I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9729 
To require the Department of State to improve its emergency response system 
and planning. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 
Mr. CROW (for himself and Mr. MEEKS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To require the Department of State to improve its emergency 
response system and planning. 
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 ‘‘Overseas Crisis Re-
sponse Implementation System and Immediate Strategy 
Act’’ or ‘‘Overseas CRISIS Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY UNIT. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Department of State a Crisis Management and Strategy 
Unit, within the Operations Center of the Executive Secre-
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tariat of the Secretary of State. The Crisis Management 
and Strategy Unit shall be led by a senior official with 
significant experience in crisis management and response, 
who shall be so designated by the Secretary. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Crisis Management and Strategy 
Unit shall carry out activities such as the following: 
(1) Coordinate the Department’s overall re-
sponse to and management of international crises. 
(2) Serve as the focal point for the Secretary’s 
coordination with other United States Government 
agencies on matters concerning the response to and 
management of international crises, including non- 
combatant evacuation operations. 
(3) Coordinate with regional and other relevant 
bureaus within the Department on such crises and 
other matters relevant to crisis management and re-
sponse. 
(4) Undertake other duties, as determined by 
the Secretary, relevant to crisis management and re-
sponse. 
(c) FOREIGN AFFAIRS MANUAL.—Within 180 days 
of enactment of this Act, the Department shall publish 
information regarding the structure and duties of the Cri-
sis Management and Strategy Unit in the Foreign Affairs 
Manual and shall update this information as necessary. 
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SEC. 3. TABLETOP EXERCISES AND SIMULATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently 
than annually thereafter, the Secretary shall direct the rel-
evant offices of the Department to ensure a tabletop exer-
cise or simulation on international crises is conducted by 
the Department. The tabletop exercise or simulation 
should be conducted in the Washington, DC, metropolitan 
area. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The Secretary 
shall ensure that such exercises or simulations address the 
Department’s crisis response and evacuation require-
ments, and should include— 
(1) the necessary and appropriate information 
to outline the crisis management roles and respon-
sibilities of the Department’s senior leadership; 
(2) established Department crisis management 
structures for international crises; 
(3) required processes, personnel, and resources 
to conduct Noncombatant Evacuation Operations 
and civilian-led evacuations; and 
(4) all procedures relevant to the identification 
of, coordination with, and the provision of assistance 
to— 
(A) private United States citizens; 
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(B) United States Government employees 
and their dependents; 
(C) United States allies and partners; 
(D) local nationals who have assisted 
United States Government efforts; and 
(E) third-country nationals. 
(c) LEADERSHIP; PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary 
shall ensure that— 
(1) the Department’s Crisis Management and 
Strategy Unit established by section 2(a), the For-
eign Service Institute’s Leadership and Management 
School’s Crisis Management Training division, or 
other Department operating units, as determined to 
be appropriate by the Secretary, lead such exercises 
or simulations; and 
(2) such exercises or simulations include the 
participation of the Department’s relevant senior 
leadership and staff, including leadership and staff 
from regional and relevant functional bureaus. 
(d) CONSULTATION.—Such exercises or simulations 
may be conducted in consultation with— 
(1) the Department of Defense; 
(2) the Department of Homeland Security; 
(3) the United States Agency for International 
Development; and 
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(4) Other Federal agencies and State and local 
government entities. 
(e) PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary may, as con-
sistent with the national security interests of the United 
States, invite to participate in such exercises or simula-
tions— 
(1) foreign allies and partners; and 
(2) civil society and nongovernmental organiza-
tions, including those that have directly engaged in 
crisis response efforts in the past. 
(f) BRIEFING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (3), not later than 90 days after the comple-
tion of any tabletop exercise or simulation required 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall brief the 
appropriate congressional committees on the organi-
zation of the tabletop exercise or simulation. The 
briefing, or particular elements therein, may be pro-
vided in a classified format. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The briefing required under 
paragraph (1) should— 
(A) provide a description of the tabletop 
exercise or simulation; 
(B) identify, as appropriate, key partici-
pants in the tabletop exercise or simulation; 
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(C) include any deficiencies identified in 
prior tabletop exercise and plans to mitigate 
such deficiencies; 
(D) a summary of the supporting capabili-
ties, including infrastructure, prepositioned 
equipment and supplies, personnel and other 
supporting logistics capabilities, required to re-
spond to the simulated international crisis; and 
(E) such other information as determined 
necessary or appropriate by the Secretary. 
(3) NOTIFICATION IN LIEU OF BRIEFING.—Be-
ginning on the date that is 5 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, not 
later than 90 days after the completion of any table-
top exercise or simulation required under subsection 
(a), submit to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees a notice of such exercise or simulation which 
shall be in lieu of a briefing reviewing the tabletop 
exercise or simulation required under paragraph (1). 
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF STATE RESERVE CORPS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the nature of threats to national security 
and global stability has evolved in recent decades, 
and in the 21st century, the complexity of these 
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threats requires a diplomatic response that is quick, 
agile, and sustainable; 
(2) decades of United States engagement and 
leadership on the world stage built a workforce of 
expert national security and foreign policy profes-
sionals; and 
(3) to ensure the United States has the capac-
ity to quickly, agilely, and sustainably respond to fu-
ture emergency situations, it is important to lever-
age existing workforce expertise and establish a 
corps of experts who can deploy on short notice to 
posts experiencing crisis, including during times of 
conflict. 
(b) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary shall establish re-
serve corps, to be known as ‘‘Department of State Reserve 
Corps’’, to assist the Secretary, the Department, and the 
Foreign Service in the discharge of their responsibilities 
and functions as authorized by law through the mainte-
nance of a reserve of trained personnel available for active 
service when the Secretary, the Department, or the Serv-
ice so require. 
(c) EMPLOYEES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The head of the Department 
of State Reserve Corps may appoint in the civil serv-
ice, for a period up to 2 years, persons to positions 
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of employment with the Reserve Corps in such num-
bers and with such skills as may from time to time 
be required, without regard to the provisions of 
chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code (other than 
sections 3303 and 3328), governing appointments in 
the competitive service, and may fix the basic com-
pensation of such employees without regard to chap-
ter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such 
title. 
(2) COMPENSATION
AND
REAPPOINTMENT.— 
Notwithstanding section 5373 of title 5, United 
States Code, the Secretary may fix the basic com-
pensation of employees of the Department of State 
Reserve Corps with experience equivalent to Senior 
Executive Service, Senior Foreign Service, senior- 
level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) posi-
tions at a rate not to exceed level II of the Executive 
Schedule. The head of the Reserve Corps may re-
appoint such employees, for additional periods of up 
to 2 years, with no limit on the number of re-
appointments. 
(3) TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES.—When called 
to active service in the Department of State Reserve 
Corps, a member of the Reserve Corps shall be enti-
tled to the payment of transportation expenses and 
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per diem in accordance with the Federal Travel Reg-
ulation and subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
United States Code, for— 
(A) travel performed from the residence of 
the member at the time of activation to the 
place of duty; and 
(B) travel performed to the residence of 
the member upon return to an inactive status. 
(4) APPLICATION OF OTHER AUTHORITY.—All 
selections for positions of the Department of State 
Reserve Corps as described in this subsection shall 
be made subject to the provisions of chapter 23 of 
title 5, United States Code. 
(d) RETURN RIGHTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any person whose absence 
from a position of employment is necessitated by 
reason of service as an activated member of the De-
partment of State Reserve Corps shall be entitled to 
the reemployment rights and benefits and other em-
ployment benefits if— 
(A) the person (or an appropriate officer of 
the Reserve Corps in which such service is per-
formed) has given advance written or verbal no-
tice of such service to such person’s employer; 
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