I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6271 
To amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to require a period of service 
at an overseas post of at least four years, to amend title 10, United 
States Code, to require a tour of duty at defense attache´ offices of 
at least four years, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 
Mr. NUNES (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. KING of 
New York, Mr. POMPEO, Mr. TURNER, Mr. WENSTRUP, and Mr. WEST-
MORELAND) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Armed 
Services, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to require a 
period of service at an overseas post of at least four 
years, to amend title 10, United States Code, to require 
a tour of duty at defense attache´ offices of at least 
four years, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Foreign Service Opti-
mization Act of 2016’’. 
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SEC. 2. PERIOD OF OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENTS FOR CERTAIN 
FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 502 of 
the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3982) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graphs: 
‘‘(3)(A) In making assignments under paragraph (1), 
and in accordance, with section 903, and, if applicable, 
section 503, the Secretary shall assure that, except as pro-
vided in subparagraph (B), a member of the Service serves 
at a post for a period of not fewer than four consecutive 
years and not more than six consecutive years. 
‘‘(B) In the case of an unhealthful post (as such term 
is described in section 817), including war, armed conflict, 
civil strife, or similar hardship or other extreme condition, 
or in the case of a first tour of duty or, as determined 
by the Secretary, other exigent circumstance, the Sec-
retary may reduce the period of assignment specified in 
subparagraph (A) by issuing a written waiver. The Sec-
retary shall annually submit to Congress a report on any 
such reductions made pursuant to this subparagraph, in-
cluding an explanation of the reasons therefor. 
‘‘(4) In making assignments under paragraph (1), 
and in accordance with paragraph (3), the Secretary shall 
assure that members of the Service who have dem-
onstrated a useful knowledge of the principal languages 
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or dialects of the countries in which the posts are located 
to which such members are assigned, such members are 
assigned to two consecutive tours of duty.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (a) of 
section 903 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 
4083) is amended, in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘3 
years’’ and inserting ‘‘four years’’. 
(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of State shall pro-
mulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry out 
the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b). 
SEC. 3. TOUR OF DUTY OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
FORCES AND CIVILIANS ASSIGNED TO DE-
FENSE ATTACHE´ OFFICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 83 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1624. Tour of duty of members and civilians as-
signed to defense attache´ offices 
‘‘(a) MEMBERS.—The tour of duty of a member of 
the armed forces serving as a defense attache´ shall be not 
less than four years and not more than six years. 
‘‘(b) CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.—A civilian employee of 
the Defense Intelligence Agency assigned to a Defense 
Attache´ Office outside the United States shall be assigned 
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to such office for a period that is not less than four years 
and not more than six years. 
‘‘(c) WAIVER.—(1) The Secretary of Defense may 
issue a written waiver to reduce a tour of duty under sub-
section (a) or a period of assignment under subsection (b) 
if— 
‘‘(A) the tour of duty or assignment is at a lo-
cation the Secretary of State has determined is an 
unhealthful post (as such term is described in sec-
tion 817 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
U.S.C. 4057)), including by reason of war, armed 
conflict, civil strife, or similar hardship or other ex-
treme condition; 
‘‘(B) such tour of duty is the first tour of duty 
of a member serving a defense attache´ or such pe-
riod of assignment is the first period of assignment 
of a civilian employee of the Defense Intelligence 
Agency assigned to a Defense Attache´ Office outside 
the United States, as the case may be; or 
‘‘(C) the Secretary of Defense otherwise deter-
mines the waiver appropriate for exigent cir-
cumstances. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall annually submit to Congress 
a report on any waivers issued pursuant to paragraph (1), 
including an explanation of the reasons therefor. 
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‘‘(d) CONSECUTIVE TOURS.—If a member of the 
armed forces serving as a defense attache´ or a civilian em-
ployee of the Defense Intelligence Agency assigned to a 
Defense Attache´ Office outside the United States dem-
onstrates a useful knowledge of the principal language or 
dialect of the country in which the Defense Attache´ Office 
is located to which such member or employee is assigned, 
the Secretary may assign the member or the employee, 
as the case may be, to two consecutive tours of duty at 
the Defense Attache´ Office.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 1623 the following new 
item: 
‘‘1624. Tour of duty of members and civilians assigned to defense attache´ of-
fices.’’. 
Æ 
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