Peace Corps Reauthorization Act Aims to Protect Whistleblowers Abroad
On July 13, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2023 (PCRA), which seeks to better support the new generation of Peace Corps volunteers before, during, and after service, including by bolstering protections to whistleblowers within the Peace Corps. The bipartisan bill was first introduced on March 1, 2023 in the House of Representatives by Rep. John Garamendi and Rep. Garret Gravesand. It was then reintroduced in the Senate on April 19 by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and James Risch (R-ID). The PCRA reauthorizes the Sexual Assault Advisor Council, mandates security briefings, and improves whistleblower protections.
“This whistleblower bill will apply worldwide at every location where a Peace Corps volunteer works. If they are subject to safety issues, harassment or exposed wrongdoing even when stationed abroad, this will provide them protection,” says whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn. “Whistleblowers are the eyes and ears necessary for accountability and justice. This bill is a long time in the making and should be immediately passed.”
Indeed, the Peace Corps has not been reauthorized by Congress in over 20 years, so Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Robert Menendez hopes that today’s committee approval “represents a meaningful step forward in ensuring the program is fit for purpose in today’s environment through critical program reforms,” as reported by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Whistleblower protections within the Peace Corps would be significantly improved by Section 10 of the bill, Protections of Peace Corps Volunteers against Reprisal or Retaliation, which increases channels through which volunteers can report and appeal instances of reprisal or retaliation. The PCRA also enables “suspension without pay,” allowing the Peace Corps to take more robust action against employees who engaged in serious misconduct, and assuring whistleblowers who report such misconduct that their reports will be handled seriously.
The bill is endorsed by the National Peace Corps Association and the National Whistleblower Center.
