H. R. 2670—836 
to provide grants to United States nationals pursuing post- 
secondary studies who commit to pursuing a career as a special 
agent, security engineering officer, or in the civil service in 
the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. 
‘‘(2) RULEMAKING.—The Secretary is authorized to promul-
gate regulations for the administration of Diplomatic Security 
fellowship programs that set forth— 
‘‘(A) the eligibility requirements for receiving a grant 
under this subsection; 
‘‘(B) the process by which eligible applicants may 
request such a grant; 
‘‘(C) the maximum amount of such a grant; and 
‘‘(D) the educational progress to which all grant recipi-
ents are obligated.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 
to be appropriated $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 
2028 to carry out this section. 
TITLE LXII—PERSONNEL MATTERS 
Subtitle A—Hiring, Promotion, and 
Development 
SEC. 6201. ADJUSTMENT TO PROMOTION PRECEPTS. 
Section 603(b) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 
4003(b)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2), (3), and (4) as para-
graphs (7), (8), and (9), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new para-
graphs: 
‘‘(2) experience serving at an international organization, 
multilateral institution, or engaging in multinational negotia-
tions; 
‘‘(3) willingness to serve in hardship posts overseas where 
applicable and across geographically distinct regions; 
‘‘(4) experience advancing policies or developing expertise 
that enhance the United States’ competitiveness with regard 
to critical and emerging technologies; 
‘‘(5) willingness to participate in appropriate and relevant 
professional development opportunities offered by the Foreign 
Service Institute or other educational institutions associated 
with the Department; 
‘‘(6) willingness to enable and encourage subordinates at 
various levels to avail themselves of appropriate and relevant 
professional development opportunities offered by the Foreign 
Service Institute or other educational institutions associated 
with the Department;’’. 
SEC. 6202. HIRING AUTHORITIES. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the Department should possess hiring authorities to 
enable recruitment of individuals representative of the nation 
with special skills needed to address 21st century diplomacy 
challenges; and
H. R. 2670—837 
(2) the Secretary shall conduct a survey of hiring authori-
ties held by the Department to identify— 
(A) hiring authorities already authorized by Congress; 
(B) other authorities granted through Presidential 
decree or executive order; and 
(C) any authorities needed to enable recruitment of 
individuals with the special skills described in paragraph 
(1). 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this division, the Secretary shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees, the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee 
on Oversight and Accountability of the House of Representatives 
a report that includes a description of all existing hiring authorities 
and legislative proposals on any new needed authorities. 
(c) SPECIAL HIRING AUTHORITY.—For an initial period of not 
more than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this division, 
the Secretary may appoint, without regard to the provisions of 
sections 3309 through 3318 of title 5, United States Code, up 
to 80 candidates directly to positions in the competitive service 
at the Department, as defined in section 2102 of that title, in 
the following occupational series: 25 candidates under 1560 Data 
Science, 25 candidates under 2210 Information Technology Manage-
ment, and 30 candidates under 0201 Human Resources Manage-
ment. 
SEC. 6203. EXTENDING PATHS TO SERVICE FOR PAID STUDENT 
INTERNS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For up to 2 years following the end of a 
compensated internship at the Department, the Department may 
offer employment to up to 25 such interns and appoint them directly 
to positions in the competitive service, as defined in section 2102 
of title 5, United States Code, without regard to the provisions 
of sections 3309 through 3318 of such title. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this division, and annually thereafter for 3 years, 
the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee 
of the Senate, and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 
of the House of Representatives a report listing which under-
graduate and post-secondary institutions the interns offered employ-
ment under subsection (a) attended, where available. 
SEC. 6204. LATERAL ENTRY PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 404 of the Department of State 
Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323; 130 Stat. 
1928) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘3-year’’ and inserting ‘‘5-year’’; 
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘; and’’; 
(C) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(7) does not include the use of Foreign Service-Limited 
or other noncareer Foreign Service hiring authorities; and 
‘‘(8) includes not fewer than 30 participants for each year 
of the pilot program.’’; and
H. R. 2670—838 
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) CERTIFICATION.—If the Secretary does not commence the 
lateral entry program within 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit a report to 
the appropriate congressional committees— 
‘‘(1) certifying that progress is being made on implementa-
tion of the pilot program and describing such progress, 
including the date on which applicants will be able to apply; 
‘‘(2) estimating the date by which the pilot program will 
be fully implemented; 
‘‘(3) outlining how the Department will use the Lateral 
Entry Program to fill needed skill sets in key areas such as 
cyberspace, emerging technologies, economic statecraft, multi-
lateral diplomacy, and data and other sciences.’’. 
SEC. 6205. MID-CAREER MENTORING PROGRAM. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary, in collaboration with the 
Director of the Foreign Service Institute, is authorized to establish 
a Mid-Career Mentoring Program (referred to in this section as 
the ‘‘Program’’) to assist in the retention of, and to decrease mid- 
career attrition of, employees, including those who have dem-
onstrated potential for advancement and may be at risk of leaving 
the Department. 
(b) SELECTION.— 
(1) NOMINATIONS.—The head of each bureau shall semi-
annually nominate participants for the Program from a pool 
of applicants in the positions described in paragraph (2)(B), 
including from posts both domestically and abroad. 
(2) SUBMISSION OF SLATE OF NOMINEES TO SECRETARY.— 
The Director of the Foreign Service Institute, in consultation 
with the Director General of the Foreign Service, shall semi-
annually— 
(A) vet the nominees most recently nominated pursu-
ant to paragraph (1); and 
(B) submit to the Secretary a slate of applicants to 
participate in the Program, who shall consist of at least— 
(i) 10 Foreign Service Officers and specialists 
classified at the FS-03 or FS-04 level of the Foreign 
Service Salary Schedule; 
(ii) 10 Civil Service employees classified at GS- 
12 or GS-13 of the General Schedule; and 
(iii) 5 Foreign Service Officers from the United 
States Agency for International Development. 
(3) FINAL
SELECTION.—The Secretary shall select the 
applicants who will be invited to participate in the Program 
from the slate received pursuant to paragraph (2)(B) and extend 
such an invitation to each selected applicant. 
(4) MERIT PRINCIPLES.—Section 105 of the Foreign Service 
Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3905) shall apply to nominations, submis-
sions to the Secretary, and selections for the Program under 
this section. 
(c) PROGRAM SESSIONS.— 
(1) FREQUENCY; DURATION.—All of the participants who 
accept invitations extended pursuant to subsection (b)(3) shall 
meet 3 to 4 times per year for training sessions with high- 
level leaders of the Department and USAID, including private
H. R. 2670—839 
group meetings with the Secretary and the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development. 
(2) THEMES.—Each session referred to in paragraph (1) 
shall focus on specific themes developed jointly by the Foreign 
Service Institute and the Executive Secretariat focused on sub-
stantive policy issues and leadership practices. 
(d) MENTORING PROGRAM.—The Secretary and the Adminis-
trator each is authorized to establish a mentoring and coaching 
program that pairs a senior leader of the Department or USAID 
with each of the program participants who complete the Program 
during the 1-year period immediately following their participation 
in the Program. 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this division, and annually thereafter for three 
years, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees that describes the activities of the Pro-
gram during the most recent year and includes disaggregated demo-
graphic data on participants in the Program. 
SEC. 6206. REPORT ON THE FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE’S LANGUAGE 
PROGRAM. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of 
this division, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees that includes— 
(1) the average pass and fail rates for language programs 
at the Foreign Service Institute in comparison with Language 
Designated Position (LDP) requirements, disaggregated by lan-
guage during the 5-year period immediately preceding the date 
of the enactment of this division; 
(2) the number of Department employees and contractors 
who are language instructors at the Foreign Service Institute, 
and a comparison of the instructor/student ratio in the language 
programs at the Foreign Service Institute disaggregated by 
language; 
(3) salaries for language instructors disaggregated by lan-
guage, employment/contractor status, and a comparison to sala-
ries for instructors teaching languages in comparable employ-
ment; 
(4) recruitment and retention plans for language instruc-
tors, disaggregated by language where necessary and prac-
ticable; 
(5) any plans to increase pass rates for languages with 
high failure rates; and 
(6) a list of all outside entities with which the Foreign 
Service Institute partners or contracts in order to hire or obtain 
foreign language instructors, including the duration of any 
relevant agreements, and an indication of how agreements are 
evaluated by the Department for potential renewal, where 
available. 
SEC. 6207. CONSIDERATION OF CAREER CIVIL SERVANTS AS CHIEFS 
OF MISSIONS. 
Section 304(b) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 
3944) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new para-
graph: