§ 8142 — Peace Corps Volunteers

(a) For the purpose of this section, “volunteer” means— (1) a volunteer enrolled in the Peace Corps under section 2504 of title 22; (2) a volunteer leader enrolled in the Peace Corps under section 2505 of title 22; and (3) an applicant for enrollment as a volunteer or volunteer leader during a period of training under section 2507(a) of title 22 before enrollment. (b) Subject to the provisions of this section, this subchapter applies to a volunteer, except that entitlement to disability compensation payments does not commence until the day after the date of termination of his service as a volunteer. (c) For the purpose of this subchapter— (1) a volunteer is deemed receiving monthly pay at the minimum rate for GS–7; (2) a volunteer leader referred to by section 2505 of title 22, or a volunteer with one or more minor children as defined in section 2504 of title 22, is deemed receiving monthly pay at the minimum rate for GS–11; (3) an injury suffered by a volunteer when he is outside the several States and the District of Columbia is deemed proximately caused by his employment, unless the injury or disease is— (A) caused by willful misconduct of the volunteer; (B) caused by the volunteer’s intention to bring about the injury or death of himself or of another; or (C) proximately caused by the intoxication of the injured volunteer; and (4) the period of service of an individual as a volunteer includes— (A) any period of training under section 2507(a) of title 22 before enrollment as a volunteer; and (B) the period between enrollment as a volunteer and the termination of service as a volunteer by the President or by death or resignation. (1) The Secretary shall authorize the Director of the Peace Corps to furnish medical benefits to a volunteer, who is injured during the volunteer’s period of service, for a period of 120 days following the termination of such service if the Director certifies that the volunteer’s injury probably meets the requirements under subsection (c)(3). The Secretary may then certify vouchers for these expenses for such volunteer out of the Employees’ Compensation Fund. (2) The Secretary shall prescribe the form and content of the certification required under paragraph (1). (3) A certification under paragraph (1) will cease to be effective if the volunteer sustains compensable disability in connection with volunteer service. (4) Nothing in this subsection may be construed to authorize the furnishing of any medical benefit that the Secretary of Labor is not otherwise authorized to reimburse for former Peace Corps volunteers who receive treatment for injury or disease proximately caused by their service in the Peace Corps in accordance with this chapter.