22 USC 2719a - Foreign affairs training

U.S Code last checked for updates: May 01, 2024

§ 2719a.

Foreign affairs training

(a)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)

Congress has recognized, including in division E of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117–81), that the Department 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; and

(2)

the new and evolving challenges of national security in the 21st century necessitate the expansion of standardized training and professional development opportunities linked to equal, accountable, and transparent promotion and leadership practices for Department and other national security agency personnel.

(b)

Defined term

In this section, the term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—

(1)

the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;

(2)

the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;

(3)

the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and

(4)

the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

(c)

Omitted

(d)

Fellowships

The Director General of the Foreign Service shall—

(1)

expand and 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 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 December 23, 2022, submit a report to Congress that describes how the Department could expand the Pearson Fellows Program for Foreign Service Officers and the Brookings Fellow Program for Civil Servants to provide fellows in such programs with the opportunity to undertake a follow-on assignment within the Department in an office in which fellows will gain practical knowledge of the people and processes of Congress, including offices other than the Legislative Affairs Bureau, including—

(A)

an assessment of the current state of congressional fellowships, including the demand for fellowships, support for applicants to pursue and perform such 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 Service and the Civil Service more career-enhancing.

(e)

Board of Visitors of the Foreign Service Institute

(1)

Establishment

(2)

Duties

(3)

Membership

(A)

Qualifications

Members of the Board shall be appointed from among individuals who—

(i)

are not officers or employees of the Federal Government; and

(ii)

are eminent authorities in the fields of diplomacy, national security, management, leadership, economics, trade, technology, or advanced international relations education.

(B)

Outside expertise

(i)

In general

(ii)

Prior senior service at the Department

(4)

Terms

Each member of the Board shall be appointed for a term of 3 years, except that of the members first appointed—

(A)

4 members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years;

(B)

4 members shall be appointed for a term of 2 years; and

(C)

4 members shall be appointed for a term of 1 year.

(5)

Chairperson; Vice Chairperson

(A)

Approval

(B)

Service

(6)

Meetings

The Board shall meet—

(A)

at the call of the Director of the Foreign Service Institute and the Chairperson; and

(B)

not fewer than 2 times per year.

(7)

Compensation

(8)

Applicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act

(f)

Establishment of Provost of the Foreign Service Institute

(1)

Establishment

(2)

Appointment; reporting

The Provost shall—

(A)

be appointed by the Secretary; and

(B)

report to the Director of the Foreign Service Institute.

(3)

Qualifications

The Provost, who should be a member of the Senior Executive Service, shall have—

(A)

experience in the field of diplomacy, national security, education, management, leadership, economics, history, trade, adult education, or technology; and

(B)

significant experience outside the Department, whether in other national security agencies or in the private sector, and preferably in positions of authority in educational institutions or the field of professional development and mid-career training with oversight for the evaluation of academic programs.

(4)

Duties

The Provost shall—

(A)

oversee, review, evaluate, and coordinate the academic curriculum for all courses taught and administered by the Foreign Service Institute; and

(B)

coordinate the development of an evaluation system to ascertain the utility of the information and skills imparted by each such course, such that, to the extent practicable, performance assessments can be included in the personnel records maintained by the Bureau of Global Talent Management and utilized in Foreign Service Selection Boards.

(5)

Compensation

(g)

Other Agency responsibilities and opportunities for congressional staff

(1)

Other agencies

(2)

Congressional staff

Not later than 180 days after December 23, 2022, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress that describes—

(A)

the training and professional development opportunities at the Foreign Service Institute and other Department facilities available to congressional staff;

(B)

the budget impacts of offering such opportunities to congressional staff; and

(C)

potential course offerings.

(h)

Strategy for adapting training requirements for modern diplomatic needs

(1)

In general

(2)

Elements

The strategy required under paragraph (1) shall include the following elements:

(A)

Integrating training requirements into the Department’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.

(B)

Addressing multiple existing and emerging national security challenges, including—

(i)

democratic backsliding and authoritarianism;

(ii)

countering, and assisting United States allies to address, state-sponsored disinformation, including through the Global Engagement Center;

(iii)

cyber threats;

(iv)

the aggression and malign influence of Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, the Maduro Regime, and the Chinese Communist Party’s multi-faceted and comprehensive challenge to the rules-based order;

(v)

the implications of climate change for United States diplomacy; and

(vi)

nuclear threats.

(C)

An examination of the likely advantages and disadvantages of establishing residential training for the A–100 orientation course administered by the Foreign Service Institute and evaluating the feasibility of residential training for other long-term training opportunities.

(D)

An examination of the likely advantages and disadvantages of establishing a press freedom curriculum for the National Foreign Affairs Training Center that enables Foreign Service officers to better understand issues of press freedom and the tools that are available to help protect journalists and promote freedom of the press norms, which may include—

(i)

the historic and current issues facing press freedom, including countries of specific concern;

(ii)

the Department’s role in promoting press freedom as an American value, a human rights issue, and a national security imperative;

(iii)

ways to incorporate press freedom promotion into other aspects of diplomacy; and

(iv)

existing tools to assist journalists in distress and methods for engaging foreign governments and institutions on behalf of individuals engaged in journalistic activity who are at risk of harm.

(E)

The expansion of external courses offered by the Foreign Service Institute at academic institutions or professional associations on specific topics, including in-person and virtual courses on monitoring and evaluation, audience analysis, and the use of emerging technologies in diplomacy.

(3)

Utilization of existing resources

In examining the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a residential training program pursuant to paragraph (2)(C), the Secretary shall—

(A)

collaborate with other national security departments and agencies that employ residential training for their orientation courses; and

(B)

consider using the Department’s Foreign Affairs Security Training Center in Blackstone, Virginia.

(i)

Report and briefing requirements

(1)

Report

Not later than 1 year after December 23, 2022, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress that includes—

(A)

a strategy for broadening and deepening professional development and training at the Department, including assessing current and future needs for 21st century diplomacy;

(B)

the process used and resources needed to implement the strategy referred to in subparagraph (A) throughout the Department; and

(C)

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 the measurement and evaluation methods used to evaluate such results.

(2)

Briefing

(j)

Foreign language maintenance incentive program

(1)

Authorization

(2)

Report

(Pub. L. 117–263, div. I, title XCII, § 9205, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3865.)

cite as: 22 USC 2719a