and talent, and fully supportive of its Volunteers and the broader Peace Corps community. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues to support the Peace Corps return to service efforts and to celebrate the agency’s efforts to foster peace, encourage cultural exchange, and facilitate friendship worldwide.”
”The Peace Corps has had a profound impact on the world’s developing nations. Its efforts are both tangible and effective, improving the livelihoods of millions and empowering the next generation of leaders and change-makers,” saidHouse Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY). “After over 60 years of success, the Peace Corps has demonstrated its unique value as a vital diplomatic and development tool of U.S. foreign policy. This bill will enhance the ability of the Peace Corps to make strong and strategic investments needed to meet the global challenges of today and continue to be a transformative force for years to come.”
“Our Peace Corps volunteers are an incredible representation of the values of our country, and they continue to improve communities worldwide. This legislation will advance that mission and reaffirm our support for their public service,” said Rep. Garrett Graves (R-LA).
“My work with the Peace Corps was a wonderful time in my life, and good preparation for keeping the right priorities in mind through the years,” said Rep. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS). “The Peace Corps is a proven program that helps many people and communities. Let’s make sure the program is strengthened and available, and encourage this special culture of serving others and volunteering.”
The Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (H.R.1273):
- Expedites the return to service process for Volunteers whose service ended involuntarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and similar emergencies and allows Volunteers to resume in-country service, once safe and prudent to do so.
- Directs the Peace Corps to provide benefits (readjustment allowance, noncompetitive eligibility status for federal hiring) to Volunteers whose service ended involuntarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other comparable emergencies.
- Establishes protections against reprisal and retaliation for Peace Corps Volunteers.
- Extends Peace Corps Volunteers' hiring preference for most federal job openings during any federal hiring freeze, government shutdown, or public health emergency (such as COVID-19 pandemic).
- Directs the Peace Corps and U.S. State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security to update plans and protocols for Peace Corps Volunteer safety and security.
Congressman Garamendi's bipartisan bill builds upon the Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-256) and the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-57). The bill also builds upon legislation sponsored by former Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA), who served in the Peace Corps in Colombia from 1964-1966.
Congress last reauthorized the Peace Corps in 1999 (Public Law 106-30), which expired at the end of fiscal year 2003. Congressman Garamendi's Peace Corps Reauthorization Act currently awaits action by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The full text of the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (H.R.1273) is available here.