Foreign Service Families Improvements Act

Bill: 118-hr-10358
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20]
Introduced: 2024-12-11
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-11
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10358 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 11, 2024 Mr. Castro of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to provide for portability of professional licenses, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Foreign Service Families Improvements Act . 2. Portability of professional licenses (a) In general Chapter 9 of title I of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 ( 22 U.S.C. 4081 et seq. ) is amended by adding after section 908 the following: 909. Portability of professional licenses (a) In general In any case in which a member of the Foreign Service or the spouse of a member of the Foreign Service has a covered United States license and such member of the Foreign Service or spouse relocates his or her residency because of an assignment or detail to a location that is not in the jurisdiction of the licensing authority that issued the covered license, such covered license shall be considered valid at a similar scope of practice and in the discipline applied for in the jurisdiction of such new residency for the duration of such an assignment or detail if such member of the Foreign Service or spouse— (1) provides a copy of the member’s notification of assignment to the licensing authority in the jurisdiction in which the new residency is located; (2) remains in good standing with— (A) the licensing authority that issued the covered license; and (B) every other licensing authority that has issued to the member of the Foreign Service or spouse a license valid at a similar scope of practice and in the discipline applied in the jurisdiction of such licensing authority; and (3) submits to the authority of the licensing authority in the new jurisdiction for the purposes of standards of practice, discipline, and fulfillment of any continuing education requirements. (b) Interstate licensure compacts If a member of the Foreign Service or spouse of a member of the Foreign Service is licensed and able to operate in multiple jurisdictions through an interstate licensure compact, with respect to services provided in the jurisdiction of the interstate licensure compact by a licensee covered by such compact, the member of the Foreign Service or spouse of a member of the Foreign Service shall be subject to the requirements of the compact or the applicable provisions of law of the applicable State and not this section. (c) Covered license defined In this section, the term covered license means a professional license or certificate— (1) that is in good standing with the licensing authority that issued such professional license or certificate; (2) that the member of the Foreign Service or spouse of a member of the Foreign Service has actively used during the two years immediately preceding the relocation described in subsection (a); and (3) that is not a license to practice law. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents in section 2 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 908 the following new item: Sec. 909. Portability of professional licenses. . 3. Termination of residential or motor vehicle leases and telephone service contracts for members of the Foreign Service Section 907 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 ( 22 U.S.C. 4087 ) is amended by striking Service who are posted abroad at a Foreign Service post and inserting Foreign Service who are posted in the United States or posted abroad .