H.R. 808 — Department of Peace Act of 2011

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 808 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 808

                  To establish a Department of Peace.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 18, 2011

 Mr. Kucinich (for himself, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Ms. Lee 
of California, Ms. Moore, Mr. Polis, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. DeFazio, 
  Mr. Farr, Ms. Norton, Mr. Olver, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Baldwin, and Ms. 
   Woolsey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the 
  Committees on Foreign Affairs, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
                  To establish a Department of Peace.

    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 Act of 2011''.
    (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

Sec. 101. Establishment of Department of Peace.
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.
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

Sec. 301. Federal Interagency Committee on Peace.
                          TITLE IV--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 defence, 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) Personal violence in the United States has great human 
        and financial costs. A 2004 World Health Organization report 
        estimates that interpersonal violence within the United States 
        costs approximately $300 billion annually, not including war-
        related costs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention states that an average of 16 young people age 10 to 
        24 were murdered each day in the United States in 2005. The Pew 
        Charitable Trust calculates that child abuse and neglect in the 
        United States cost $103.8 billion in 2007.
            (10) 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.
            (11) 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

SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a Department of 
Peace (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Department''), 
which shall--
            (1) be a cabinet-level department in the executive branch 
        of the 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.--There shall be at the head of the 
Department a Secretary of Peace (hereinafter in this Act referred to as 
the ``Secretary''), who shall be appointed by the President, by and 
with the advice and consent of the Senate.
    (c) Mission.--The Department shall--
            (1) hold the cultivation of peace as a strategic national 
        policy objective;
            (2) reduce and prevent violence in the United States and 
        internationally through peacebuilding and effective nonviolent 
        conflict resolution;
            (3) strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking;
            (4) work to create peace, prevent violence, prevent armed 
        conflict, use field-tested programs, and promote best practices 
        in nonviolent dispute resolution;
            (5) 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;
            (6) address matters both domestic and international in 
        scope;
            (7) provide an institutional platform for the growing 
        wealth of expertise in peacebuilding to dramatically reduce the 
        national and global epidemic of violence;
            (8) support local communities in finding, funding, 
        replicating, and expanding programs to reduce and prevent 
        violence;
            (9) invest in non-governmental organizations that have 
        implemented successful initiatives to reduce and prevent 
        violence, both internationally and domestically; and
            (10) work with other government agencies to apply and 
        practice the science of peacebuilding in their respective 
        fields of responsibility.

SEC. 102. RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) work proactively and interactively with each branch of 
        the Government on all policy matters relating to conditions of 
        peace;
            (2) serve as a delegate to the National Security Council;
            (3) call on the experience and expertise of the people of 
        the United States and seek participation in the development of 
        policy from private, public, and non-governmental 
        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 programs and expand existing 
        policies and programs that effectively reduce drug and alcohol 
        abuse;
            (3) develop new policies and programs and expand existing 
        policies and programs that effectively address crime, 
        punishment, and rehabilitation, including--
                    (A) working to reduce prison recidivism rates;
                    (B) supporting the implementation of nonviolent 
                conflict resolution education and training for victims, 
                perpetrators, and those who work with them; and
                    (C) supporting effective police and community 
                relations;
            (4) analyze existing policies, employ successful, field-
        tested programs, and develop new approaches for dealing with 
        the tools of violence, including handguns, especially among 
        youth;
            (5) analyze existing policies and develop new policies to 
        address violence against animals;
            (6) develop new and expand current effective 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 and unarmed 
        civilian peacekeeping at a local level;
            (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; and
            (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.
    (c) International Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) advise the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
        State on 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) contribute to and participate in the development of 
        training of all United States personnel who administer post-
        conflict 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) counsel and advocate on behalf of women victimized by 
        violence, including rape, during conflict and post conflict;
            (5) provide for exchanges between the United States and 
        other nations of individuals who endeavor to develop domestic 
        and international peace-based initiatives;
            (6) 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;
            (7) establish and administer a budget designated for the 
        training and deployment of unarmed civilian peacekeepers to 
        participate in multinational nonviolent peacekeeping forces. 
        Such training and deployment may be conducted by civilian, 
        governmental, or multilateral organizations;
            (8) 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;
            (9) 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;
            (10) 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;
            (11) in consultation with the Secretary of State, develop 
        strategies for sustainability and management of the 
        distribution of international funds;
            (12) advise the United States Ambassador to the United 
        Nations on matters pertaining to the United Nations Security 
        Council; and
            (13) support the implementation of international 
        peacebuilding strategies through a balanced use of defense, 
        diplomacy, and development.
    (d) Human Security Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall address 
and offer nonviolent conflict resolution strategies and unarmed 
civilian peacekeepers to the appropriate 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, 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) support the development and implementation of curricula 
        in nonviolent conflict resolution education for teachers and 
        students;
            (5) 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;
            (6) 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;
            (7) create and establish a Peace Academy, which shall--
                    (A) be modeled after the military service 
                academies; and
                    (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
            (8) provide grants for peace studies departments in 
        colleges and universities throughout the United States.

SEC. 103. PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.

    (a) Under Secretary of Peace.--The President shall appoint an Under 
Secretary of Peace in the Department, 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) The President shall appoint in the 
Department, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate--
            (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) The President shall appoint an Inspector General in the 
Department, in accordance with the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
U.S.C. App.).
    (3) The President shall appoint four additional officers in the 
Department, 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.
    (4) 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 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 
support the dissemination and development of effective peace curricula 
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 the education and training of teachers in peace 
        studies; and
            (2) create a Community Peace Block Grant program under 
        which the Secretary shall make grants to not-for-profit and 
        non-governmental organizations for the purpose of developing 
        innovative neighborhood programs for nonviolent conflict 
        resolution and creating 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 and disseminate best 
        practices from the field 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) support country and regional conflict prevention and 
        dispute resolution initiatives in countries experiencing 
        social, political, or economic strife;
            (3) advocate for the creation of a multinational nonviolent 
        peace force;
            (4) provide training for the administration of post-
        conflict 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.
    (c) Grants.--The Assistant Secretary for International Peace 
Activities shall create a Cultural Diplomacy for Peace Grant program 
under which the Secretary shall make grants to schools, non-profits, 
and non-governmental organizations for the purpose of developing 
international cultural exchanges, including the arts and sports that 
promote diplomacy and cultural understanding between the United States 
and members of the international community.

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 
make 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 interagency discussions and 
        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 non-
        governmental 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 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 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) commission or compile studies on the impact of war, 
        especially on the physical and mental condition of children 
        (using the ten-point anti-war 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) compile information on effective community 
        peacebuilding activities and disseminate such information to 
        local governments and non-governmental organizations in the 
        United States and abroad;
            (3) commission or compile research on the effect of 
        violence in the media and make such reports available to the 
        Congress annually;
            (4) publish a monthly journal of the activities of the 
        Department and encourage scholarly participation; 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 that support 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 the 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 non-governmental 
        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 to assist people 
        facing 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;
            (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; and
            (8) conduct policy analysis to ensure that the 
        international development investments of the United States 
        positively impact the peace and stability of the recipient 
        nation.

SEC. 111. INTERGOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON PEACE.

    (a) In General.--There shall be in the Department an advisory 
committee known as the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace 
(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 offer 
        professional mediation services to resolve intergovernmental 
        conflict as needed; 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 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 
$10,000,000,000 for each fiscal year. Of the amounts appropriated 
pursuant to such authorization, at least 85 percent shall be used for 
domestic peace programs, including administrative costs associated with 
such programs.

 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, 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

SEC. 301. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON PEACE.

    There is established a Federal Interagency Committee on Peace 
(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--PEACE DAY

SEC. 401. PEACE DAY.

    The Secretary shall encourage citizens 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>
Department of Peace Act of 2011

Sponsors

Subjects

Summary

Full Text

Legislative Actions

Ask about this bill
