Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Chapter 34 — The Peace Corps
§ 2507c. Office of Victim Advocacy
Statutory text
Establishment of Office of Victims 1 Advocacy
In general
The President shall establish an Office of Victim Advocacy in Peace Corps headquarters headed by a full-time Victim’s Advocate who shall report directly to the Director. The Office of Victim Advocacy may deploy personnel abroad when necessary to help assist victims.
Prohibition
Peace Corps Medical Officers, Safety and Security Officers, and program staff may not serve as Victim’s Advocates. The Victim’s Advocate referred to in paragraph (1) may not have any other duties in the Peace Corps that are not reasonably connected to victim advocacy.
Exemption
The Victim’s Advocate and any additional Victim’s Advocates shall be exempt from the limitations specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) and paragraph (5) under section 2506(a) of this title.
Responsibilities
Victims of sexual assault
The Office of Victim Advocacy shall help develop and update the sexual assault risk-reduction and response training described in section 2507a of this title and the sexual assault policy described in section 2507b of this title, ensure that volunteers who are victims of sexual assault receive services specified in section 2507b(c) of this title, and facilitate their access to such services.
Other crimes
In addition to assisting victims of sexual assault in accordance with paragraph (1), the Office of Victim Advocacy shall assist volunteers who are victims of crime by making such victims aware of the services available to them and facilitating their access to such services.
Priority
The Office of Victim Advocacy shall give priority to cases involving serious crimes, including sexual assault and stalking.
Status updates
The Office of Victim Advocacy shall provide to volunteers who are victims regular updates on the status of their cases if such volunteers have opted to pursue prosecution.
Transition
The Office of Victim Advocacy shall assist volunteers who are victims of crime and whose service has terminated in receiving the services specified in section 2507b(c) of this title requested by such volunteer.
Policymaking
The Director of the Peace Corps shall include the head of the Office of Victim Advocacy in agency-wide policymaking processes in the same manner and to the same extent as the directors or associate directors of other offices within the Peace Corps.
Footnotes
- 1 So in original. Probably should be “Victim”.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
Pub. L. 87–293 title I § 8C · 75 Stat. 612
Enacted · 22 U.S.C. § 2507c
Pub. L. 87–293, title I, § 8C, as added Pub. L. 112–57, § 2, Nov. 21, 2011, 125 Stat. 739
Source evidence
Code source credit
Pub. L. 87–293, title I, § 8C, as added Pub. L. 112–57, § 2, Nov. 21, 2011, 125 Stat. 739Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018
Pub. L. 115–256 § 304(1) · 132 Stat. 3650
Substituted · 22 U.S.C. § 2507c(a)
Pub. L. 115–256, § 304(1), (2), substituted “Victim’s Advocate” for “victim advocate” wherever appearing
Substituted · 22 U.S.C. § 2507c(a)
Pub. L. 115–256, § 304(1), (2), substituted “Victim’s Advocates” for “victim advocates” wherever appearing
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–256, § 304(1), (2), substituted “Victim’s Advocate” for “victim advocate” and “Victim’s Advocates” for “victim advocates” wherever appearing.Enacted provision · exact public law section
(1) by striking “victim advocate” each place it appears and inserting “Victim’s Advocate”;Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018
Pub. L. 115–256 § 304(3) · 132 Stat. 3650
Amended · 22 U.S.C. § 2507c(e)
Pub. L. 115–256, § 304(3), amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “This section shall cease to be effective on October 1, 2018.”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–256, § 304(3), amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “This section shall cease to be effective on October 1, 2018.”Enacted provision · exact public law section
(3) by amending subsection (e) to read as follows: “(e) The Director of the Peace Corps shall include the head of the Office of Victim Advocacy in agency-wide policymaking processes in the same manner and to the same extent as the directors or associate directors of other offices within the Peace Corps.” .
3 of 4 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–256, § 304(1), (2), substituted “Victim’s Advocate” for “victim advocate” and “Victim’s Advocates” for “victim advocates” wherever appearing.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–256, § 304(3), amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “This section shall cease to be effective on .”
Credits
2011–2018 · 2 acts
- 2011Pub. L. 87–293, title I, § 8C, as added Pub. L. 112–57, § 2, , 125 Stat. 739
- 2018amended Pub. L. 115–256, title III, § 304, , 132 Stat. 3658.
Show as published
(Pub. L. 87–293, title I, § 8C, as added Pub. L. 112–57, § 2, , 125 Stat. 739; amended Pub. L. 115–256, title III, § 304, , 132 Stat. 3658.)