I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1232 

To require a five-year staffing plan for the Department of State, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 23, 2021 

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To require a five-year staffing plan for the Department of 

State, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Diplomatic Personnel 

5 Modernization Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FIVE-YEAR STAFFING PLAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT 

7 OF STATE. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after 

9 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

10 State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 


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1 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

2 Foreign Relations of the Senate a comprehensive 5-year 

3 strategic staffing plan for the Department of State that 

4 is aligned with and furthers the objectives of the National 

5 Security Strategy of the United States of America issued 

6 in December 2017, or any subsequent strategy issued not 

7 later than 18 months after such date of enactment, which 

8 shall include the following: 

9 (1) A dataset displaying comprehensive work10 force data, including all shortages in bureaus de11 scribed in GAO report GAO–19–220, for all current 

12 and planned employees of the Department of State, 

13 disaggregated by— 

14 (A) Foreign Service officer and Foreign 

15 Service specialist rank; 

16 (B) civil service job skill code, grade level, 

17 and bureau of assignment; 

18 (C) contracted employees, including the 

19 equivalent job skill code and bureau of assign20 ment; and 

21 (D) employees hired under schedule C of 

22 subpart C of part 213 of title 5, Code of Fed23 eral Regulations, including the equivalent grade 

24 and job skill code and bureau of assignment of 

25 such employee. 


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1 (2) Recommendations on the number of For2 eign Service officers disaggregated by service cone 

3 that should be posted at each United States diplo4 matic post and in the District of Columbia, with a 

5 detailed basis for such recommendations. 

6 (3) Recommendations on the number of civil 

7 service officers that should be employed by the De8 partment, with a detailed basis for such rec9 ommendations. 

10 (b) MAINTENANCE.—The dataset required under 

11 subsection (a)(1) shall be maintained and updated on a 

12 regular basis. 

13 (c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of State shall 

14 lead the development of the plan required under sub15 section (a), but may consult or partner with private sector 

16 entities with expertise in labor economics, management, 

17 or human resources, as well as organizations familiar with 

18 the demands and needs of the Department of State’s 

19 workforce. 

20 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 120 days after the date 

21 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 

22 submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 

23 of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Rela24 tions of the Senate a report regarding root causes of For25 eign Service and civil service shortages, the effect of such 


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1 shortages on national security objectives, and the Depart2 ment of State’s plan to implement recommendations de3 scribed in GAO–19–10 220. 

Æ 


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