ance with GAO’s ‘‘Standards for Internal Control in the 
Federal Government’’ that will be applicable to design and 
construction, lifecycle cost, and building maintenance pro-
grams of the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations of 
the Department. 
SEC. 212. COMPETITION IN EMBASSY CONSTRUCTION. 
Not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committee a report detailing steps the Depart-
ment is taking to expand the embassy construction con-
tractor base in order to increase competition and maximize 
value. 
SEC. 213. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States that the Bureau 
of Overseas Building Operations of the Department or its 
successor office shall continue to balance functionality and 
security with accessibility, as defined by guidelines estab-
lished by the United States Access Board in constructing 
embassies and consulates, and shall ensure compliance with 
the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et 
seq.) to the fullest extent possible. 
SEC. 214. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) DESIGN-BUILD.—The term ‘‘design-build’’ 
means a method of project delivery in which one enti-
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ty works under a single contract with the Department 
to provide design and construction services. 
(2) NON-STANDARD
DESIGN.—The term ‘‘non- 
standard design’’ means a design for a new embassy 
compound project or new consulate compound project 
that does not utilize a standardized design for the 
structural, spatial, or security requirements of such 
embassy compound or consulate compound, as the 
case may be. 
TITLE III—PERSONNEL ISSUES 
SEC. 301. DEFENSE BASE ACT INSURANCE WAIVERS. 
(a) APPLICATION FOR WAIVERS.—Not later than 30 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall apply to the Department of Labor for a waiver 
from insurance requirements under the Defense Base Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.) for all countries with respect to 
which the requirement was waived prior to January 2017, 
and for which there is not currently a waiver. 
(b) CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 45 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall certify to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees that the requirement in subsection (a) has been met. 
SEC. 302. STUDY ON FOREIGN SERVICE ALLOWANCES. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days after 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
report detailing an empirical analysis on the effect of 
overseas allowances on the foreign assignment of For-
eign Service officers (FSOs), to be conducted by a fed-
erally-funded research and development center with 
appropriate expertise in labor economics and mili-
tary compensation. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The analysis required under 
paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) identify all allowances paid to FSOs 
assigned permanently or on temporary duty to 
foreign areas; 
(B) examine the efficiency of the Foreign 
Service bidding system in determining foreign 
assignments; 
(C) examine the factors that incentivize 
FSOs to bid on particular assignments, includ-
ing danger levels and hardship conditions; 
(D) examine the Department’s strategy and 
process for incentivizing FSOs to bid on assign-
ments that are historically in lower demand, in-
cluding 
with 
monetary 
compensation, 
and 
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whether monetary compensation is necessary for 
assignments in higher demand; 
(E) make any relevant comparisons to mili-
tary compensation and allowances, noting which 
allowances are shared or based on the same regu-
lations; 
(F) recommend options for restructuring al-
lowances to improve the efficiency of the assign-
ments system and better align FSO incentives 
with the needs of the Foreign Service, including 
any cost savings associated with such restruc-
turing; 
(G) recommend any statutory changes nec-
essary to implement subparagraph (F), such as 
consolidating existing legal authorities for the 
provision of hardship and danger pay; and 
(H) detail any effects of recommendations 
made pursuant to subparagraphs (F) and (G) on 
other United States Government departments 
and agencies with civilian employees perma-
nently assigned or on temporary duty in foreign 
areas, following consultation with such depart-
ments and agencies. 
(b) BRIEFING REQUIREMENT.—Before initiating the 
analysis required under subsection (a)(1), and not later 
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than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall provide to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs in the House of Representatives a briefing on the im-
plementation of this section that includes the following: 
(1) The name of the federally-funded research 
and development center that will conduct such anal-
ysis. 
(2) The scope of such analysis and terms of ref-
erence for such analysis as specified between the De-
partment and such federally-funded research and de-
velopment center. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 
available to the federally-funded research and develop-
ment center carrying out the analysis required under 
subsection (a)(1) all necessary and relevant informa-
tion to allow such center to conduct such analysis in 
a quantitative and analytical manner, including his-
torical data on the number of bids for each foreign as-
signment and any survey data collected by the De-
partment from eligible bidders on their bid decision- 
making. 
(2) COOPERATION.—The Secretary shall work 
with the heads of other relevant United States Gov-
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ernment departments and agencies to ensure such de-
partments and agencies provide all necessary and rel-
evant information to the federally-funded research 
and development center carrying out the analysis re-
quired under subsection (a)(1). 
(d) INTERIM REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary 
shall require that the chief executive officer of the federally- 
funded research and development center that carries out the 
analysis required under subsection (a)(1) submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
an interim report on such analysis not later than 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 303. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FELLOWSHIPS. 
Section 504 of the Foreign Relations Authorization 
Act, Fiscal Year 1979 (22 U.S.C. 2656d) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS RE-
LATED TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FELLOWSHIP PRO-
GRAMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 
to make grants or enter into cooperative agreements 
related to Department of State science and technology 
fellowship programs, including for assistance in re-
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cruiting fellows and the payment of stipends, travel, 
and other appropriate expenses to fellows. 
‘‘(2) EXCLUSION FROM CONSIDERATION AS COM-
PENSATION.—Stipends under paragraph (1) shall not 
be considered compensation for purposes of section 
209 of title 18, United States Code. 
‘‘(3) MAXIMUM
ANNUAL
AMOUNT.—The total 
amount of grants made pursuant to this subsection 
may not exceed $500,000 in any fiscal year.’’. 
SEC. 304. TRAVEL FOR SEPARATED FAMILIES. 
Section 901(15) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
U.S.C. 4081(15)) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 
by striking ‘‘1 round-trip per year for each child 
below age 21 of a member of the Service assigned 
abroad’’ and inserting ‘‘in the case of one or more 
children below age 21 of a member of the Service as-
signed abroad, 1 round-trip per year’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘for each child’’ before ‘‘to 
visit the member abroad’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘; or’’ and inserting a 
comma; 
(3) in subparagraph (B)— 
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(A) by inserting ‘‘for each child’’ before ‘‘to 
visit the other parent’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘resides,’’; 
(4) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) for one of the child’s parents to visit 
the child or children abroad if the child or chil-
dren do not regularly reside with that parent 
and that parent is not receiving an education al-
lowance or educational travel allowance for the 
child or children under section 5924(4) of title 5, 
United States Code,’’; and 
(5) in the matter following subparagraph (C), as 
added by paragraph (4) of this section, by striking ‘‘a 
payment’’ and inserting ‘‘the cost of round-trip trav-
el’’. 
SEC. 305. HOME LEAVE TRAVEL FOR SEPARATED FAMILIES. 
Section 903(b) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
U.S.C. 4083(b)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new sentence: ‘‘In cases in which the family members 
of a member of the Service reside apart from the member 
at authorized locations outside the United States because 
they are prevented by official order from residing with the 
member at post, the member may take the leave ordered 
under this section where that member’s family members re-
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side, notwithstanding section 6305 of title 5, United States 
Code.’’. 
SEC. 306. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING CERTAIN FEL-
LOWSHIP PROGRAMS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) Department fellowships that promote the em-
ployment of candidates belonging to under-represented 
groups, including the Charles B. Rangel International 
Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program, the Thomas R. 
Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program, and 
the Donald M. Payne International Development Fel-
lowship Program, represent smart investments vital 
for building a strong, capable, and representative na-
tional security workforce; and 
(2) the Secretary of State and the Administrator 
of the United States Agency for International Devel-
opment should fulfill the terms of their fellowship 
agreements with each participant in the Fellowship 
Programs referred to in paragraph (1), as specified in 
the original contractual agreements with each such 
participant. 
SEC. 307. TECHNICAL CORRECTION. 
Subparagraph (A) of section 601(c)(6) of the Foreign 
Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4001(c)(6)) is amended, in 
the matter preceding clause (i), by— 
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(1) striking ‘‘promotion’’ and inserting ‘‘pro-
motion, on or after January 1, 2017,’’; and 
(2) striking ‘‘individual joining the Service on 
or after January 1, 2017,’’ and inserting ‘‘Foreign 
Service officer, appointed under section 302(a)(1), 
who has general responsibility for carrying out the 
functions of the Service’’. 
SEC. 308. FOREIGN SERVICE AWARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 614 of the Foreign Service 
Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4013) is amended— 
(1) by amending the section heading to read as 
follows: ‘‘DEPARTMENT AWARDS’’; and 
(2) in the first sentence, by inserting ‘‘or Civil 
Service’’ after ‘‘the Service’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The item relating to 
section 614 in the table of contents of the Foreign Service 
Act of 1980 is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘Sec. 614. Department awards.’’. 
SEC. 309. DIPLOMATIC PROGRAMS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON WORKFORCE RECRUIT-
MENT.—It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary should 
continue to hold entry-level classes for Foreign Service offi-
cers and specialists and continue to recruit civil servants 
through programs such as the Presidential Management 
Fellows Program and Pathways Internship Programs in a 
manner and at a frequency consistent with prior years and 
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