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Managing America

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Week Ending April 27, 2006

H.R.1678 To amend the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations to provide assistance for domestic and foreign programs and centers for the treatment of victims of torture, and for other purposes.

This bill authorizes funds for treatment centers that help rehabilitate torture victims. Funds would be granted to domestic and foreign centers for the cost of rehabilitation and treatment of physical and psychological damages, social and legal services, research and training of health care providers outside of the centers and the UN Voluntary Funds for Victims of torture.

The bill amends the 1998 act establishing assistance for domestic and foreign torture treatment programs and centers to respond to the data that an estimated 150 countries engage in torture worldwide, that 400,000 to 500,000 foreign torture survivors live in the US and that there may be 100 million survivors worldwide.

To meet such a macabre demand there are 250 treatment programs internationally and the first center in the US and third in the world is in Minnesota. Now there are 31 programs in the US of which 20 operate through the Department of Health and Human Services.

Bill data reports that the National Consortium of Torture Victims Treatment Programs members come from 110 countries and 93% have become residents of the US. Currently, programs are funded in 28 countries covering Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Near East, Europe and Asia in which 120 local torture relief organizations operate. The UN effort supports 175 projects in 64 countries including some US operations. (2006)

The bill includes training requirements for foreign service officers on the nature, impact and circumstances of torture.

Sponsor:  Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-4^th)

Vote: Passed House 418 to 7 April 24, 2007 (RC 260)

Cost to the taxpayers: $50 million for 2008 and 2009 for domestic centers, $24 million over two years for international centers and $24 million over two years for the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. “H.R. 1678 would authorize the appropriation of $49 million in both 2008 and 2009 for foreign and domestic programs to assist victims of torture. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $22 million in 2008 and $97 million over the 2008-2012 period, assuming that outlays would follow historical spending patterns for those programs.”

Earmark Certification: “H.R. 1678 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI. Section 202 contains an authorization for a grant to the International Center for Democratic Transition, an organization endorsed by the Community of Democracies at its 2006 Ministerial meeting and supported by the Department of State.” 

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