[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 490 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 490

    To require a quadrennial review of the diplomatic strategy and 
   structure of the Department of State and its related agencies to 
 determine how the Department can best fulfill its mission in the 21st 
          century and meet the challenges of a changing world.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 13, 2009

Mr. Thornberry introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require a quadrennial review of the diplomatic strategy and 
   structure of the Department of State and its related agencies to 
 determine how the Department can best fulfill its mission in the 21st 
          century and meet the challenges of a changing world.

    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 ``Quadrennial Foreign Affairs Review 
Act''.

SEC. 2. QUADRENNIAL FOREIGN AFFAIRS REVIEW.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Department of State, established in 1789, is 
        responsible for representing the worldwide interests of the 
        United States and for advancing the policies of the United 
        States.
            (2) The Department operates over 250 posts in more than 180 
        countries throughout the world and has approximately 30,000 
        personnel.
            (3) There have been dramatic changes in the world in which 
        the Department must function, including changes in technology, 
        changes in religious, ethnic, and regional conflicts, and 
        changes in economic, political, and military relationships. 
        Moreover, the world has witnessed the spread of weapons of mass 
        destruction and the spread of terrorism. Yet, there has been 
        little change in the diplomatic strategy and structure of the 
        Department or of its posts throughout the world.
            (4) The Department and all United States diplomatic efforts 
        should be the subject of a quadrennial review to determine how 
        the Department can best fulfill its mission and meet the 
        challenges of a changing world.
    (b) Quadrennial Review.--Not later than September 30 of 2012 and 
every four years thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a comprehensive 
examination of the diplomatic strategy and structure, foreign 
assistance programs, budget plans, personnel decisions, and public 
diplomacy plans of the Department of State and its related agencies to 
determine the foreign affairs strategy of the United States to best 
meet the challenges of a changing world, together with the response 
report required under subsection (c)(2). Such comprehensive examination 
shall be referred to as a ``quadrennial review''.
    (c) Involvement of National Foreign Affairs Panel.--
            (1) Submission of review to panel.--Not later than July 30 
        of the year in which a quadrennial review is conducted, the 
        Secretary of State shall submit to a National Foreign Affairs 
        Panel (in this Act referred to as the ``Panel''), established 
        in accordance with section 3, a copy of such quadrennial 
        review.
            (2) Response report.--Not later than August 30 of the year 
        in which a quadrennial review is submitted to a Panel under 
        paragraph (1), such Panel shall submit to the Secretary a 
        report responding to the findings, conclusions, and 
        recommendations of such quadrennial review.
    (d) Contents of Quadrennial Review.--The quadrennial review shall 
include the following information:
            (1) A review of the current structures of the Department of 
        State and its related agencies, including the organization, 
        staffing, and operation of United States embassies and 
        consulates abroad, to determine how best to efficiently and 
        effectively represent the interests of the United States 
        throughout the world and advance the policies of the United 
        States.
            (2) A review of the level of cooperation and degree of 
        integration of the Department of State with other Federal 
        departments and agencies, including the Department of Defense, 
        the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of the 
        Treasury, the Department of Commerce, the Office of the United 
        States Trade Representative, the Agency for International 
        Development, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the elements of 
        the intelligence community.
            (3) Recommendations related to how best to meet the 
        anticipated roles and missions of such departments and agencies 
        in the future.
            (4) A review of the efforts of the Department of State with 
        respect to public diplomacy and any recommendations for changes 
        or modifications in public diplomacy initiatives or programs in 
        order to improve performance.
            (5) An examination of the assumptions used in the 
        quadrennial review by the Secretary, including assumptions 
        relating to cooperation between the Department and other 
        Federal departments and agencies, communication with allies, 
        levels of risk, real-time situational awareness, and immediate 
        communication within the Department.
            (6) An examination of the forward presence and pre-
        positioning necessary for the Department to engage in 
        negotiation and conflict deterrence in response to anticipated 
        threats and conflicts.
            (7) An examination of the process of how the Department 
        develops scenarios that may require a Department response, and 
        recommendations for improving this process to incorporate 
        nontraditional threat planning scenarios and input from other 
        Federal departments and agencies and nongovernmental 
        organizations.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL FOREIGN AFFAIRS PANEL.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than December 1 of the year 
immediately preceding the year in which a quadrennial review is 
conducted, the Secretary of State shall establish a nonpartisan, 
independent panel to be known as a National Foreign Affairs Panel.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--A Panel shall be composed of a chairperson 
        and eight other individuals appointed by the Secretary, in 
        consultation with the chairman and ranking member of the 
        Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
        and the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Foreign 
        Relations of the Senate, from among individuals in the private 
        sector who are recognized experts in matters relating to the 
        foreign affairs and diplomacy interests of the United States.
            (2) Quorum.--Five members of a Panel shall constitute a 
        quorum.
    (c) Duties.--A Panel shall submit to the Secretary the response 
report required under section 2(c)(2).
    (d) Information From Federal Agencies.--A Panel may secure from the 
Department of State and its related agencies and from any other Federal 
department or agency such information as such Panel considers necessary 
to carry out its duties under this Act. The head of the department or 
agency concerned shall ensure that information requested by such Panel 
under this subsection is promptly provided to such Panel.
    (e) Personnel Matters.--
            (1) Compensation of members.--Each member of a Panel shall 
        be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the 
        annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the 
        Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States 
        Code, for each day (including travel time) during which such 
        member is engaged in the performance of the duties of such 
        Panel.
            (2) Travel expenses.--Members of a Panel 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 such Panel.
            (3) Executive director and staff.--Without regard to the 
        civil service laws and regulations, the chairperson of a Panel 
        may appoint and terminate an Executive Director and a staff of 
        not more than four additional individuals, none of whom may be 
        current employees of the Department of State or members of the 
        Foreign Service, if such Panel determines that an executive 
        director and staff are necessary in order for such Panel to 
        perform its duties effectively. The employment of an Executive 
        Director shall be subject to confirmation by a majority of 
        members of such Panel.
            (4) Compensation of executive director.--The chairperson 
        may fix the compensation of the Executive Director, if one is 
        appointed pursuant to paragraph (3), without regard to the 
        provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of 
        title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of 
        positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate 
        of pay for the Executive Director may not exceed the rate 
        payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 
        5316 of such title.
            (5) Detail of government employees.--An employee of the 
        Federal Government may be detailed to a Panel without 
        reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or 
        loss of civil or foreign service status or privilege with 
        respect to such employee. The Secretary shall ensure that a 
        sufficient number of employees are detailed to a Panel to 
        enable such Panel to carry out its duties effectively.
            (6) Travel conditions.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
        the members and employees of a Panel shall travel on Government 
        aircraft, ships, vehicles, or other conveyances when travel is 
        necessary in the performance of the duties of such Panel, 
        except that no such aircraft, ship, vehicle, or other 
        conveyance may be scheduled primarily for the transportation of 
        any such member or employee when the cost of commercial 
        transportation is less expensive.
    (f) Administrative Provisions.--
            (1) Use of the mails.--A Panel may use the United States 
        mails and obtain printing and binding services in the same 
        manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
        agencies of the Federal Government.
            (2) Administrative and support services.--The Secretary of 
        State shall furnish a Panel with any administrative and support 
        services requested by such Panel.
            (3) Gifts and donations.--A Panel may accept, use, and 
        dispose of gifts or donations of services or property.
    (g) Payment of Panel Expenses.--The compensation, travel expenses, 
and per diem allowances of members and employees of a Panel shall be 
paid out of funds made available to the Department of State for the 
payment of compensation, travel allowances, and per diem allowances, 
respectively, of civilian employees of the Department. Any other 
expenses of a Panel shall be paid out of funds made available to the 
Department for the payment of similar expenses incurred by the 
Department.
    (h) Sunset Provision.--A Panel shall terminate 30 days after the 
submission of the response report required under section 2(c)(2).
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