Department of State Student Internship Program Act
Bill: S.599 | Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. (D-NJ)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Department of State Student Internship Program Act
This bill requires the Department of State to establish the Department of State Student Internship Program to offer paid internship opportunities at the State Department to raise awareness of the role of diplomacy in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy.
Participants must be enrolled at an institution of higher education (IHE) and able to receive and hold an appropriate security clearance. The State Department must pay participating interns a specified amount, as well as provide housing and travel assistance. The State Department may also enter agreements with IHEs to ensure these internships satisfy criteria for the academic programs in which participants are enrolled.
Additionally, the State Department must transition all of its unpaid internship programs to internship programs that offer compensation.

To establish the Department of State Student Internship Program as a 
  paid internship program to provide students with the opportunity to 
 learn about a career in diplomacy and foreign affairs, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of State Student 
Internship Program Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall establish the 
Department of State Student Internship Program (in this section 
referred to as the ``Program'') to offer internship opportunities at 
the Department of State to eligible students to raise awareness of the 
essential role of diplomacy in the conduct of United States foreign 
policy and the realization of United States foreign policy objectives.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to participate in the Program, an 
applicant shall--
            (1) be enrolled, not less than half-time, at--
                    (A) an institution of higher education (as such 
                term is defined section 102 of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)); or
                    (B) an institution of higher education based 
                outside the United States, as determined by the 
                Secretary of State;
            (2) be able to receive and hold an appropriate security 
        clearance; and
            (3) satisfy such other criteria as established by the 
        Secretary.
    (c) Selection.--The Secretary of State shall establish selection 
criteria for students to be admitted into the Program that includes the 
following:
            (1) Demonstrable interest in a career in foreign affairs.
            (2) Academic performance.
            (3) Such other criteria as determined by the Secretary.
    (d) Outreach.--The Secretary of State shall advertise the Program 
widely, including on the internet, through the Department of State's 
Diplomats in Residence program, and through other outreach and 
recruiting initiatives targeting undergraduate and graduate students. 
The Secretary shall actively recruit people belonging to traditionally 
under represented groups, including by conducting targeted outreach at 
minority serving institutions (as such term is described in section 
371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)), to 
promote diversity, as defined in subsection (e).
    (e) Diversity.--The term ``diversity'' means those classes of 
persons protected under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a 
et seq.) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12101 et seq.).
    (f) Compensation.--
            (1) In general.--Students participating in the Program 
        shall be paid at least--
                    (A) the amount specified in section 6(a)(1) of the 
                Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)); 
                or
                    (B) the minimum wage of the jurisdiction in which 
                the internship is located, whichever is greatest.
            (2) Housing assistance.--
                    (A) Abroad.--The Secretary of State shall provide 
                housing to a student participating in the Program whose 
                permanent address is within the United States if the 
                location of the internship in which such student is 
                participating is outside the United States.
                    (B) Domestic.--The Secretary of State is authorized 
                to provide housing to a student participating in the 
                Program whose permanent address is within the United 
                States if the location of the internship in which such 
                student is participating is more than 50 miles away 
                from such student's permanent address.
            (3) Travel assistance.--The Secretary of State shall 
        provide a student participating in the Program whose permanent 
        address is within the United States financial assistance to 
        cover the costs of travel once to and once from the location of 
        the internship in which such student is participating, 
        including travel by air, train, bus, or other transit as 
        appropriate, if the location of such internship is--
                    (A) more than 50 miles from such student's 
                permanent address; or
                    (B) outside the United States.
    (g) Working With Institutions of Higher Education.--The Secretary 
of State is authorized to enter into agreements with institutions of 
higher education to structure internships to ensure such internships 
satisfy criteria for academic programs in which participants in such 
internships are enrolled.
    (h) Transition Period.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than three years after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
        transition all unpaid internship programs of the Department of 
        State, to the maximum extent practicable and excluding 
        internships not administered by the Department, to internship 
        programs that offer compensation, such as the Program and the 
        Foreign Service Internship Program.
            (2) Waiver authority.--The Secretary of State may waive the 
        transition requirement under paragraph (1) for a period of not 
        more than one year if the Secretary of State--
                    (A) determines that such a waiver is necessary; and
                    (B) submits to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
                of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
                the House of Representatives a report providing a 
                justification for such a waiver.
    (i) Reports.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that includes 
the following:
            (1) Information regarding the number of students, 
        disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, institution of higher 
        learning, home State, State where each student graduated from 
        high school, and disability status, who applied to the Program, 
        were offered a position, and participated.
            (2) Information on the number of security clearance 
        investigations started and the timeline for such 
        investigations, including whether such investigations were 
        completed or if, and when, an interim security clearance was 
        granted.
            (3) Information on expenditures on the Program.
            (4) Information regarding the Department of State's 
        compliance with subsection (g).
    (j) Voluntary Participation.--
            (1) In general.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
        to compel any student to participate in the collection of data 
        or divulge any personal information described in subsection 
        (h). Students shall be informed that their participation in the 
        data collection contemplated by this title is voluntary.
            (2) Privacy protection.--Any data collected under this 
        section shall be subject to the relevant privacy protection 
        statutes and regulations applicable to Federal employees.
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