Department of Peace and Nonviolence Act - Establishes a Department of Peace and Nonviolence, which shall be headed by a Secretary of Peace and Nonviolence appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Sets forth the mission of the Department, including to: (1) hold peace as an organizing principle; (2) endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights; and (3) develop policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and structured mediation of conflict.
Establishes in the Department the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace and Nonviolence, which shall provide assistance and make recommendations to the Secretary and the President concerning intergovernmental policies relating to peace and nonviolent conflict resolution.
Transfers to the Department the functions, assets, and personnel of various federal agencies.
Establishes a Federal Interagency Committee on Peace and Nonviolence.
Establishes Peace Day. Urges all citizens to observe and celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on such day.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3760 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3760
To establish a Department of Peace and Nonviolence.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 14, 2005
Mr. Kucinich (for himself, Mr. Abercrombie, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Boswell,
Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Ms. Carson, Mr. Clay,
Mr. Conyers, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mrs. Davis of
California, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Evans, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Farr, Mr.
Filner, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Holt, Mr. Honda,
Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Eddie Bernice
Johnson of Texas, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Kilpatrick of
Michigan, Ms. Lee, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mrs. Maloney, Ms. McCollum of
Minnesota, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McGovern, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Meeks of New
York, Mr. George Miller of California, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr.
Nadler, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Olver, Mr. Owens, Mr. Payne, Mr. Rahall, Mr.
Rangel, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Sabo, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr.
Serrano, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Solis, Mr. Stark, Mr. Thompson of
Mississippi, Mr. Towns, Ms. Waters, Ms. Watson, and Ms. Woolsey)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on International
Relations, Judiciary, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a Department of Peace and Nonviolence.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Department of
Peace and Nonviolence Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACE AND NONVIOLENCE
Sec. 101. Establishment of Department of Peace and Nonviolence.
Sec. 102. Responsibilities and powers.
Sec. 103. Principal officers.
Sec. 104. Office of Peace Education and Training.
Sec. 105. Office of Domestic Peace Activities.
Sec. 106. Office of International Peace Activities.
Sec. 107. Office of Technology for Peace.
Sec. 108. Office of Arms Control and Disarmament.
Sec. 109. Office of Peaceful Coexistence and Nonviolent Conflict
Resolution.
Sec. 110. Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights.
Sec. 111. Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace and Nonviolence.
Sec. 112. Consultation required.
Sec. 113. Authorization of appropriations.
TITLE II--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS AND TRANSFERS OF AGENCY FUNCTIONS
Sec. 201. Staff.
Sec. 202. Transfers.
Sec. 203. Conforming amendments.
TITLE III--FEDERAL INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON PEACE AND NONVIOLENCE
Sec. 301. Federal Interagency Committee on Peace and Nonviolence.
TITLE IV--ESTABLISHMENT OF PEACE DAY
Sec. 401. Peace Day.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress
unanimously declared the independence of the 13 colonies, and
the achievement of peace was recognized as one of the highest
duties of the new organization of free and independent States.
(2) In declaring, ``We hold these truths to be self-
evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness'', the
drafters of the Declaration of Independence, appealing to the
Supreme Judge of the World, derived the creative cause of
nationhood from ``the Laws of Nature'' and the entitlements of
``Nature's God'', such literal referrals in the Declaration of
Independence thereby serving to celebrate the unity of human
thought, natural law, and spiritual causation.
(3) The architects of the Declaration of Independence
``with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence''
spoke to the connection between the original work infusing
principle into the structure of a democratic government seeking
to elevate the condition of humanity, and the activity of a
higher power which moves to guide the Nation's fortune.
(4) The Constitution of the United States of America, in
its Preamble, further sets forth the insurance of the cause of
peace in stating: ``We the People of the United States, in
Order to Form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure
domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote
the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity.''
(5) The Founders of this country gave America a vision of
freedom for the ages and provided people with a document which
gave this Nation the ability to adapt to an undreamed of
future.
(6) It is the sacred duty of the people of the United
States to receive the living truths of our founding documents
and to think anew to develop institutions that permit the
unfolding of the highest moral principles in this Nation and
around the world.
(7) During the course of the 20th century, more than
100,000,000 people perished in wars, and now, at the dawn of
the 21st century, violence seems to be an overarching theme in
the world, encompassing personal, group, national, and
international conflict, extending to the production of nuclear,
biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction which have
been developed for use on land, air, sea, and in space.
(8) Such conflict is often taken as a reflection of the
human condition without questioning whether the structures of
thought, word, and deed which the people of the United States
have inherited are any longer sufficient for the maintenance,
growth, and survival of the United States and the world.
(9) Promoting a culture of peace has been recognized by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) through passage of a resolution declaring
an International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence
for the Children 2001-2010. The objective is to further
strengthen the global movement for a culture of peace following
the observance of the International Year for the Culture of
Peace in 2000.
(10) We are in a new millennium, and the time has come to
review age-old challenges with new thinking wherein we can
conceive of peace as not simply being the absence of violence,
but the active presence of the capacity for a higher evolution
of the human awareness, of respect, trust, and integrity;
wherein we all may tap the infinite capabilities of humanity to
transform consciousness and conditions which impel or compel
violence at a personal, group, or national level toward
developing a new understanding of, and a commitment to,
compassion and love, in order to create a ``shining city on a
hill'', the light of which is the light of nations.
TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACE AND NONVIOLENCE
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACE AND NONVIOLENCE.
(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a Department of
Peace and Nonviolence (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
``Department''), which shall--
(1) be a cabinet-level department in the executive branch
of the Federal Government; and
(2) be dedicated to peacemaking and the study of conditions
that are conducive to both domestic and international peace.
(b) Secretary of Peace and Nonviolence.--There shall be at the head
of the Department a Secretary of Peace and Nonviolence (hereinafter in
this Act referred to as the ``Secretary''), who shall be appointed by
the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(c) Mission.--The Department shall--
(1) hold peace as an organizing principle, coordinating
service to every level of American society;
(2) endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles
to expand human rights;
(3) strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking;
(4) promote the development of human potential;
(5) work to create peace, prevent violence, divert from
armed conflict, use field-tested programs, and develop new
structures in nonviolent dispute resolution;
(6) take a proactive, strategic approach in the development
of policies that promote national and international conflict
prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful
resolution of conflict, and structured mediation of conflict;
(7) address matters both domestic and international in
scope; and
(8) encourage the development of initiatives from local
communities, religious groups, and nongovernmental
organizations.
SEC. 102. RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall--
(1) work proactively and interactively with each branch of
the Federal Government on all policy matters relating to
conditions of peace;
(2) serve as a delegate to the National Security Council;
(3) call on the intellectual and spiritual wealth of the
people of the United States and seek participation in its
administration and in its development of policy from private,
public, and nongovernmental organizations; and
(4) monitor and analyze causative principles of conflict
and make policy recommendations for developing and maintaining
peaceful conduct.
(b) Domestic Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall--
(1) develop policies that address domestic violence,
including spousal abuse, child abuse, and mistreatment of the
elderly;
(2) create new policies and incorporate existing programs
that reduce drug and alcohol abuse;
(3) develop new policies and incorporate existing policies
regarding crime, punishment, and rehabilitation;
(4) develop policies to address violence against animals;
(5) analyze existing policies, employ successful, field-
tested programs, and develop new approaches for dealing with
the implements of violence, including gun-related violence and
the overwhelming presence of handguns;
(6) develop new programs that relate to the societal
challenges of school violence, gangs, racial or ethnic
violence, violence against gays and lesbians, and police-
community relations disputes;
(7) make policy recommendations to the Attorney General
regarding civil rights and labor law;
(8) assist in the establishment and funding of community-
based violence prevention programs, including violence
prevention counseling and peer mediation in schools;
(9) counsel and advocate on behalf of women victimized by
violence;
(10) provide for public education programs and counseling
strategies concerning hate crimes;
(11) promote racial, religious, and ethnic tolerance;
(12) finance local community initiatives that can draw on
neighborhood resources to create peace projects that facilitate
the development of conflict resolution at a national level and
thereby inform and inspire national policy; and
(13) provide ethical-based and value-based analyses to the
Department of Defense.
(c) International Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall--
(1) advise the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
State on all matters relating to national security, including
the protection of human rights and the prevention of,
amelioration of, and de-escalation of unarmed and armed
international conflict;
(2) provide for the training of all United States personnel
who administer postconflict reconstruction and demobilization
in war-torn societies;
(3) sponsor country and regional conflict prevention and
dispute resolution initiatives, create special task forces, and
draw on local, regional, and national expertise to develop
plans and programs for addressing the root sources of conflict
in troubled areas;
(4) provide for exchanges between the United States and
other nations of individuals who endeavor to develop domestic
and international peace-based initiatives;
(5) encourage the development of international sister city
programs, pairing United States cities with cities around the
globe for artistic, cultural, economic, educational, and faith-
based exchanges;
(6) administer the training of civilian peacekeepers who
participate in multinational nonviolent police forces and
support civilian police who participate in peacekeeping;
(7) jointly with the Secretary of the Treasury, strengthen
peace enforcement through hiring and training monitors and
investigators to help with the enforcement of international
arms embargoes;
(8) facilitate the development of peace summits at which
parties to a conflict may gather under carefully prepared
conditions to promote nonviolent communication and mutually
beneficial solutions;
(9) submit to the President recommendations for reductions
in weapons of mass destruction, and make annual reports to the
President on the sale of arms from the United States to other
nations, with analysis of the impact of such sales on the
defense of the United States and how such sales affect peace;
(10) in consultation with the Secretary of State, develop
strategies for sustainability and management of the
distribution of international funds; and
(11) advise the United States Ambassador to the United
Nations on matters pertaining to the United Nations Security
Council.
(d) Human Security Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall address
and offer nonviolent conflict resolution strategies to all relevant
parties on issues of human security if such security is threatened by
conflict, whether such conflict is geographic, religious, ethnic,
racial, or class-based in its origin, derives from economic concerns
(including trade or maldistribution of wealth), or is initiated through
disputes concerning scarcity of natural resources (such as water and
energy resources), food, trade, or environmental concerns.
(e) Media-Related Responsibilities.--Respecting the first amendment
of the Constitution of the United States and the requirement for free
and independent media, the Secretary shall--
(1) seek assistance in the design and implementation of
nonviolent policies from media professionals;
(2) study the role of the media in the escalation and de-
escalation of conflict at domestic and international levels and
make findings public; and
(3) make recommendations to professional media
organizations in order to provide opportunities to increase
media awareness of peace-building initiatives.
(f) Educational Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall--
(1) develop a peace education curriculum, which shall
include studies of--
(A) the civil rights movement in the United States
and throughout the world, with special emphasis on how
individual endeavor and involvement have contributed to
advancements in peace and justice; and
(B) peace agreements and circumstances in which
peaceful intervention has worked to stop conflict;
(2) in cooperation with the Secretary of Education--
(A) commission the development of such curricula
and make such curricula available to local school
districts to enable the utilization of peace education
objectives at all elementary and secondary schools in
the United States; and
(B) offer incentives in the form of grants and
training to encourage the development of State peace
curricula and assist schools in applying for such
curricula;
(3) work with educators to equip students to become skilled
in achieving peace through reflection, and facilitate
instruction in the ways of peaceful conflict resolution;
(4) maintain a site on the Internet for the purposes of
soliciting and receiving ideas for the development of peace
from the wealth of political, social and cultural diversity;
(5) proactively engage the critical thinking capabilities
of grade school, high school, and college students and teachers
through the Internet and other media and issue periodic reports
concerning submissions;
(6) create and establish a Peace Academy, which shall--
(A) be modeled after the military service
academies;
(B) provide a 4-year course of instruction in peace
education, after which graduates will be required to
serve 5 years in public service in programs dedicated
to domestic or international nonviolent conflict
resolution; and
(7) provide grants for peace studies departments in
colleges and universities throughout the United States.
SEC. 103. PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.
(a) Under Secretary of Peace and Nonviolence.--There shall be in
the Department an Under Secretary of Peace and Nonviolence, who shall
be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate. During the absence or disability of the Secretary, or in
the event of a vacancy in the office of the Secretary, the Under
Secretary shall act as Secretary. The Secretary shall designate the
order in which other officials of the Department shall act for and
perform the functions of the Secretary during the absence or disability
of both the Secretary and Under Secretary or in the event of vacancies
in both of those offices.
(b) Additional Positions.--(1) There shall be in the Department--
(A) an Assistant Secretary for Peace Education and
Training;
(B) an Assistant Secretary for Domestic Peace Activities;
(C) an Assistant Secretary for International Peace
Activities;
(D) an Assistant Secretary for Technology for Peace;
(E) an Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and
Disarmament;
(F) an Assistant Secretary for Peaceful Coexistence and
Nonviolent Conflict Resolution;
(G) an Assistant Secretary for Human and Economic Rights;
and
(H) a General Counsel.
(2) Each of the Assistant Secretaries and the General Counsel shall
be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate.
(3) There shall be in the Department an Inspector General, who
shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions in the Inspector
General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
(4) There shall be in the Department four additional officers who
shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent
of the Senate. The officers appointed under this paragraph shall
perform such functions as the Secretary shall prescribe, including--
(A) congressional relations functions;
(B) public information functions, including providing,
through the use of the latest technologies, useful information
about peace and the work of the Department;
(C) management and budget functions; and
(D) planning, evaluation, and policy development functions,
including development of policies to promote the efficient and
coordinated administration of the Department and its programs
and encourage improvements in conflict resolution and violence
prevention.
(5) In any case in which the President submits the name of an
individual to the Senate for confirmation as an officer of the
Department under this subsection, the President shall state the
particular functions of the Department such individual will exercise
upon taking office.
(c) Authority of Secretary.--Each officer described in this section
shall report directly to the Secretary and shall, in addition to any
functions vested in or required to be delegated to such officer,
perform such additional functions as the Secretary may prescribe.
SEC. 104. OFFICE OF PEACE EDUCATION AND TRAINING.
(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of
Peace Education and Training, the head of which shall be the Assistant
Secretary for Peace Education and Training. The Assistant Secretary for
Peace Education and Training shall carry out those functions of the
Department relating to the creation, encouragement, and impact of peace
education and training at the elementary, secondary, university, and
postgraduate levels, including the development of a Peace Academy.
(b) Peace Curriculum.--The Assistant Secretary of Peace Education
and Training, in cooperation with the Secretary of Education, shall
develop a peace curriculum and supporting materials for distribution to
departments of education in each State and territory of the United
States. The peace curriculum shall include the building of
communicative peace skills, nonviolent conflict resolution skills, and
other objectives to increase the knowledge of peace processes.
(c) Grants.--The Assistant Secretary of Peace Education and
Training shall--
(1) provide peace education grants to colleges and
universities for the creation and expansion of peace studies
departments; and
(2) create a Community Peace Block Grant program under
which grants shall be provided to not-for-profit community and
nongovernmental organizations for the purposes of developing
creative, innovative neighborhood programs for nonviolent
conflict resolution and local peacebuilding initiatives.
SEC. 105. OFFICE OF DOMESTIC PEACE ACTIVITIES.
(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of
Domestic Peace Activities, the head of which shall be the Assistant
Secretary for Domestic Peace Activities. The Assistant Secretary for
Domestic Peace Activities shall carry out those functions in the
Department affecting domestic peace activities, including the
development of policies that increase awareness about intervention and
counseling on domestic violence and conflict.
(b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for Domestic Peace
Activities shall--
(1) develop policy alternatives for the treatment of drug
and alcohol abuse;
(2) develop new policies and build on existing programs
responsive to the prevention of crime, including the
development of community policing strategies and peaceful
settlement skills among police and other public safety
officers; and
(3) develop community-based strategies for celebrating
diversity and promoting tolerance.
SEC. 106. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PEACE ACTIVITIES.
(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of
International Peace Activities, the head of which shall be the
Assistant Secretary for International Peace Activities. The Assistant
Secretary for International Peace Activities shall carry out those
functions in the Department affecting international peace activities
and shall be a member of the National Security Council.
(b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for International
Peace Activities shall--
(1) provide for the training and deployment of all Peace
Academy graduates and other nonmilitary conflict prevention and
peacemaking personnel;
(2) sponsor country and regional conflict prevention and
dispute resolution initiatives in countries experiencing
social, political, or economic strife;
(3) advocate the creation of a multinational nonviolent
peace force;
(4) provide training for the administration of postconflict
reconstruction and demobilization in war-torn societies; and
(5) provide for the exchanges between individuals of the
United States and other nations who are endeavoring to develop
domestic and international peace-based initiatives.
SEC. 107. OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR PEACE.
(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of
Technology for Peace, the head of which shall be the Assistant
Secretary of Technology for Peace. The Assistant Secretary of
Technology for Peace shall carry out those functions in the Department
affecting the awareness, study, and impact of developing new
technologies on the creation and maintenance of domestic and
international peace.
(b) Grants.--The Assistant Secretary of Technology for Peace shall
provide grants for the research and development of technologies in
transportation, communications, and energy that--
(1) are nonviolent in their application; and
(2) encourage the conservation and sustainability of
natural resources in order to prevent future conflicts
regarding scarce resources.
SEC. 108. OFFICE OF ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT.
(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of Arms
Control and Disarmament, the head of which shall be the Assistant
Secretary of Arms Control and Disarmament. The Assistant Secretary of
Arms Control and Disarmament shall carry out those functions in the
Department affecting arms control programs and arms limitation
agreements.
(b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary of Arms Control and
Disarmament shall--
(1) advise the Secretary on all interagency discussions and
all international negotiations regarding the reduction and
elimination of weapons of mass destruction throughout the
world, including the dismantling of such weapons and the safe
and secure storage of materials related thereto;
(2) assist nations, international agencies and
nongovernmental organizations in assessing the locations of the
buildup of nuclear arms;
(3) develop nonviolent strategies to deter the testing or
use of offensive or defensive nuclear weapons, whether based on
land, air, sea, or in outer space;
(4) serve as a depository for copies of all contracts,
agreements, and treaties that deal with the reduction and
elimination of nuclear weapons or the protection of outer space
from militarization; and
(5) provide technical support and legal assistance for the
implementation of such agreements.
SEC. 109. OFFICE OF PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE AND NONVIOLENT CONFLICT
RESOLUTION.
(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of
Peaceful Coexistence and Nonviolent Conflict Resolution, the head of
which shall be the Assistant Secretary for Peaceful Coexistence and
Nonviolent Conflict Resolution. The Assistant Secretary for Peaceful
Coexistence and Nonviolent Conflict Resolution shall carry out those
functions in the Department affecting research and analysis relating to
creating, initiating, and modeling approaches to peaceful coexistence
and nonviolent conflict resolution.
(b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for Peaceful
Coexistence and Nonviolent Conflict Resolution shall--
(1) study the impact of war, especially on the physical and
mental condition of children (using the ten-point agenda in the
United Nations Childrens Fund report, State of the World's
Children 1996, as a guide), which shall include the study of
the effect of war on the environment and public health;
(2) publish a monthly journal of the activities of the
Department and encourage scholarly participation;
(3) gather information on effective community peacebuilding
activities and disseminate such information to local
governments and nongovernmental organizations in the United
States and abroad;
(4) research the effect of violence in the media and make
such reports available to the Congress annually; and
(5) sponsor conferences throughout the United States to
create awareness of the work of the Department.
SEC. 110. OFFICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS.
(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an Office of
Human Rights and Economic Rights, the head of which shall be the
Assistant Secretary for Human Rights and Economic Rights. The Assistant
Secretary for Human Rights and Economic Rights shall carry out those
functions in the Department supporting the principles of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights passed by the General Assembly of the
United Nations on December 10, 1948.
(b) Responsibilities.--The Assistant Secretary for Human Rights and
Economic Rights shall--
(1) assist the Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary
of State, in furthering the incorporation of principles of
human rights, as enunciated in the United Nations General
Assembly Resolution 217A (III) of December 10, 1948, into all
agreements between the United States and other nations to help
reduce the causes of violence;
(2) gather information on and document human rights abuses,
both domestically and internationally, and recommend to the
Secretary nonviolent responses to correct abuses;
(3) make such findings available to other agencies in order
to facilitate nonviolent conflict resolution;
(4) provide trained observers to work with nongovernmental
organizations for purposes of creating a climate that is
conducive to the respect for human rights;
(5) conduct economic analyses of the scarcity of human and
natural resources as a source of conflict and make
recommendations to the Secretary for nonviolent prevention of
such scarcity, nonviolent intervention in case of such
scarcity, and the development of programs of assistance for
people experiencing such scarcity, whether due to armed
conflict, maldistribution of resources, or natural causes;
(6) assist the Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary
of State and the Secretary of the Treasury, in developing
strategies regarding the sustainability and the management of
the distribution of funds from international agencies, the
conditions regarding the receipt of such funds, and the impact
of those conditions on the peace and stability of the recipient
nations; and
(7) assist the Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary
of State and the Secretary of Labor, in developing strategies
to promote full compliance with domestic and international
labor rights law.
SEC. 111. INTERGOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON PEACE AND NONVIOLENCE.
(a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an advisory
committee to be known as the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on
Peace and Nonviolence (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
``Council''). The Council shall provide assistance and make
recommendations to the Secretary and the President concerning
intergovernmental policies relating to peace and nonviolent conflict
resolution.
(b) Responsibilities.--The Council shall--
(1) provide a forum for representatives of Federal, State,
and local governments to discuss peace issues;
(2) promote better intergovernmental relations; and
(3) submit, biennially or more frequently if determined
necessary by the Council, a report to the Secretary, the
President, and the Congress reviewing the impact of Federal
peace activities on State and local governments.
SEC. 112. CONSULTATION REQUIRED.
(a) Consultation in Cases of Conflict.--(1) In any case in which a
conflict between the United States and any other government or entity
is imminent or occurring, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
State shall consult with the Secretary concerning nonviolent means of
conflict resolution.
(2) In any case in which such a conflict is ongoing or recently
concluded, the Secretary shall conduct independent studies of
diplomatic initiatives undertaken by the United States and other
parties to the conflict.
(3) In any case in which such a conflict has recently concluded,
the Secretary shall assess the effectiveness of those initiatives in
ending the conflict.
(4) The Secretary shall establish a formal process of consultation
in a timely manner with the Secretary of the Department of State and
the Secretary of the Department of Defense--
(A) prior to the initiation of any armed conflict between
the United States and any other nation; and
(B) for any matter involving the use of Department of
Defense personnel within the United States.
(b) Consultation in Drafting Treaties and Agreements.--The
executive branch shall consult with the Secretary in drafting treaties
and peace agreements.
SEC. 113. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act for a
fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act an
amount equal to at least 2 percent of the total amount appropriated for
that fiscal year for the Department of Defense.
TITLE II--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS AND TRANSFERS OF AGENCY FUNCTIONS
SEC. 201. STAFF.
The Secretary may appoint and fix the compensation of such
employees as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the
Secretary and the Department. Except as otherwise provided by law, such
employees shall be appointed in accordance with the civil service laws
and their compensation fixed in accordance with title 5 of the United
States Code.
SEC. 202. TRANSFERS.
There are hereby transferred to the Department the functions,
assets, and personnel of--
(1) the Peace Corps;
(2) the United States Institute of Peace;
(3) the Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control and
International Security Affairs of the Department of State;
(4) the Gang Resistance Education and Training Program of
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; and
(5) the SafeFutures program of the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of
Justice.
SEC. 203. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress proposed legislation
containing any necessary and appropriate technical and conforming
amendments to the laws of the United States to reflect and carry out
the provisions of this Act.
TITLE III--FEDERAL INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON PEACE AND NONVIOLENCE
SEC. 301. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON PEACE AND NONVIOLENCE.
There is established a Federal Interagency Committee on Peace and
Nonviolence (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Committee'').
The Committee shall--
(1) assist the Secretary in providing a mechanism to assure
that the procedures and actions of the Department and other
Federal agencies are fully coordinated; and
(2) study and make recommendations for assuring effective
coordination of Federal programs, policies, and administrative
practices affecting peace.
TITLE IV--ESTABLISHMENT OF PEACE DAY
SEC. 401. PEACE DAY.
All citizens should be encouraged to observe and celebrate the
blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on a Peace Day. Such
day shall include discussions of the professional activities and the
achievements in the lives of peacemakers.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H7872)
Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, the Judiciary, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, the Judiciary, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, the Judiciary, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, the Judiciary, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, the Judiciary, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H4964-4965)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H5132)