SEC. 6. CONSULAR AFFAIRS, TASK FORCES, AND REGULA-
TIONS. 
The Secretary of State shall direct the Assistant Sec-
retary of State for Consular Affairs to immediately— 
(1) provide United States embassies, consulates, 
and other diplomatic missions worldwide with ex-
plicit guidance to protect covered individuals and use 
innovative means to empower officers, specialists, 
and Locally Employed Staff employees to protect 
American lives during and immediately after the de-
clared COVID–19 pandemic period; 
(2) increase the staffing of Consular Affairs 
Task Force 2 in Washington, DC to ensure ade-
quate consular response and improved guidance 
from Washington, DC to embassies, consulates, and 
missions overseas, including— 
(A) augmentation of the Overseas Con-
sular Services (OCS) call center and activation 
of the National Passport Information Center 
(NPIC) and the National Visa Center (NVC) to 
immediately provide improved consular re-
sponses; and 
(B) direct public access to Task Force 2 
through the OCS call center; and 
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(3) notify Congress of any additional monetary 
or technical resources needed to carry out the ac-
tions described in this subsection. 
SEC. 7. PROTECTING RESPONDERS. 
Not later than 15 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report with a 
comprehensive plan for COVID–19 infection risk mitiga-
tion procedures for all persons under chief of mission au-
thority at overseas posts, including an assessment of avail-
ability and adequacy of personal protective equipment at 
United States embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic 
missions. 
SEC. 8. PROGRESS REPORTS; YEARLY REMOTE ACS DRILLS 
WORLDWIDE. 
(a) COMPREHENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannu-
ally until the Global Health Advisory of Level 4: Do 
Not Travel is rescinded by the Secretary of State, 
the Secretary shall provide a comprehensive progress 
report on the Bureau of Consular Affairs response 
to the COVID–19 pandemic to the appropriate con-
gressional committees, including issues such as, but 
not exclusively, assessment of consular system fail-
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ures due to lack of resources—personnel, technical, 
system design, or capacity—and resources needed to 
improve current and future performance of Amer-
ican Citizen Services during this and future global 
health crises. 
(2) FORM.—The report required under para-
graph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, 
but may include a classified annex. 
(b) ANNUAL WORLDWIDE REMOTE ACS DRILLS.— 
The Secretary of State shall direct the Assistant Secretary 
of State for Consular Affairs to direct an annual world-
wide consular test of remote processing (including a min-
imum 80-percent remote consular telework worldwide) and 
systems with reporting of outcomes to Congress within 90 
days after each test. The first test shall be held not later 
than 60 days after the Secretary of State rescinds the 
Global Health Advisory of Level 4: Do Not Travel. 
SEC. 9. FOREIGN SERVICE HIRING. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) there are no legal constraints preventing the 
Department of State and the United States Agency 
for 
International 
Development 
from 
virtual 
onboarding of new Foreign Service Officers and For-
eign Service Specialists; 
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(2) hiring of Foreign Service Officers (FSO) 
and Foreign Service Specialists (FSS) must con-
tinue, while taking all necessary steps to ensure per-
sonnel safety, at the same pace as determined prior 
to the COVID–19 pandemic; and 
(3) in-processing of classes of FSOs, FSSs, and 
Department fellows must resume immediately, re-
motely as necessary, with the goal of achieving 2020 
hiring targets and exceeding those targets as author-
ized under sections 7062 and 7063(d)(1) of the De-
partment of State, Foreign Operations, and Related 
Programs Appropriations Act, 2020 (division G of 
Public Law 116–94). 
(b) DELAYED FOREIGN SERVICE CLASSES.—The 
Secretary of State shall make immediate efforts to ensure 
individuals scheduled to enter the Foreign Service who 
have been affected by delays of the swearing-in and 
onboarding process during the COVID–19 pandemic are 
given the full opportunity to join the Foreign Service. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
report to Congress how the Department of State will, re-
motely as necessary, onboard FSO and FSS classes that 
were postponed indefinitely during the COVID–19 pan-
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demic after many were already issued orders and inbound 
to Washington, DC, or their training locations. 
(d) EXTENSION OF HIRING REGISTRY TIME LIM-
ITS.—To ensure a robust Foreign Service Officer and For-
eign Service Specialist staffing pipeline during the pan-
demic and more generally, the Secretary of State shall im-
mediately extend hiring registry time limits by the entirety 
of the declared COVID–19 pandemic period. 
Æ 
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