[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6054 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6054
To ensure that the United States diplomatic workforce at all levels
reflects the diverse composition of the United States, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 25, 2023
Ms. Kamlager-Dove (for herself, Mr. Lieu, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr.
Castro of Texas, Mr. Kim of New Jersey, Mr. Connolly, Ms. Titus, Ms.
Omar, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Lee of
California, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Takano,
Ms. Norton, Ms. Adams, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Schiff, Ms. Brownley, Mr.
Blumenauer, Mr. Trone, and Ms. Jayapal) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To ensure that the United States diplomatic workforce at all levels
reflects the diverse composition of the United States, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Represent America Abroad Act of
2023''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Department of State and the United States Agency
for International Development (USAID) must continue to invest
in policies to recruit, retain, and develop the best and
brightest from the full spectrum of American society in order
to be better positioned to advance United States interests
abroad.
(2) Foreign Service officers are America's face to the
world and in order to effectively advance American values on
the world stage should represent the United States commitment
to inclusion and diversity.
(3) The Department of State and USAID must embrace policies
that recruit professionals from the broadest possible pool of
talent and retain them in order to have a Foreign Service that
is the most effective and truly reflects the diversity of the
United States.
(4) February and June 2020 reports by the Government
Accountability Office found barriers to a diverse and inclusive
workforce within the ranks of the Foreign Service, especially
at the mid-career and senior levels. Individuals who are racial
or ethnic minorities comprise only 24 percent at the Department
of State and 27 percent at USAID. At the executive level,
individuals who are racial or ethnic minorities comprise only
13 percent at the Department of State and 17 percent at USAID.
This means that the leadership is the least diverse level
within the Foreign Service.
(5) In the past, Secretaries of State have acknowledged the
lack of workforce diversity and pledged to take concrete steps
to address the problem. In 2017, then-Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson recognized a great diversity gap in the Department of
State and former Secretary of State John Kerry noted that in
order to represent the United States, the Department of State
must have a workforce that reflects the rich composition of its
citizenry. Yet there has been no concrete plan to address the
lack of diversity at the mid-career and senior levels.
(6) USAID has previously identified under-representation of
specific groups in its workforce, but staffing gaps, partly due
to a lack of senior leadership attention, prevent the agency
from adequately addressing the issue.
SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF NATIONAL INTEREST; STATEMENT OF POLICY.
(a) Declaration of National Interest.--Congress declares that it is
in the national interest of the United States to ensure that the
members of the United States Foreign Service workforce be
representative of the American people.
(b) Statement of Policy.--It shall be the policy of the Department
of State and of the United States Agency for International
Development--
(1) to strengthen the Foreign Service workforce by
bolstering the diversity of those who represent Americans
abroad;
(2) to treat the people of the Foreign Service as its
primary asset, and as such, hold as a central tenet making
strides in increasing representation at all levels of the
Foreign Service workforce to secure the country's national
interests; and
(3) in accordance with the Foreign Service Act of 1980, to
attract highly qualified, mid-career professionals who belong
to historically excluded groups, through a pathway program for
entry into the Foreign Service.
SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF LATERAL ENTRY FOREIGN SERVICE PROGRAM.
(a) Modification of Lateral Entry Foreign Service Program.--Section
404 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017
(Public Law 114-323; 130 Stat. 1928) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 404. LATERAL ENTRY INTO THE FOREIGN SERVICE.
``(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
``(1) the Foreign Service should permit mid-career entry
into the Foreign Service for qualified individuals who are
willing to bring their talents and experiences to the work of
the Foreign Service; and
``(2) the lateral entry program authorized under this
section should be used to address disparities in retention and
promotion as identified by barrier analysis and 2020 Government
Accountability Office reports, by identifying, attracting, and
welcoming into the Foreign Service highly qualified mid-career
professionals who belong to historically excluded groups in
terms of racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity, and
disability status.
``(b) Establishment of Program.--The Secretary shall establish a
pilot program for lateral entry into the Foreign Service by mid-career
professionals who belong to historically excluded groups in terms of
racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity, and disability status
that--
``(1) is in full comportment with current Foreign Service
intake procedures, including the requirement to pass the
Foreign Service exam;
``(2) requires only one directed assignment in a position
appropriate to the grade level of the participant;
``(3) includes, as part of the required initial training, a
class or module that specifically prepares participants in the
pilot program for life in the Foreign Service, including
conveying to such participants essential elements of the
practical knowledge that is normally acquired during a Foreign
Service officer's initial assignments;
``(4) includes an annual assessment of the progress of the
pilot program by a review board consisting of Department
officials with appropriate expertise, including employees of
the Foreign Service, in order to evaluate the success of the
pilot program; and
``(5) includes recruitment outreach for pilot program
participation to--
``(A) diversity officers in the private sector;
``(B) all members of the civil service of the
Department and recognized Department affinity groups;
``(C) the civil service of other national security
related Federal agencies; and
``(D) professional associations.
``(c) Administration.--The pilot program under subsection (b) shall
be administered jointly by the Director General of the Foreign Service,
the Director of Global Talent Management of the Department of State,
and the Chief Human Capital Officer of the Office of Human Capital and
Talent Management of the United States Agency for International
Development.
``(d) Elements.--
``(1) Program requirements.--The Secretary shall carry out
the following with respect to the pilot program under
subsection (b):
``(A) Establish and publish eligibility criteria
for candidates to participate in the pilot program.
``(B) Carry out countrywide recruitment efforts to
attract highly qualified, mid-career professionals from
among historically excluded groups, such as at and
through the following:
``(i) Community agencies and organizations.
``(ii) Faith-based organizations.
``(iii) Community events.
``(iv) Professional associations.
``(v) Colleges and universities, including
historically Black colleges and universities
and other minority-serving institutions such as
Hispanic-serving institutions, Asian American
and Native American Pacific Islander-serving
institutions, American Indian Tribally
controlled colleges and universities, Alaska
Native and Native Hawaiian-serving
institutions, Tribal colleges and universities,
Predominantly Black Institutions, and Native
American-serving, Nontribal institutions.
``(vi) Diplomats in residence.
``(vii) Job fairs.
``(viii) Newspaper/magazines/journals.
``(ix) Radio stations and programs.
``(x) Websites, webcasts, podcasts, and
other online channels.
``(C) Include appropriate mentorship and other
career development opportunities, such as leadership
training, for participants in the pilot program.
``(2) Overall qualifications.--In establishing eligibility
criteria under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall seek
highly qualified individuals who are mid-career professionals
from the civil service and private sector belonging to
historically excluded groups--
``(A) with diverse work experience, who have
capabilities, insights, techniques, and experiences
that would serve to enrich the Foreign Service
workforce and empower it to perform more effectively;
``(B) with demonstrated knowledge of, experience
with, and interest in United States foreign policy and
national security and international affairs, including
knowledge of the affairs, cultures, and languages of
other countries;
``(C) with demonstrable leadership skills and the
potential for further growth;
``(D) that demonstrate a track record of
collaboration, team-building, and stakeholder
management skills;
``(E) with demonstrated capacity for critical
thinking and analytical skills, including the ability
to synthesize information into clear and concise
recommendations;
``(F) with strategic thinking, and ability to solve
complex problems;
``(G) with flexibility, adaptability, and
determination; and
``(H) who are United States citizens with worldwide
service availability and who are able to obtain
appropriate security and medical clearances.
``(e) Advancement From Program.--Candidates who are accepted into
the pilot program under subsection (b) in accordance with the
qualifications and requirements of this section shall have the
opportunity to advance to the Foreign Service oral assessment for
potential entry as the appropriate class of mid-level Foreign Service
officer in accordance with the candidate's professional qualifications
with a goal of not less than 50 percent of such participants per year
being so placed.
``(f) Annual Reporting.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of the Represent America Abroad Act of 2023, and annually
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report on the status of the pilot program under subsection
(b). Each such report shall include the following information with
respect to the previous year:
``(1) The number of accepted and unaccepted applicants to
the pilot program, and the number of accepted applicants who
began participating in the pilot program, and the number of
accepted applicants who began participating in the pilot
program.
``(2) Anonymized information on the backgrounds of accepted
pilot program applicants and participants with respect to
education and prior work experience, ethnicity, and sex.
``(3) The number of pilot program participants who have
advanced from the pilot program to a placement in the Foreign
Service, disaggregated by education, prior work experience,
ethnicity and sex.
``(4) A disaggregation by Foreign Service assignment, cone
and post or mission (including identifying whether the post is
hard-to-fill) assigned to each pilot program participant who
has advanced to a placement in the Foreign Service.
``(5) The grade level at which each pilot program
participant who has advanced to a placement in the Foreign
Service entered the Foreign Service.
``(6) The structure and operation of the pilot program.
``(7) Attrition rates and retention data with respect to
the pilot program, including information on how such data
compares to the data reported in the most recent prior
submission of such report.
``(8) Information on recruiting efforts for the pilot
program, including the resources allocated to outreach, as well
as where, how, and when outreach will be carried out.
``(9) Information on efforts to improve the efficacy of the
pilot program and promote retention of program participants.
``(g) Longitudinal Data.--The Secretary shall--
``(1) collect and maintain data on the career progression
of each program participant for the length of each
participant's Foreign Service career; and
``(2) make the data described in paragraph (1) available to
the appropriate congressional committees upon request.
``(h) Duration.--The pilot program under subsection (b) shall be
for an initial duration of 3 years, but may be renewed for an
additional 5-year period following the end of such initial duration.
``(i) Mid-Career Professional Defined.--In this section, the term
`mid-career professional' means an individual who has the skills and
experience to serve as a mid-level Foreign Service officer (class 3, 2,
or 1) and who meets any of the following criteria, consistent with the
merit-based principles and core precepts set forth in the Foreign
Affairs Manual and Handbook and in accordance with applicable
requirements of the Foreign Service Act of 1980:
``(1) An individual with at least 8 years of professional
experience and a bachelor's degree from an accredited college
or university in selected fields of study representing the
needs of the Department of State, including public policy,
public administration, international law, international
relations, political science, foreign languages, business
administration, economics, history, sociology, geography,
social or cultural anthropology, statistics, or the humanities.
``(2) An individual with at least 7 years of professional
experience and a master's degree from an accredited college or
university in selected fields of study representing the needs
of the Department of State, including any field specified in
paragraph (1).
``(3) An individual with at least 5 years of professional
experience and doctoral degree from an accredited college or
university in selected fields of study representing the needs
of the Department of State, including any field specified in
paragraph (1).''.
(b) Timing.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall commence the implementation
of the pilot program under section 404(b) of the Department of State
Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323; 130 Stat. 1928),
as amended by subsection (a).
<all>