A bill to address the importance of foreign affairs training in national security, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.3492 | Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. (D-MD)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This bill makes changes to the Foreign Service Institute and addresses other issues related to training Foreign Service and Department of State Civil Service personnel.
The bill establishes within the institute (1) the Board of Visitors, which shall provide the State Department with advice and recommendations pertaining to the institute; and (2) the position of provost, which shall have duties such as overseeing and coordinating the institute's academic curriculum.
The State Department may establish and implement an incentive program to encourage Foreign Service members with critical foreign language skills to maintain such skills.
The bill also requires the State Department to expand its professional development and training, including by increasing offerings at partner organizations and offering courses using computer-based or computer-assisted simulations.
The Foreign Service must (1) establish new fellowship programs for Foreign Service and Civil Service officers that include opportunities in certain organizations, such as think tanks and industry entities; and (2) report to Congress on how to expand certain existing fellowship programs to allow fellows in those programs to undertake follow-on State Department opportunities that will benefit from practical knowledge of the people and processes of Congress.
The State Department must report to Congress on (1) offering certain training and professional development opportunities to congressional staff at State Department facilities, (2) a strategy for adapting and evolving training requirements to better meet current and future needs for 21st century diplomacy, and (3) a strategy for broadening and deepening training at the State Department.

To address the importance of foreign affairs training to national 
                   security, and for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    It is the sense of Congress that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the Department of State is a crucial national 
        security agency, whose employees, both Foreign Service and 
        Civil Service, require the best possible training at every 
        stage of their careers to prepare them to promote and defend 
        United States national interests and the health and safety of 
        United States citizens abroad;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the investment of time and resources by the 
        Department with respect to the training and education of its 
        personnel is considerably below the level of other Federal 
        departments and agencies in the national security field, and 
        falls well below the investments many allied and adversarial 
        countries make in the development of their diplomats;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the Department faces increasingly complex and 
        rapidly evolving challenges, many of which are science and 
        technology-driven, and which demand continual, high-quality 
        training and education of its personnel;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the Department must move beyond reliance on 
        ``on-the-job training'' and other informal mentorship 
        practices, which lead to an inequality in skillset development 
        and career advancement opportunities, often particularly for 
        minority personnel, and toward a robust professional tradecraft 
        training continuum that will provide for greater equality in 
        career advancement;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the Department must clearly link training to 
        promotional opportunities, requiring officers to take certain 
        classes at institutions of the Department (or equivalent 
        courses at other institutions) at specific phases throughout 
        their careers and to participate in fellowship programs that 
        expose diplomats to other agencies, organizations, and 
        cultures;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) the Foreign Service Institute and other 
        training facilities of the Department should seek to increase 
        substantially educational and training offerings to Department 
        personnel, including by developing new and innovative education 
        and training courses, methods, programs, and opportunities; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) consistent with gift acceptance authority of 
        the Department and other applicable laws in effect as of the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Department and the 
        Foreign Service Institute should accept funds and other 
        resources from foundations, not-for-profit corporations, and 
        other appropriate sources to help the Department and the 
        Institute enhance the quantity and quality of training 
        offerings, especially in the introduction of new, innovative, 
        and pilot model courses.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL 
              COMMITTEES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional 
committees'' means--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
        Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
        Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
        Representatives.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. TRAINING FLOAT STRATEGY.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy to 
establish a ``training float'' to allow for a minimum of 10 percent and 
up to 15 percent of officers of the Civil Service of the Department of 
State and the Foreign Service to participate in long-term training at 
any given time.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Identification of Steps.--The strategy required by 
subsection (a) shall identify steps necessary to ensure--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) implementation of the training priorities 
        described in section 4;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) sufficient training capacity and opportunities 
        are available to Civil Service and Foreign Service 
        officers;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the use of mechanisms to ensure equitable 
        distribution of long-term training opportunities to Civil 
        Service and Foreign Service officers; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the availability of resources and any 
        additional authorities necessary to facilitate the training 
        float described in subsection (a), including through programs 
        at the Foreign Service Institute, the Foreign Affairs Security 
        Training Center, and other facilities or programs operated by 
        the Department.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Identification of Training.--The strategy required by 
subsection (a) shall identify--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) which types of training would be prioritized 
        under the training float;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the extent to which such training is already 
        being provided to Civil Service and Foreign Service officers by 
        the Department;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) any factors in existence as of the date on 
        which the strategy is submitted that incentivize or 
        disincentive such training; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) why such training cannot be achieved without 
        Foreign Service officers leaving the workforce.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Considerations.--In developing the strategy required 
by subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall consider, in addition 
to training opportunities provided by the Department, training that 
could be provided by other United States Government training 
institutions and nongovernmental educational institutions.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. TRAINING PRIORITIZATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In order to provide the Civil Service of the Department of 
State and the Foreign Service with the level of education and training 
needed to effectively advance United States interests across the world, 
the Secretary of State shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) increase offerings provided by the 
        Department--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) of interactive virtual instruction to 
                make training more accessible and useful to personnel 
                deployed throughout the world; or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) at partner organizations, including 
                universities, industry entities, and nongovernmental 
                organizations, throughout the United States to provide 
                useful outside perspectives to Department personnel to 
                provide such personnel--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) a more comprehensive outlook 
                        on different sectors of United States society; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) practical experience dealing 
                        with commercial corporations, universities, 
                        labor unions, and other institutions critical 
                        to United States diplomatic success;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) offer courses using computer-based or 
        computer-assisted simulations, allowing civilian officers to 
        lead decision making in a crisis environment, and encourage 
        officers of the Department of State and reciprocally officers 
        of other Departments to participate in similar exercises held 
        by the Department of State or other government organizations 
        and the private sector; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) increase the duration and expand the focus of 
        certain training courses, including by--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) extending the A-100 entry-level course 
                to not less than 12 weeks, better matching the length 
                of entry-level training provided to the officers in 
                other national security departments and agencies; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) extending the chief of mission course 
                to not less than 6 weeks for first time chiefs of 
                mission and creating a comparable 6-week course for new 
                Assistant Secretaries and Deputy Assistant Secretaries 
                to more accurately reflect the significant 
                responsibilities accompanying such roles.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. FELLOWSHIPS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    The Director General of the Foreign Service shall--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) establish new fellowship programs for Foreign 
        Service and Civil Service officers that include short- and 
        long-term opportunities at organizations including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) think tanks and nongovernmental 
                organizations;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the Department of Defense, the 
                elements of the intelligence community (as defined in 
                section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 
                U.S.C. 3003)), and other relevant Federal 
                agencies;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) industry entities, especially such 
                entities related to technology, global operations, 
                finance, and other fields directly relevant to 
                international affairs; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) schools of international relations and 
                other relevant programs at universities throughout the 
                United States; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) expand the Pearson Fellows Program for Foreign 
        Service Officers and the Brookings Fellow Program for Civil 
        Servants at the Department of State to allow fellows in those 
        programs the opportunity to undertake a follow-on assignment 
        within the Department in an office that will benefit from 
        practical knowledge of the people and processes of 
        Congress.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. CENTER FOR INNOVATION IN TRAINING AT THE FOREIGN 
              SERVICE INSTITUTE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall establish 
a center to be known as the ``Center for Innovation in Training'' (in 
this section referred to as the ``Center'').</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center shall be to allow 
the Foreign Service Institute to cyclically evaluate all courses and 
curriculum of the Institute in order to identify updates to such 
courses and curriculum necessary to meet the frequent changes in 
skillsets needed by officers to aptly prepare them to address ever-
changing global dynamics.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Supervision.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Center shall be led by an 
        official equivalent to the level of a Deputy Assistant 
        Secretary of State, who shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
        State.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Terms.--The official described in paragraph 
        (1) shall serve for a term of at least 2 years and may be 
        reappointed for 1 or more additional 2-year terms.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Qualifications.--The official described in 
        paragraph (1) shall be appointed from among individuals with 
        experience in technology, innovation, human capital, metrics, 
        and evaluation of adult learning.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Hiring authorities.--The official described in 
        paragraph (1) shall be--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) a highly qualified expert appointed by 
                the Secretary;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) an individual detailed to the 
                Department under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 
                1970 (42 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.); or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) an individual hired under a 
                specialized hiring authority equivalent to the 
                authorities described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), as 
                determined by the Secretary.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 7. BOARD OF VISITORS OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE 
              INSTITUTE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish a 
Board of Visitors of the Foreign Service Institute.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Duties.--The Board of Visitors established under 
subsection (a) shall provide the Secretary of State with independent 
advice and recommendations on organizational management, strategic 
planning, resource management, curriculum development, and other 
matters of interest to the Foreign Service Institute.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Membership.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Board shall be--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) nonpartisan; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) composed of 12 members of whom--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) 2 shall be appointed by the 
                        Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign 
                        Relations of the Senate;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) 2 shall be appointed by the 
                        Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign 
                        Relations of the Senate;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) 2 shall be appointed by the 
                        Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
                        of the House of Representatives;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) 2 shall be appointed by the 
                        Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign 
                        Affairs of the House of Representatives; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (v) 4 shall be appointed by the 
                        Secretary of State.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Qualifications.--Members of the Board shall be 
        appointed from among individuals who are not officers or 
        employees of the Federal Government and are eminent authorities 
        in the fields of diplomacy, management, leadership, technology, 
        and advanced international relations education.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Outside expertise.--Not fewer than \1/2\ of 
        the members of the Board shall have a minimum of 10 years of 
        expertise outside the field of diplomacy.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Terms.--A member of the Board shall be appointed for a 
term of 3 years, except that of the members first appointed--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) \1/3\ shall be appointed for a term of 3 
        years;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) \1/3\ shall be appointed for a term of 2 
        years; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) \1/3\ shall be appointed for a term of 1 
        year.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Reappointment; Replacement.--A member of the Board may 
be reappointed or replaced at the discretion of the official who made 
the original appointment.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Chairperson; Co-Chairperson.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Approval.--The Chairperson and Co-Chairperson 
        of the Board shall be approved by the Secretary of State based 
        upon a recommendation from the members of the Board.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Service.--The Chairperson and Co-Chairperson 
        shall serve at the discretion of the Secretary.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Meetings.--The Board shall meet--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) at the call of the Chief Learning Officer 
        appointed under section 11 in consultation with the Director of 
        the Foreign Service Institute and the Chairperson; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) not fewer than 2 times per year.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (h) Compensation.--A member of the Board shall serve 
without compensation, except a member of the Board shall be allowed 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in the performance of services for the Board. 
Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the 
Secretary of State may accept the voluntary and uncompensated services 
of members of the Board.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (i) Applicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the Board 
established under this section.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 8. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROVOST OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE 
              INSTITUTE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Foreign 
Service Institute the position of Provost.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Appointment; Reporting.--The Provost shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) be appointed by the Board of Visitors of the 
        Foreign Service Institute of the Department of State 
        established under section 7; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) report to the Director of the Foreign Service 
        Institute.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Duties.--The Provost shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) oversee, review, evaluate, and coordinate the 
        academic curriculum for all courses taught and administered by 
        the Foreign Service Institute;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) coordinate the implementation of a letter or 
        numerical grading system for the performance of Foreign Service 
        officers in courses of the Foreign Service Institute; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) report not less frequently than quarterly to 
        the Board of Visitors on curriculum developments and the 
        performance of Foreign Service officers.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Term.--The Provost shall serve for a term of not fewer 
than 5 years and may be reappointed for 1 additional term.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Compensation.--The Provost shall receive a salary 
commensurate with the rank and experience of a member of the Senior 
Foreign Service or the Senior Executive Service, as determined by the 
Board of Visitors.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 9. OTHER AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR 
              CONGRESSIONAL STAFF.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Other Agencies.--National security agencies other than 
the Department of State should increase the enrollment of their 
personnel in courses at the Foreign Service Institute and other 
training facilities of the Department to promote a whole-of-government 
approach to mitigating national security challenges.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Congressional Staff.--The Secretary of State shall 
budget for and offer opportunities for congressional staff to 
participate in education and training through the Foreign Service 
Institute.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 10. STRATEGY FOR RESIDENTIAL TRAINING.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for 
establishing residential training for the A-100 orientation course 
administered by the Foreign Service Institute.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Strategy Development.--In developing the strategy, the 
Secretary of State shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) work with other national security departments 
        and agencies that employ residential training for their 
        orientation course; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) consider using the Foreign Affairs Security 
        Training Center in Blackstone, Virginia, a facility of the 
        Department of State.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 11. ESTABLISHMENT OF CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER 
              POSITION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department 
of State the position of Chief Learning Officer of the 
Department.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Appointment; Reporting.--The Chief Learning Officer 
shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) be appointed by the Secretary of State; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) report to the Secretary.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Duties.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Principal advisor.--The Chief Learning Officer 
        shall be the principal advisor to the Secretary of State and 
        the Deputy Secretaries of State on the intellectual preparation 
        and development of the entire workforce of the Department for 
        21st century diplomacy, including all matters related to the 
        educational and training strategies, policies, plans, 
        activities, resources, personnel, and budget of the 
        Department.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Oversight.--The Chief Learning Officer shall 
        oversee--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the Foreign Service 
                Institute;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the executive fellowship programs of 
                the Department;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) all rotations and exchanges of 
                personnel of the Department; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) any educational components established 
                by the Department.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Responsibilities.--The Chief Learning Officer 
        shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) serve as the Executive for Education 
                and Training of the Department;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) be responsible for education 
                management, policy, facilities, and oversight on all 
                educational matters of the Department;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) advise the Secretary, the Deputy 
                Secretary of State, and all Under Secretaries of State 
                and the staffs of such officials on all educational and 
                training matters, and all matters pertaining to human 
                capital, including recruitment, retention, promotion, 
                supervision, and assignments;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) develop and execute a comprehensive 
                education and training strategy for the 
                Department;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) represent the Secretary and the Deputy 
                Secretary during the budget formulation process for all 
                education and related matters;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) formulate regulations, policies, 
                strategies, and guidance of the Department for 
                diplomatic education and training;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) oversee the Foreign Service Institute 
                and the personnel, resources, and facilities of the 
                Institute, including by establishing an independent 
                Board of Overseers of the Foreign Service Institute, 
                appointing the members of the Board, and serving as an 
                ex officio member of the Board;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (H) provide the Secretary and the Deputy 
                Secretary with proposed language for use in promotion 
                policies of the Department, including setting 
                education, professional development, and leadership 
                development attainment and performance standards to be 
                required or preferred for promotion;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (I) establish and chair a Secretary's 
                Management Council to coordinate and enforce policies 
                relating to education and training and promotion, 
                supervision, and assignments, the members of which 
                shall be selected by the Secretary and include the 
                Under Secretary of State for Administration and the 
                Director General for Global Talent Management, among 
                others;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (J) serve as the liaison of the Department 
                to academia, learning enterprises within the United 
                States Government, and the education and learning 
                sectors of the private sector, and establish 
                partnerships and agreements for educational exchanges 
                and experiential learning assignments;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (K) modify academic curricula, academic 
                research programs, and faculty-hiring policies, and 
                make key personnel decisions, as required;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (L) conduct or direct assessments of the 
                education and training system of the Department to 
                determine the quality and relevance of academic 
                programs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (M) establish the academic standards for 
                selection and performance of faculty and students 
                within the Department;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (N) exercise decision authority on all 
                additional matters designated by the Secretary and 
                Deputy Secretary; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (O) designate an individual to be 
                responsible for learning and training at every bureau 
                of the Department and United States embassy, and 
                organize those individuals into a network to 
                collaborate on training and education activities 
                developing in the field.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Term.--The Chief Learning Officer shall serve for a 
term of not fewer than 3 years, and may be reappointed for 2 additional 
terms.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Compensation.--The rate of basic pay for the Chief 
Learning Officer shall be the greater of--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the highest rate of basic pay payable for a 
        noncareer appointee (as defined in section 3132(a) of title 5, 
        United States Code); or</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the rate of basic pay payable for a highly 
        qualified expert, as determined by the Secretary of State, in a 
        position at level III of the Executive Schedule.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 12. REPORT AND BRIEFING REQUIREMENTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report that includes--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the strategy developed by the Chief Learning 
        Officer under section 11(c)(3)(D);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the process used to implement the strategy 
        throughout the Department; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the results and impact of the strategy on the 
        workforce of the Department, particularly the relationship 
        between training and promotions for Department personnel, and 
        including the measurement and evaluation methods 
        used.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Briefing.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
which the Secretary of State submits the report required by subsection 
(a), and annually thereafter for 2 years, the Secretary shall provide 
to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the 
information required to be included in the report.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Department of State is a crucial national security 
        agency, whose employees, both Foreign Service and Civil 
        Service, require the best possible training and professional 
        development at every stage of their careers to prepare them to 
        promote and defend United States national interests and the 
        health and safety of United States citizens abroad;
            (2) the Department faces increasingly complex and rapidly 
        evolving challenges, many of which are science and technology-
        driven, and which demand continual, high-quality training and 
        professional development of its personnel;
            (3) the new and evolving challenges of national security in 
        the 21st century necessitates the expansion of standardized 
        training and professional development opportunities linked to 
        equitable, accountable, and transparent promotion and 
        leadership practices for Department of State and other national 
        security agency personnel; and
            (4) consistent with gift acceptance authority of the 
        Department and other applicable laws in effect as of the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Department and the Foreign 
        Service Institute may accept funds and other resources from 
        foundations, not-for-profit corporations, and other appropriate 
        sources to help the Department and the Institute enhance the 
        quantity and quality of training and professional development 
        offerings, especially in the introduction of new, innovative, 
        and pilot model courses.

SEC. 2. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 3. TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIZATION.

    In order to provide the Civil Service of the Department of State 
and the Foreign Service with the level of professional development and 
training needed to effectively advance United States interests across 
the world, the Secretary of State shall--
            (1) increase relevant offerings provided by the 
        Department--
                    (A) of interactive virtual instruction to make 
                training and professional development more accessible 
                and useful to personnel deployed throughout the world; 
                or
                    (B) at partner organizations, including 
                universities, industry entities, and nongovernmental 
                organizations, throughout the United States to provide 
                useful outside perspectives to Department personnel to 
                provide such personnel--
                            (i) a more comprehensive outlook on 
                        different sectors of United States society; and
                            (ii) practical experience dealing with 
                        commercial corporations, universities, labor 
                        unions, and other institutions critical to 
                        United States diplomatic success;
            (2) offer courses using computer-based or computer-assisted 
        simulations, allowing civilian officers to lead decision-making 
        in a crisis environment, and encourage officers of the 
        Department of State and reciprocally officers of other 
        Departments to participate in similar exercises held by the 
        Department of State or other government organizations and the 
        private sector; and
            (3) increase the duration and expand the focus of certain 
        training and professional development courses, including by--
                    (A) extending the A-100 entry-level course to not 
                less than 12 weeks, better matching the length of 
                entry-level training and professional development 
                provided to the officers in other national security 
                departments and agencies; and
                    (B) extending the chief of mission course to not 
                less than 6 weeks for first time chiefs of mission and 
                creating a comparable 6-week course for new Assistant 
                Secretaries and Deputy Assistant Secretaries to more 
                accurately reflect the significant responsibilities 
                accompanying such roles.

SEC. 4. FELLOWSHIPS.

    The Director General of the Foreign Service shall--
            (1) establish new fellowship programs for Foreign Service 
        and Civil Service officers that include short- and long-term 
        opportunities at organizations, including--
                    (A) think tanks and nongovernmental organizations;
                    (B) the Department of Defense, the elements of the 
                intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the 
                National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003)), and 
                other relevant Federal agencies;
                    (C) industry entities, especially such entities 
                related to technology, global operations, finance, and 
                other fields directly relevant to international 
                affairs; and
                    (D) schools of international relations and other 
                relevant programs at universities throughout the United 
                States; and
            (2) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, provide Congress with a report on how the 
        Department could expand the Pearson Fellows Program for Foreign 
        Service Officers and the Brookings Fellow Program for Civil 
        Servants at the Department of State to allow fellows in those 
        programs the opportunity to undertake a follow-on assignment 
        within the Department in an office that will benefit from 
        practical knowledge of the people and processes of Congress, 
        including offices other than the Legislative Affairs Bureau 
        (H), including--
                    (A) an assessment of the current state of 
                congressional fellowships, including the demand for 
                fellowships and the value the fellowships provide to 
                both the career of the officer and to the Department; 
                and
                    (B) an assessment of the options for making 
                congressional fellowships for both the Foreign and 
                Civil Services more career-enhancing.

SEC. 5. BOARD OF VISITORS OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish a Board 
of Visitors of the Foreign Service Institute.
    (b) Duties.--The Board of Visitors established under subsection (a) 
shall provide the Secretary of State with independent advice and 
recommendations on organizational management, strategic planning, 
resource management, curriculum development, and other matters of 
interest to the Foreign Service Institute, including regular 
observations about how well the Department is integrating training and 
professional development into the work of the bureau for Global Talent 
Management (GTM).
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Board shall be--
                    (A) nonpartisan; and
                    (B) composed of 12 members of whom--
                            (i) 2 shall be appointed by the Chairperson 
                        of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                        Senate;
                            (ii) 2 shall be appointed by the Ranking 
                        Member of the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
                        the Senate;
                            (iii) 2 shall be appointed by the 
                        Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
                        of the House of Representatives;
                            (iv) 2 shall be appointed by the Ranking 
                        Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
                        the House of Representatives; and
                            (v) 4 shall be appointed by the Secretary 
                        of State.
            (2) Qualifications.--Members of the Board shall be 
        appointed from among individuals who are not officers or 
        employees of the Federal Government, who have never been 
        members of the Senior Foreign Service or the Senior Executive 
        Service, and are eminent authorities in the fields of 
        diplomacy, management, leadership, economics, trade, 
        technology, and advanced international relations education.
            (3) Outside expertise.--Not fewer than 6 members of the 
        Board shall have a minimum of 10 years of expertise outside the 
        field of diplomacy.
    (d) Terms.--A member of the Board shall be appointed for a term of 
3 years, except that of the members first appointed--
            (1) 4 shall be appointed for a term of 3 years;
            (2) 4 shall be appointed for a term of 2 years; and
            (3) 4 shall be appointed for a term of 1 year.
    (e) Reappointment; Replacement.--A member of the Board may be 
reappointed or replaced at the discretion of the official who made the 
original appointment.
    (f) Chairperson; Co-Chairperson.--
            (1) Approval.--The Chairperson and Co-Chairperson of the 
        Board shall be approved by the Secretary of State based upon a 
        recommendation from the members of the Board.
            (2) Service.--The Chairperson and Co-Chairperson shall 
        serve at the discretion of the Secretary.
    (g) Meetings.--The Board shall meet--
            (1) at the call of the Director of the Foreign Service 
        Institute and the Chairperson; and
            (2) not fewer than 2 times per year.
    (h) Compensation.--A member of the Board shall serve without 
compensation, except a member of the Board shall be allowed travel 
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in the performance of services for the Board. 
Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the 
Secretary of State may accept the voluntary and uncompensated services 
of members of the Board.
    (i) Applicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the Board 
established under this section.

SEC. 6. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROVOST OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Foreign Service 
Institute the position of Provost.
    (b) Appointment; Reporting.--The Provost shall--
            (1) be appointed by the Board of Visitors of the Foreign 
        Service Institute of the Department of State established under 
        section 5; and
            (2) report to the Director of the Foreign Service 
        Institute.
    (c) Qualifications.--The Provost--
            (1) may not be an individual who is an officer or employee 
        of the Federal Government or who has ever been a career member 
        of the Senior Foreign Service or the Senior Executive Service; 
        and
            (2) shall be an eminent authority in the fields of 
        diplomacy, education, management, leadership, economics, 
        history, trade, or technology.
    (d) Duties.--The Provost shall--
            (1) oversee, review, evaluate, and coordinate the academic 
        curriculum for all courses taught and administered by the 
        Foreign Service Institute;
            (2) coordinate the implementation of a letter or numerical 
        grading system for the performance of Foreign Service officers 
        in courses of the Foreign Service Institute; and
            (3) report not less frequently than quarterly to the Board 
        of Visitors on curriculum developments and the performance of 
        Foreign Service officers.
    (e) Term.--The Provost shall serve for a term of not fewer than 5 
years and may be reappointed for 1 additional term.
    (f) Compensation.--The Provost shall receive a salary commensurate 
with the rank and experience of a member of the Senior Foreign Service 
or the Senior Executive Service, as determined by the Board of 
Visitors.

SEC. 7. OTHER AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR 
              CONGRESSIONAL STAFF.

    (a) Other Agencies.--National security agencies other than the 
Department of State should be afforded the ability to increase the 
enrollment of their personnel in courses at the Foreign Service 
Institute and other training and professional development facilities of 
the Department to promote a whole-of-government approach to mitigating 
national security challenges.
    (b) Congressional Staff.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall provide the 
appropriate congressional committees with a report on offering training 
and professional development opportunities at the Foreign Service 
Institute and other such Department of State facilities for 
congressional staff, to include budget impacts and potential course 
offerings.

SEC. 8. STRATEGY FOR ADAPTING TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR MODERN 
              DIPLOMATIC NEEDS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for how to adapt 
and evolve training requirements to better meet the Department's 
current and future needs for 21st century diplomacy.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall 
include the following elements:
            (1) Integrating training requirements into the Department 
        of State's promotion policies, including establishing 
        educational and professional development standards for training 
        and attainment to be used as a part of tenure and promotion 
        guidelines.
            (2) Addressing multiple existing and emerging national 
        security challenges, including--
                    (A) democratic backsliding and authoritarianism;
                    (B) countering, and assisting United States allies 
                to address, state-sponsored disinformation, including 
                through the Global Engagement Center;
                    (C) cyber threats;
                    (D) aggression and malign influence;
                    (E) the implications of climate change for United 
                States diplomacy; and
                    (F) nuclear threats.
            (3) Establishing residential training for the A-100 
        orientation course administered by the Foreign Service 
        Institute, and evaluating the feasibility of residential 
        training for long-term training opportunities.
    (c) Utilization of Existing Resources.--In establishing the 
residential training program pursuant to subsection (a)(3), the 
Secretary of State shall work with other national security departments 
and agencies that employ residential training for their orientation 
course and consider using the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center 
in Blackstone, Virginia, a facility of the Department of State.

SEC. 9. REPORT AND BRIEFING REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report that includes--
            (1) a strategy for broadening and deepening professional 
        development and training at the Department, including assessing 
        current and future needs for 21st century diplomacy;
            (2) the process used and resources needed to implement the 
        strategy throughout the Department; and
            (3) the results and impact of the strategy on the workforce 
        of the Department, particularly the relationship between 
        professional development and training and promotions for 
        Department personnel, and including the measurement and 
        evaluation methods used.
    (b) Briefing.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
Secretary of State submits the report required by subsection (a), and 
annually thereafter for 2 years, the Secretary shall provide to the 
appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the information 
required to be included in the report.

SEC. 10. FOREIGN LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE INCENTIVE PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization.--The Secretary of State is authorized to 
establish and implement an incentive program to encourage members of 
the Foreign Service who possess language proficiency in any of the 
languages that qualify for bonus points, as determined by the 
Secretary, to maintain critical foreign language skills.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the 
appropriate congressional committees that includes a detailed plan for 
implementing the program authorized under subsection (a), including 
anticipated resource requirements.

SEC. 11. DEPARTMENT OF STATE WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that informed, 
data-driven, and long-term workforce management, including with respect 
to the Foreign Service, Civil Service, locally employed staff, and 
contractors, is needed to align diplomatic priorities with the 
appropriate personnel and resources.
    (b) Annual Workforce Report.--
            (1) In general.--In order to understand the Department of 
        State's long-term trends with respect to its workforce, the 
        Secretary of State shall, with input from relevant bureaus and 
        offices, including the Bureau of Global Talent Management, the 
        Bureau of Consular Affairs, and the Center for Analytics, 
        submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
        that details the Department of State's workforce, disaggregated 
        by Foreign Service, Civil Service, locally employed staff, and 
        contractors--
                    (A) the number of personnel who were hired;
                    (B) the number of personnel whose employment or 
                contract was terminated or voluntarily left the 
                Department;
                    (C) the number of personnel who were promoted, 
                including the grade to which they were promoted;
                    (D) the demographic breakdown of personnel; and
                    (E) the distribution of the Department of State's 
                workforce based on domestic and overseas assignments, 
                including a breakdown of the number of personnel in 
                geographic and functional bureaus, and the number of 
                personnel in overseas missions by region.
            (2) Initial report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
        submit the report described in paragraph (1) for each fiscal 
        year from fiscal years 2002 through 2022.
            (3) Recurring report.--Not later than December 31, 2023, 
        and annually thereafter for 9 years, the Secretary of State 
        shall submit the report described in paragraph (1) for the 
        prior fiscal year.
            (4) Use of report data.--The data in the reports required 
        under this subsection shall be used by Congress, in 
        coordination with the Secretary of State, to inform 
        recommendations on the appropriate size and composition of the 
        Department of State.

SEC. 12. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FILLING THE POSITION OF 
              UNDERSECRETARY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

    It is the sense of Congress that since a vacancy in the position of 
Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs is detrimental 
to the national security interests of the United States, the President 
should expeditiously nominate a qualified individual to such position 
whenever such vacancy occurs to ensure that the bureaus reporting to 
such position are able to fulfill their mission of--
            (1) expanding and strengthening relationships between the 
        people of the United States and citizens of other countries; 
        and
            (2) engaging, informing, and understanding the perspectives 
        of foreign audiences.

SEC. 13. REPORT ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees that includes--
            (1) an evaluation of the May 2019 merger of the Bureau of 
        Public Affairs and the Bureau of International Information 
        Programs into the Bureau of Global Public Affairs with respect 
        to--
                    (A) the efficacy of the current bureau 
                configuration of the bureaus reporting to the Under 
                Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in 
                achieving the mission of the Department of State;
                    (B) the metrics before and after such merger, 
                including personnel data, disaggregated by positions 
                and location, content production, opinion polling, 
                program evaluations, and media appearances;
                    (C) the results of a survey of public diplomacy 
                practitioners to determine their opinion of the 
                efficacy of such merger and any adjustments that still 
                need to be made;
                    (D) a plan for evaluating and monitoring, not less 
                frequently than once every 2 years, the programs, 
                activities, messaging, professional development 
                efforts, and structure of the Bureau of Global Public 
                Affairs, and submitting a summary of each such 
                evaluation to the appropriate congressional committees; 
                and
            (2) a review of recent outside recommendations for 
        modernizing diplomacy at the Department of State with respect 
        to public diplomacy efforts, including--
                    (A) efforts in each of the bureaus reporting to the 
                Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs 
                to address issues of diversity and inclusion in their 
                work, structure, data collection, programming, and 
                personnel, including any collaboration with the Chief 
                Officer for Diversity and Inclusion;
                    (B) proposals to collaborate with think tanks and 
                academic institutions working on public diplomacy 
                issues to implement recent outside recommendations; and
                    (C) additional authorizations and appropriations 
                necessary to implement such recommendations.
                                                       Calendar No. 319

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 3492

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