An Act to promote the foreign policy of the United States by strengthening and improving the Foreign Service personnel system of the United States Information Agency through establishment of a Foreign Service Information Officer Corps
PL 90-494 (S.633), enacted 08/20/1968

810 
PUBLIC LAW 90-494-AUG. 20, 1968 
[82 STAT. 
remaining due on the effective date of this section, if he makes applica-
tion for relief within two years following the date of enactment of this 
Act, and if the Administrator finds that such veteran— 
(1) owned, or operated under a valid lease, a farm which met 
the requirements of the law and implementing Veterans' Admin-
istration regulations; 
(2) was engaged in the cultivation of such farm and was not 
employed on a full-time basis in a non-farm occupation; and 
(3) participated in the institutional instruction furnished by 
the Tangipahoa Parish School Board in connection with the in-
stitutional on-farm training program, even though such instruc-
tion may not have met all of the requirements of the law and 
implementing Veterans' Administration regulations. 
In the audit and settlement of the accounts of any certifying or dis-
bursing officer of the United States, credit shall be given for amounts 
for which liability is relieved by this section. 
Approved August 19, 1968. 
August 20, 1968 
[S. 633] 
Foreign Service 
Information Officer 
Corps. 
Establishment. 
Public Law 90-494 
AN ACT 
To promote the foreign policy of the United States by strengthening and improv-
ing the Foreign Service personnel system of the United States Information 
Agency through establishment of a Foreign Service Information OflScer Corps. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That there is hereby 
established a category of officers of the United States Information 
Agency (hereinafter referred to as "the Agency") to be known as For-
eign Service information officers. 
STATEMENT OF POLICY 
SEC. 2. It is the sense of the Congress that the establishment of a per-
manent career service for officers of the Agency who serve our country 
throughout the world in a vital function of the foreign relations of the 
United States is essential to enable the Director of the United States 
Information Agency (hereinafter referred to as "the Director") to 
carry out effectively such functions and responsibilities assigned to the 
Agency. 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSES 
SEC. 3. The Congress of the United States hereby declares that the 
purposes of this Act are— 
(a) to provide a statutory basis necessary for a worldwide 
career officer personnel system designed to meet the continuing 
needs of both the Agency and those qualified citizens who shall 
serve as Foreign Service information officers in this vital activity; 
(b) to give the Director the full range of personnel authority 
necessary to establish and administer the Foreign Service Infor-
mation Officer Corps; 
(c) to regularize the personnel system of the Agency by estab-
lishing a career service in which qualified Foreign Service infor-
mation officers may be recruited, trained, and serve; 
(d) to assure maximum efficiency and flexibility in the utiliza-
tion of the talents of Foreign Service information officers; and 
82 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 90-494-AUG. 20, 1968 
811 
(e) to accord Foreign Service information officers the same 
rights and perquisites and to subject them to the same stringent 
judgment of performance as Foreign Service officers employed 
under the provisions of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as 
amended 
so stat. 999. 
amenueu. 
22 use goi 
AUTHORITY OF T H E DIRECTOR 
note. 
SEC. 4. Foreign Service information officers shall be under the direc-
tion and authority of the Director of the Agency. Authority available 
to the Secretary of State with respect to Foreign Service officers shall 
be available on the same basis to the Director of the Agency with re-
spect to Foreign Service information officers, except as provided in 
section 11 of this Act. 
Personnel 
systems. 
POLICIES AND 
REGULATIONS 
SEC. 5. The Foreign Service information officer personnel system 
shall be compatible with the Foreign Service officer personnel system. 
Toward this end, the Director with respect to the Foreign Service 
information officer personnel system and the Secretary of State with 
respect to the Foreign Service officer personnel system, after consulta-
tion with such officials as the President may determine, shall promul-
gate policies and regulations governing such systems. Both systems 
shall be administered, to the extent practicable, in conformity with 
general policies and regulations of the Federal Government issued in 
accordance with law. 
APPOINTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT 
SEC. 6. (a) Subject to section 4, Foreign Service information officers 
shall be appointed and assigned at classes and salaries, and in accord-
ance with requirements and procedures, which correspond to those 
classes, salaries, requirements, and procedures, except with regard to 
career ambassadors, prescribed by sections 412, 413, 421, 422, 431(c), 
432, 441, 500, 501(b), 502(b), 511, 514 through 520, 571 through 575, 
and 578 of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended. 
^0 sta^. ^loos-^^ 
(b) The President shall, by and with the advice and consent of the career Ministers 
Senate, appoint Career Ministers for Information. 
^°^ information. 
(c) Tlie Secretar}^ of State may, upon request of the Director, fur- a^^^fffcers'*"^" 
nish the President with the names of Foreign Service information offi-
cers qualified for appointment to the class of Career Minister for Infor-
mation, together with pertinent information about such officers, but 
no person shall be appointed into the class of Career Minister for 
Informaition who has not been appointed to serve in an Embassy as a 
Minister for Public Affairs or appointed or assigned to serve in a posi-
tion which, in the opinion of the Director, is of comparable importance. 
A list of such positions shall from time to time be published by the ubucauon^'^*^' 
Director. 
(d) The per annum salary of a C.areer Minister for Information 
shall be the same as that provided by section 412 of the Foreign Service 
Act of 1946, as amended, for the class of Career Minister. 
'^^ ^*^t. 411; 
' 
' 
81 Stat. 632. 
22 u s e 867. 
PROMOTION 
SEC. 7. Foreign Service information officers shall be promoted in 
accordance with the provisions of sections 621 through 623, and 626 of 
the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended, and shall receive within- 
^^ ^^^^ ^34. 
class salary increases m accordance with section 625 of such Act. 
22 u s e 991-996. 
812 
22 u s e 1001-
1007. 
PUBLIC LAW 90-494-AUG. 20, 1968 
SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT 
[82 STAT. 
SEC. 8. Foreign Service information officers shall be separated and 
retired in accordance with sections (vU through 637 of the Foreign 
Service Act of 1946, as amended. 
22 u s e 1061-
1121. 
74 Stat. 844. 
22 u s e 1092. 
Mandatory re-
tirement. 
Voluntary re-
tirement. 
74 Stat. 839, 
840; 79Stat. 1131. 
22 u s e 1076-
Effective dates. 
TARTICIPATION I N T H E FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY 
SYSTEM 
SEC. 9. (a) Foreign Service information officers shall be participants 
in and entitled to the benefits of the Foreign Service retirement and 
disability system under title VIII of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, 
as amended, on the same basis as Foreign Service officers. Any such 
Foreign Service information officer who becomes a participant in such 
system shall make contributions to the Foreign Service retirement and 
disability fund on the same basis as Foreign Service officers. 
(b) In accordance with such regulations as the President may pre-
scribe, any Foreign Service Staff officer or employee appointed by the 
Agency who has completed at least ten years of continuous service, 
exclusive of military service, in the Foreign Service of the Agency 
shall become a participant in the Foreign Service retirement and dis-
ability system and shall make a special contribution to the Foreign 
Service retirement and disability fund in accordance wdth the pro-
visions of section 852 of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended. 
(c) Any such officer or employee who, under the provisions of para-
graph (b) of this section, becomes a participant in the Foreign Service 
retirement and disability system, shall be mandatorily retired for age 
during the third vear after the effective date of that paragraph if he 
attains age sixty-four or if he is over age sixty-four; during the fourth 
year at age sixty-three; during tlie fifth year at age sixty-two; during 
the sixth year at age sixty-one, and thereafter at age sixty. 
(d) Any officer or employee who becomes a participant in the For-
eign Service retirement and disability system under the provisions of 
paragraph (b) of this section who is age fifty-seven or over on the 
effective date of that paragraph, may retire voluntarily at any time 
before mandatory retirement under paragraph (c) of this section and 
receive retirement benefits under section 821 of the Foreign Service 
Act of 1946, as amended. 
(e) The provisions of paragraph (b) of this section becomes effec-
tive on the first day of the first month wiiich begins more than one year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, except that any Foreign Service 
Staff officer or employee, who at the time this Act becomes effective 
laeets the requirements for participation in the Foreign Service retire-
ment and disability system, may elect to become a participant in the 
system before the mandatory provisions become effective. Such Foreign 
Service Staff' officers and employees shall become participants effec-
tive on the firet day of the second month following the date of tlieir 
application for earlier participation. 
60 Stat. 999. 
22 u s e 801 
note. 
OTHER APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF LAW 
SEC. 10. All other provisions of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as 
amended, or of any other law, which apply to Foreign Service officers 
and are not referred to above, shall be applicable to Foreign Service 
information officers. 
82 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 90-494-AUG. 20, 1968 
813 
COMMISSIONING AND ASSIGNMENT AS WPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR 
OFFICERS 
SEC. 11. (a) The Secretary of State may, upon request of the Direc-
tor, recommend to the President that Foreign Service information offi-
cers be commissioned as diplomatic or consular officers, or both, in 
accordance with section 512 of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as 
amended. 
(b) The Secretary of State may, upon request of the Director, assign 
Foreign Service information officers, commissioned as diplomatic or 
consular officers, to serve under such commissions in accordance with 
sections 512 and 514 of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended. 
^o st^^. ^1007. 
909. 
INTERPRETATION AND CONSTRUCTION 
SEC. 12. For the purposes of this Act the term "Foreign Service 
officer"' when used in the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended, or 
in any other provision of law shall be construed to mean "Foreign 
Service information officer" and the term "Secretary of State" when 
used with respect to authorities applicable to Foreign Service officers 
shall be construed to mean the Director of the United States Infor-
mation Agency with respect to Foreign Service information officers. 
TRANSFER OF AGENCY FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS TO FOREIGN SERVICE 
INFORMATION OFFICER STATUS 
SEC. 13. Agency Foreign Service officers on active service on the 
effective date of this Act shall, by virtue of this Act, be transferred 
from the classes in which they are serving on such date to the compar-
able salaries and classes of Foreign Service information officers estab-
lished by this Act. Service in the former class shall be considered as 
constituting service in the new class for the purposes of determining 
(1) eligibility for promotion, in accordance with the provisions of 
section 622, (2) liability for separation, in accordance with the pro- 
^° ^sc 99^'^' 
visions of section 633, (3) continuation of probationary status pur- 59 stat. 25. 
suant to section 635, and (4) credit for time served toward in-class 
22 use 1003. 
l^romotion in accordance with section 625. 
74 stat. 834^. 
22 u s e 995. 
VETERANS' PREFERENCE 
SEC. 14. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 3320 of title 5 
of the United States Code, the fact that any applicant is a veteran 
^° ^*^*- ''^z-
or disabled veteran, as defined in section 2108 (1) or (2) of such title, g^s^a*^* 9^°' 
shall be taken into consideration as an affirmative factor in the selec-
tion of applicants for initial appointment as Foreign Service officers 
or Foreign Service information officers. 
TENURE OF FOREIGN SERVICE RESERVE OFFICERS 
SEC. 15. (a) Any officer appointed as a Foreign Service Reserve 
officer after the date of enactment of this Act may serve as such for 
not more than five years. During such period (no sooner than the 
expiration of the third year but no later than the expiration of the 
fifth year) such Foreign Service Reserve officer shall be appointed as 
a Foreign Service officer, Foreign Service Information Officer, For-
eign Service Reserve officer with unlimited tenure, Foreign Service 
Staff officer, or shall be terminated as a Foreign Service Reserve 
officer. 
814 
PUBLIC LAW 90-494-AUG. 20, 1968 
[82 STAT. 
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 522 and 527 of the 
60 Stat. 1009. 
Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended, an appointment of any 
927^. 
^^^' 
Foreign Service Reserve officer existing on the date of enactment of 
this Act may be extended, but not beyond the expiration of the five-
year period beginning on such date of enactment. 
RETIREMENT AND SEPARATION OF FOREIGN SERVICE RESERVE OFFICERS 
SEC. 16. (a) In accordance with such regulations as the President 
may prescribe, any Foreign Service Reserve officer with unlimited 
tenure shall become a participant in the Foreign Service retirement and 
disability system and shall make a special contribution to the Foreign 
Service Retirement and Disability Fund in accordance with the pro-
74 Stat. 844, 
visious of section 852 of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended. 
22 use 1092. 
Beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, any Reserve officer 
referred to in the preceding sentence shall be mandatorily retired for 
age in accordance with the provisions of subsections (c) and (d) of 
section 9 of this Act. 
(b) The provisions of sections 633 and 634 of the Foreign Service Act 
69 Stat. 25. 
of 1946, as amended, shall apply to Foreign Service Reserve officers 
With unlimited tenure. 
845 
22 u s e 1003 
1004 
P R E S E N T FOREIGN SERVICE RESERVE 
OFFICERS 
SEC. 17. Any Foreign Service Reserve officer appointed before the 
date of enactment of this Act who has completed at least three years 
of continuous and satisfactory service as such on such date of enact-
ment, or who will have completed at least three years of such service 
before the expiration of the three-year period beginning on such date 
of enactment, may be appointed as a Foreign Service Reserve officer 
with unlimited tenure. 
LIMITATION ON EXTENSION OF FOREIGN SERVICE RESERVE OFFICER 
APPOINTMENTS 
SEC. 18. Paragraph (3) of section 522 of the Foreign Service Act 
22 u'sc 9
2
^
^ 
^^ 1946, as amended, is amended by inserting immediately before the 
period at the end thereof the following: "; except that the authority 
contained in this paragraph relating to extending the appointment 
of any Reserve officer, and to continuing the services of any such 
Reserve officer by reappointment, shall not be applicable to the Depart-
ment of State and the United States Information Agency". 
EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN AGENCIES 
SEC. 19. The provisions of sections 15, 16, and 17 of this Act shall 
not apply to officers and employees of the Agency for International 
Development, the Peace Corps, and the Arms Control and Disarma-
ment Agency. 
Approved August 20, 1968.