[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5650-S5652]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6095. Mr. HAGERTY (for himself and Mr. Cardin) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. 
Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be proposed to the 
bill H.R. 7900, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 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 A of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1214. FOREIGN AFFAIRS TRAINING.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the Department of State 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;
       (2) the Department of State faces increasingly complex and 
     rapidly evolving challenges, many of which are science- and 
     technology-driven, and which demand continual, high-quality 
     training and professional development of its personnel;
       (3) the new and evolving challenges of national security in 
     the 21st century necessitate the expansion of standardized 
     training and professional development opportunities linked to 
     equitable, accountable, and transparent promotion and 
     leadership practices for Department of State and other 
     national security agency personnel; and
       (4) consistent with gift acceptance authority of the 
     Department of State and other applicable laws in effect as of 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Department and the 
     Foreign Service Institute may accept funds and other 
     resources from foundations, not-for-profit corporations, and 
     other appropriate sources to help the Department and the 
     Institute enhance the quantity and quality of training and 
     professional development offerings, especially in the 
     introduction of new, innovative, and pilot model courses.
       (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) Training and Professional Development Prioritization.--
     In order to provide the Civil Service of the Department of 
     State and the Foreign Service with the level of professional 
     development and training needed to effectively advance United 
     States interests across the world, the Secretary of State 
     shall--
       (1) increase relevant offerings provided by the Department 
     of State--
       (A) of interactive virtual instruction to make training and 
     professional development more accessible and useful to 
     personnel deployed throughout the world; or
       (B) at partner organizations, including universities, 
     industry entities, and nongovernmental organizations, 
     throughout the United States to provide useful outside 
     perspectives to Department of State personnel by providing 
     such personnel--
       (i) a more comprehensive outlook on different sectors of 
     United States society; and
       (ii) practical experience dealing with commercial 
     corporations, universities, labor unions, and other 
     institutions critical to United States diplomatic success;
       (2) offer courses using computer-based or computer-assisted 
     simulations, allowing civilian officers to lead decision 
     making in a crisis environment, and encourage officers of the 
     Department of State, and reciprocally, officers of other 
     Federal departments to participate in similar exercises held 
     by the Department or other government organizations and the 
     private sector;
       (3) increase the duration and expand the focus of certain 
     training and professional development courses, including by 
     extending--
       (A) the A-100 entry-level course to as long as 12 weeks, 
     which better matches the length of entry-level training and 
     professional development provided to the officers in other 
     national security departments and agencies; and
       (B) the Chief of Mission course to as long as 6 weeks for 
     first time Chiefs of Mission and creating comparable courses 
     for new Assistant Secretaries and Deputy Assistant 
     Secretaries to more accurately reflect the significant 
     responsibilities accompanying such roles; and
       (4) ensure that Foreign Service officers who are assigned 
     to a country experiencing significant population displacement 
     due to the impacts of climatic and non-climatic shocks and 
     stresses, including rising sea levels and lack of access to 
     affordable and reliable energy and electricity, receive 
     specific instruction on United States policy with respect to 
     resiliency and adaptation to such climatic and non-climatic 
     shocks and stresses.
       (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, the elements of the 
     intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the 
     National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003)), 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 the date of the enactment 
     of this Act, submit a report to Congress that describes how 
     the Department of State 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 and the 
     value the fellowships provide to both the career of the 
     officer and to the Department of State; and
       (B) an assessment of the options for making congressional 
     fellowships for both the Foreign and Civil Services more 
     career-enhancing.
       (e) Board of Visitors of the Foreign Service Institute.--
       (1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     establish a Board of Visitors of the Foreign Service 
     Institute (referred to in this subsection as the ``Board'').
       (2) Duties.--The Board shall provide the Secretary of State 
     with independent advice and recommendations regarding 
     organizational management, strategic planning, resource 
     management, curriculum development, and other matters of 
     interest to the Foreign Service Institute, including regular 
     observations about how well the Department of State is 
     integrating training and professional development into the 
     work of the Bureau for Global Talent Management.
       (3) Membership.--
       (A) In general.--The Board shall be--
       (i) nonpartisan; and
       (ii) composed of 12 members, of whom--

       (I) 2 members shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
       (II) 2 members shall be appointed by the ranking member of 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
       (III) 2 members shall be appointed by the Chairperson of 
     the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (IV) 2 members shall be appointed by the ranking member of 
     the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (V) 4 members shall be appointed by the Secretary of State.

       (B) 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.
       (C) Outside expertise.--
       (i) In general.--Not fewer than 6 members of the Board 
     shall have a minimum of 10

[[Page S5651]]

     years of relevant expertise outside the field of diplomacy.
       (ii) Prior senior service at the department of state.--Not 
     more than 6 members of the Board may be persons who 
     previously served in the Senior Foreign Service or the Senior 
     Executive Service at the Department of State.
       (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) Reappointment; replacement.--A member of the Board may 
     be reappointed or replaced at the discretion of the official 
     who made the original appointment.
       (6) Chairperson; co-chairperson.--
       (A) Approval.--The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the 
     Board shall be approved by the Secretary of State based upon 
     a recommendation from the members of the Board.
       (B) Service.--The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall 
     serve at the discretion of the Secretary of State.
       (7) 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.
       (8) Compensation.--Each member of the Board shall serve 
     without compensation, except that a member of the Board 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 service for the Board. 
     Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, 
     the Secretary of State may accept the voluntary and 
     uncompensated service of members of the Board.
       (9) Applicability of federal advisory committee act.--The 
     Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to 
     the Board established under this subsection.
       (f) Establishment of Provost of the Foreign Service 
     Institute.--
       (1) Establishment.--There is established in the Foreign 
     Service Institute the position of Provost.
       (2) Appointment; reporting.--The Provost shall--
       (A) be appointed by the Secretary of State; and
       (B) report to the Director of the Foreign Service 
     Institute.
       (3) Qualifications.--The Provost shall be--
       (A) an eminent authority in the field of diplomacy, 
     national security, education, management, leadership, 
     economics, history, trade, adult education, or technology; 
     and
       (B) a person with significant experience outside the 
     Department of State, 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;
       (B) coordinate the development of an evaluation system to 
     ascertain how well participants in Foreign Service Institute 
     courses have absorbed and utilized the information, ideas, 
     and skills imparted by each such course, such that 
     performance assessments can be included in the personnel 
     records maintained by the Bureau of Global Talent Management 
     and utilized in Foreign Service Selection Boards, which may 
     include--
       (i) the implementation of a letter or numerical grading 
     system; and
       (ii) assessments done after the course has concluded; and
       (C) report not less frequently than quarterly to the Board 
     of Visitors regarding the development of curriculum and the 
     performance of Foreign Service officers.
       (5) Term.--The Provost shall serve for a term of not fewer 
     than 5 years and may be reappointed for 1 additional 5-year 
     term.
       (6) Compensation.--The Provost shall receive a salary 
     commensurate with the rank and experience of a member of the 
     Senior Foreign Service or the Senior Executive Service, as 
     determined by the Secretary of State.
       (g) Other Agency Responsibilities and Opportunities for 
     Congressional Staff.--
       (1) Other agencies.--National security agencies other than 
     the Department of State should be afforded the ability to 
     increase the enrollment of their personnel in courses at the 
     Foreign Service Institute and other training and professional 
     development facilities of the Department to promote a whole-
     of-government approach to mitigating national security 
     challenges.
       (2) Congressional staff.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
     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 of 
     State 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.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     develop and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
     a strategy for adapting and evolving training requirements to 
     better meet the Department of State's current and future 
     needs for 21st century diplomacy.
       (2) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a) 
     shall include the following elements:
       (A) Integrating training requirements into the Department 
     of State'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 of State'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 
     of State shall--
       (A) collaborate with other national security departments 
     and agencies that employ residential training for their 
     orientation courses; and
       (B) consider using the Department of State's Foreign 
     Affairs Security Training Center in Blackstone, Virginia.
       (i) Report and Briefing Requirements.--
       (1) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 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 of State, 
     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 of State; and
       (C) the results and impact of the strategy on the workforce 
     of the Department of State, 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.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
     which the Secretary of State submits the report required 
     under paragraph (1), and annually thereafter for 2 years, the 
     Secretary shall provide to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a briefing on the information required to be 
     included in the report.
       (j) Foreign Language Maintenance Incentive Program.--
       (1) Authorization.--The Secretary of State is authorized to 
     establish and implement an incentive program, with a similar 
     structure as the Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus offered 
     by the Department of Defense, to encourage members of the 
     Foreign Service who possess language proficiency in any of 
     the languages that qualify for additional incentive pay, as 
     determined by the Secretary, to maintain critical foreign 
     language skills.

[[Page S5652]]

       (2) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a 
     report to the appropriate committees of Congress that 
     includes a detailed plan for implementing the program 
     authorized under paragraph (1), including anticipated 
     resource requirements to carry out such program.
       (k) Department of State Workforce Management.--
       (1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     informed, data-driven, and long-term workforce management, 
     including with respect to the Foreign Service, the Civil 
     Service, locally employed staff, and contractors, is needed 
     to align diplomatic priorities with the appropriate personnel 
     and resources.
       (2) Annual workforce report.--
       (A) In general.--In order to understand the Department of 
     State's long-term trends with respect to its workforce, the 
     Secretary of State, is consultation with relevant bureaus and 
     offices, including the Bureau of Global Talent Management and 
     the Center for Analytics, shall submit a report to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress that details the 
     Department's workforce, disaggregated by Foreign Service, 
     Civil Service, locally employed staff, and contractors, 
     including, with respect to the reporting period--
       (i) the number of personnel who were hired;
       (ii) the number of personnel whose employment or contract 
     was terminated or who voluntarily left the Department of 
     State;
       (iii) the number of personnel who were promoted, including 
     the grade to which they were promoted;
       (iv) the demographic breakdown of personnel; and
       (v) the distribution of the Department of State's workforce 
     based on domestic and overseas assignments, including a 
     breakdown of the number of personnel in geographic and 
     functional bureaus, and the number of personnel in overseas 
     missions by region.
       (B) Initial report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     submit the report described in subparagraph (A) for each of 
     the fiscal years 2016 through 2022.
       (C) Recurring report.--Not later than December 31, 2023, 
     and annually thereafter for the following 5 years, the 
     Secretary of State shall submit the report described in 
     subparagraph (A) for the most recently concluded fiscal year.
       (D) Use of report data.--The data in each of the reports 
     required under this paragraph shall be used by Congress, in 
     coordination with the Secretary of State, to inform 
     recommendations on the appropriate size and composition of 
     the Department of State.
       (l) Sense of Congress on the Importance of Filling the 
     Position of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public 
     Affairs.--It is the sense of Congress that since a vacancy in 
     the position of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and 
     Public Affairs is detrimental to the national security 
     interests of the United States, the President should 
     expeditiously nominate a qualified individual to such 
     position whenever such vacancy occurs to ensure that the 
     bureaus reporting to such position are able to fulfill their 
     mission of--
       (1) expanding and strengthening relationships between the 
     people of the United States and citizens of other countries; 
     and
       (2) engaging, informing, and understanding the perspectives 
     of foreign audiences.
       (m) Report on Public Diplomacy.--Not later than 120 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     State shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress that includes--
       (1) an evaluation of the May 2019 merger of the Bureau of 
     Public Affairs and the Bureau of International Information 
     Programs into the Bureau of Global Public Affairs with 
     respect to--
       (A) the efficacy of the current configuration of the 
     bureaus reporting to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy 
     and Public Affairs in achieving the mission of the Department 
     of State;
       (B) the metrics before and after such merger, including 
     personnel data, disaggregated by position and location, 
     content production, opinion polling, program evaluations, and 
     media appearances;
       (C) the results of a survey of public diplomacy 
     practitioners to determine their opinion of the efficacy of 
     such merger and any adjustments that still need to be made;
       (D) a plan for evaluating and monitoring, not less 
     frequently than once every 2 years, the programs, activities, 
     messaging, professional development efforts, and structure of 
     the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, and submitting a summary 
     of each such evaluation to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress; and
       (2) a review of recent outside recommendations for 
     modernizing diplomacy at the Department of State with respect 
     to public diplomacy efforts, including--
       (A) efforts in each of the bureaus reporting to the Under 
     Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs to address 
     issues of diversity and inclusion in their work, structure, 
     data collection, programming, and personnel, including any 
     collaboration with the Chief Officer for Diversity and 
     Inclusion;
       (B) proposals to collaborate with think tanks and academic 
     institutions working on public diplomacy issues to implement 
     recent outside recommendations; and
       (C) additional authorizations and appropriations necessary 
     to implement such recommendations.
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