[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7864-S7865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4317. Mr. BOOKER (for himself and Mr. Scott of South Carolina) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3867 
submitted by Mr. Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 
4350, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military 
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and 
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe 
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle G of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1283. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall establish the 
     Department of State Student Internship Program (referred to 
     in this section as the ``Program'') to offer internship 
     opportunities at the Department of State to eligible students 
     to raise awareness of the essential role of diplomacy in the 
     conduct of United States foreign policy and the realization 
     of United States foreign policy objectives.
       (b) Eligibility.--An applicant is eligible to participate 
     in the Program if the applicant--
       (1) is enrolled (not less than half-time) at--
       (A) an institution of higher education (as defined section 
     102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)); or
       (B) an institution of higher education based outside of the 
     United States, as determined by the Secretary of State;
       (2) is able to receive and hold an appropriate security 
     clearance; and
       (3) satisfies such other criteria as the Secretary may 
     establish pursuant to subsection (c).
       (c) Selection.--The Secretary of State shall establish 
     selection criteria for students to be admitted into the 
     Program, including--
       (1) a demonstrable interest in a career in foreign affairs;
       (2) strong academic performance; and
       (3) such other criteria as the Secretary may establish.
       (d) Outreach.--The Secretary of State shall--
       (1) widely advertise the Program, including on the 
     internet, through--
       (A) the Department of State's Diplomats in Residence 
     Program; and
       (B) other outreach and recruiting initiatives targeting 
     undergraduate and graduate students; and
       (2) actively encourage people belonging to traditionally 
     under-represented groups in terms of racial, ethnic, 
     geographic, and gender diversity, and disability status to 
     apply to the Program, including by conducting targeted 
     outreach at minority serving institutions (as described in 
     section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1067q(a))).
       (e) Compensation.--
       (1) In general.--Students participating in the Program 
     shall be paid not less than the greater of--
       (A) the amount specified in section 6(a)(1) of the Fair 
     Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)); or
       (B) the minimum wage of the jurisdiction in which the 
     internship is located.
       (2) Housing assistance.--
       (A) Abroad.--The Secretary of State shall provide housing 
     assistance to any student participating in the Program whose 
     permanent address is within the United States if the location 
     of the internship in which such student is participating is 
     outside of the United States.
       (B) Domestic.--The Secretary of State is authorized to 
     provide housing assistance to a student participating in the 
     Program whose permanent address is within the United States 
     if the location of the internship in which such student is 
     participating is more than 50 miles away from such student's 
     permanent address.
       (3) Travel assistance.--The Secretary of State shall 
     provide financial assistance to any student participating in 
     the Program whose permanent address is within the United 
     States that covers the round trip costs of traveling from the 
     location of the internship in which such student is 
     participating (including travel by air, train, bus, or other 
     appropriate transit), if the location of such internship is--
       (A) more than 50 miles from such student's permanent 
     address; or
       (B) outside of the United States.
       (f) Working With Institutions of Higher Education.--The 
     Secretary of State is authorized to enter into agreements 
     with institutions of higher education to structure 
     internships to ensure such internships satisfy criteria for 
     academic programs in which participants in such internships 
     are enrolled.
       (g) Transition Period.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     transition all unpaid internship programs of the Department 
     of State, including the Foreign Service Internship Program, 
     to internship programs that offer compensation. Upon 
     selection as a candidate for entry into an internship program 
     of the Department of State after such date, a participant in 
     such internship program shall be afforded the opportunity to 
     forgo compensation, including if doing so allows such 
     participant to receive college or university curricular 
     credit.
       (2) Exception.--The transition required under paragraph (1) 
     shall not apply in the case of unpaid internship programs of 
     the Department of State that are part of the Virtual Student 
     Federal Service Internship Program.
       (3) Waiver.--
       (A) In general.--The Secretary of State may waive the 
     requirement under paragraph (1) to transition an unpaid 
     internship program of the Department to an internship program 
     that offers compensation if the Secretary determines and, not 
     later than 30 days after any such determination, submits a 
     report to the appropriate congressional committees that 
     explains why such transition would not be consistent with 
     effective management goals.
       (B) Report.--The report required under subparagraph (A) 
     shall describe the reason why transitioning an unpaid 
     internship program of the Department of State to an 
     internship program that offers compensation would not be 
     consistent with effective management goals, including any 
     justification for maintaining such unpaid status 
     indefinitely, or any additional authorities or resources 
     necessary to transition such unpaid program to offer 
     compensation in the future.
       (h) Reports.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives that includes--
       (1) data, to the extent collection of such information is 
     permissible by law, regarding the number of students 
     (disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, institution of 
     higher learning, home State, State where each student 
     graduated from high school, and disability status) who 
     applied to the Program, were offered a position, and 
     participated;
       (2) data regarding--
       (A) the number of security clearance investigations started 
     for such students; and
       (B) the timeline for such investigations, including--
       (i) whether such investigations were completed; and
       (ii) when an interim security clearance was granted;
       (3) information on Program expenditures; and
       (4) information regarding the Department of State's 
     compliance with subsection (g).
       (i) Data Collection Policies.--
       (1) Voluntary participation.--Nothing in this section may 
     be construed to compel any student who is a participant in an 
     internship program of the Department of State to participate 
     in the collection of the data or divulge any personal 
     information. Such students shall be informed that their 
     participation in the data collection contemplated by this 
     section is voluntary.
       (2) Privacy protection.--Any data collected under this 
     section shall be subject to

[[Page S7865]]

     the relevant privacy protection statutes and regulations 
     applicable to Federal employees.
       (j) Special Hiring Authority.--The Secretary of State may--
       (1) offer compensated internships that last up to 52 weeks; 
     and
       (2) select, appoint, employ, and remove individuals in such 
     compensated internships without regard to the provisions of 
     law governing appointments in the competitive service.
                                 ______