[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 130 (Thursday, July 27, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3799-S3800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1086. Mr. MURPHY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 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 appropriate place in subtitle G of title X, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. ___. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL 
                   REPRESENTATIVE FOR CITY AND STATE DIPLOMACY.

       Section 1 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
     1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new subsection:
       ``(n) Office of Special Representative for City and State 
     Diplomacy.--
       ``(1) In general.--There is established within the 
     Department of State an Office of the Special Representative 
     for City and State Diplomacy (in this subsection referred to 
     as the `Office').
       ``(2) Head.--The head of the Office shall be the Special 
     Representative for City and State Diplomacy, who shall--
       ``(A) have the rank and status of ambassador; and
       ``(B) be responsible for developing strategies to advise 
     and enhance subnational diplomacy throughout the United 
     States.
       ``(3) Duties.--
       ``(A) Principal duty.--The principal duty of the Special 
     Representative shall be providing the overall strategic 
     guidance of Department of State support for subnational 
     engagements by State and municipal governments with foreign 
     governments. The Special Representative shall be the 
     principal adviser to the Secretary of State on subnational 
     engagements, the principal official on such matters within 
     the senior management of the Department of State, and lead 
     coordinator on such matters for other relevant Federal 
     agencies.
       ``(B) Additional duties.--The additional duties of the 
     Special Representative shall include the following:
       ``(i) Providing strategic guidance for overall Department 
     of State policy and programs

[[Page S3800]]

     in support of subnational engagements by State and municipal 
     governments with foreign governments, including with respect 
     to the following:

       ``(I) Identifying policy, program, and funding 
     discrepancies among relevant Federal agencies regarding 
     subnational diplomacy engagement.
       ``(II) Advising on efforts to better align the Department 
     of State and other Federal agencies in support of such 
     engagements.

       ``(ii) Identifying areas of alignment between United States 
     foreign policy and State and municipal goals.
       ``(iii) Facilitating tools for State and municipal 
     officials to communicate with the United States public 
     regarding the breadth of international engagement by 
     subnational actors and the impact of diplomacy across the 
     United States.
       ``(iv) Building and facilitating linkages and networks 
     among State and municipal governments, and between State and 
     municipal governments and their foreign counterparts.
       ``(v) Under the direction of the Secretary, negotiating 
     agreements and memoranda of understanding with foreign 
     governments related to subnational engagements and 
     priorities.
       ``(vi) Supporting United States economic and other 
     interests through subnational engagements, in consultation 
     and coordination with the Department of Commerce, the 
     Department of the Treasury, the Office of the United States 
     Trade Representative, and other Federal agencies.
       ``(vii) Spearheading the engagement of the Department of 
     State with local elected officials, including mayors, 
     governors, city councilors, and other municipal leaders, both 
     in the United States and around the globe.
       ``(4) Coordination.--With respect to matters involving 
     trade promotion and inward investment facilitation, the 
     Office shall coordinate with and support the International 
     Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce as the 
     lead Federal agency for trade promotion and facilitation of 
     business investment in the United States.
       ``(5) Detailees.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary of State, with respect to 
     employees of the Department of State, is authorized to detail 
     a member of the civil service or Foreign Service to State and 
     municipal governments on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable 
     basis. Such details shall be for a period not to exceed two 
     years, and shall be without interruption or loss of status or 
     privilege.
       ``(B) Responsibilities.--Detailees under subparagraph (A) 
     should carry out the following responsibilities:
       ``(i) Supporting the mission and objectives of the host 
     subnational government office.
       ``(ii) Advising State and municipal government officials 
     regarding questions of global affairs, foreign policy, 
     cooperative agreements, and public diplomacy.
       ``(iii) Coordinating activities relating to State and 
     municipal government subnational engagements with the 
     Department of State, including the Office, Department 
     leadership, and regional and functional bureaus of the 
     Department, as appropriate.
       ``(iv) Engaging Federal agencies regarding security, public 
     health, trade promotion, and other programs executed at the 
     State or municipal government level.
       ``(v) Any other duties requested by State and municipal 
     governments and approved by the Office.
       ``(C) Additional personnel support for subnational 
     engagement.--For the purposes of this subsection, the 
     Secretary of State--
       ``(i) is authorized to employ individuals by contract;
       ``(ii) is encouraged to make use of the re-hired annuitants 
     authority under section 3323 of title 5, United States Code, 
     particularly for annuitants who are already residing across 
     the United States who may have the skills and experience to 
     support subnational governments; and
       ``(iii) is encouraged to make use of authorities under the 
     Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4701 et 
     seq.) to temporarily assign State and local government 
     officials to the Department of State or overseas missions to 
     increase their international experience and add their 
     perspectives on United States priorities to the Department.
       ``(6) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
     be construed as precluding--
       ``(A) the Office from being elevated to a bureau within the 
     Department of State; or
       ``(B) the Special Representative from being elevated to an 
     Assistant Secretary, if such an Assistant Secretary position 
     does not increase the number of Assistant Secretary positions 
     at the Department above the number authorized under 
     subsection (c)(1).
       ``(7) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       ``(A) Municipal.--The term `municipal' means, with respect 
     to the government of a municipality in the United States, a 
     municipality with a population of not fewer than 100,000 
     people.
       ``(B) State.--The term `State' means the 50 States, the 
     District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the 
     United States.
       ``(C) Subnational engagement.--The term `subnational 
     engagement' means formal meetings or events between elected 
     officials of State or municipal governments and their foreign 
     counterparts.''.
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