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Feb 5, 2007 – Introduced in House. This is the original text of the bill as it was written by its sponsor and submitted to the House for consideration. This is the latest version of the bill currently available on GovTrack.
HR 808 IH
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 808
To establish a Department of Peace and Nonviolence.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 5, 2007
Mr. KUCINICH (for himself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. ANDREWS, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Ms. CARSON, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. FARR, Mr. FILNER, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HIRONO, 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 of New York, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. NADLER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SHERMAN, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. WATERS, Ms. WATSON, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. WU, and Mr. WYNN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight andGovernment Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, and Education and Labor, 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. There are several models for such a Peace
Day that have been endorsed by Congress and the United Nations.