101ST CONGRESS

   1ST SESSION                                   H.R. 1807

 

To request the President to conclude agreements with the appropriate representa­tive of the Government of the Soviet Union to create the United States-Soviet Peace Corps.

 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 12, 1989

Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. WEISS, Mr. ATKINS, Mr. ACKER­MAN, Mr. DYMALLY, and Mr. LELAND) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

 

A BILL

To request the President to conclude agreements with the ap­propriate representative of the Government of the Soviet Union to create the United States-Soviet Peace Corps.

 

1       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

 

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

 

    3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 

4       This Act may be cited as the “United States-Soviet

 

5 Peace Corps Agreements Act”.

 

    6 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

 

    7      It is the purpose of this Act to enhance prospects for

 

    8 world peace by promoting understanding and cooperation be-

 

    9 tween individuals in the United States and the Soviet Union

 

 

1          through the joint implementation of projects designed to ad-

 

2 dress critical problems facing the United States, Soviet

 

3 Union, and developing nations in the areas of care for elderly

 

4 and disabled persons and children, promotion of health, and

 

5 protection of the environment and to provide for assistance in

 

6 instances of emergencies and natural disasters.

 

7 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING EXECUTIVE AGREE-

 

8                               MENTS TO ESTABLISH UNITED STATES-SOVIET

 

9                               PEACE CORPS.

 

10        It is the sense of the Congress that the President should

 

11 enter into agreements with the appropriate representative of

 

12 the Government of the Soviet Union for the purpose of estab­-

 

13 lishing a United States-Soviet Peace Corps. The President is

 

14 requested to negotiate, with the advice of the Director of the

 

15 Peace Corps, agreements to provide for the mutual establish-

 

16 ment, organization, administration, and management, by the

 

17 Soviet Union and the United States, of the United States-

 

18 Soviet Peace Corps, as follows:

 

19                      (1) PROJECTS.—The United States-Soviet Peace

 

20        Corps should, by mutual agreement between the

 

21        United States and the Soviet Union, establish projects

 

22        designed to aid the persons who are most vulnerable,

23        particularly elderly and disabled persons and children,

 

24        preserve and protect health and the environment, and

 

25        provide for assistance in instances of emergencies and

 

                                                            3

 

1                      natural disasters. Projects should be established in both

 

2                      countries and, 3 years after the creation of the United

 

3                      States-Soviet Peace Corps, should be established in de­

 

4          veloping nations.

 

5                         (2) PARTICIPANTS.—The United States-Soviet

 

6                      Peace Corps should select and employ individuals from

 

7                      the United States and the Soviet Union to carry out

 

8                      the projects of the United States-Soviet Peace Corps.

 

9                      The total number of participants in the United States-

 

10        Soviet Peace Corps from the United States and the

 

11        Soviet Union should be equal. The number of partici­

 

12                           pants in each project and in each office, agency, divi­

 

13        sion, or level of the United States-Soviet Peace Corps

 

14        from the United States and the Soviet Union should be

 

15        equal.

 

16                      (3) RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION.—The United

 

17                           States and the Soviet Union should use the same proc

 

18                           ­ess of recruitment and selection of participants for the

 

19        United States-Soviet Peace Corps, which should be as

 

20        follows:

 

21                                (A) PARTICIPANT DIVERSITY.—Selection

 

22                      should be made in an open and fair manner to

 

23                      ensure that participants include individuals with

 

24                                             various and differing beliefs, opinions, and person­

 

25                      al backgrounds.

4

 

1                                  (B) NONDISCRIMINATION.—Selection should

 

2                         not be made on the basis of sex, age, race, ethnic

 

3                         origin, or religious belief.

 

4                                                                    (C) HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS.—The selec

 

5                       tion process should include participation by indri-

 

6                         visuals from the United States and the Soviet

 

7                         Union who are experts in the area of human

 

8                         rights to ensure compliance with the provisions of

 

9                         this paragraph.

 

10                                                 (4) COOPERATIVE NATURE OF PROJECTS.—

 

11             Work on projects established by the United States-

 

12             Soviet Peace Corps should be organized in such a

 

13             manner that participants work in pairs or small groups

 

14             containing an equal number of individuals from the

 

15            United States and the Soviet Union.

 

16                      (5) COLLATERAL GOALS OF PROJECTS.—The

 

17            United States-Soviet Peace Corps should incorporate

 

18            as an objective of the projects the promotion of the free

 

19                                expression of individuals and the elimination of discrim­

 

20            ination based upon nationality and religion.

 

21                      (6) COST.—The cost of operation of the United

 

22            States-Soviet Peace Corps should be equally divided

 

23            between the United States and the Soviet Union.

 

24                      (7) ADMINISTRATION.—The operation of the

 

25            United States-Soviet Peace Corps should be jointly ad-

 

5

 

1              ministered by the United States and the Soviet Union

 

2             and the duties of such operation belonging to the

 

3               United States should be the responsibility of the Direc­

 

4              tor of the Peace Corps.

 

5     SEC. 4. REPORT REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREE-

 

6                                  MENTS.

 

7                        For each agreement referred to in section 3 that is con-

 

8     cluded, the President shall submit to the Congress a report

 

9     before the expiration of the 90-day period beginning on the

 

10   date of the conclusion of the agreement. The report shall

 

11   contain the agreement, together with any related information

 

12   that the President determines is reasonable or necessary for

 

13   the implementation of the agreement.