Sec. 206. Lateral entry into the Foreign Service
538 words·~2 min read·
/bill/114/s/2937/pcs/section-206A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the policy of the United States to maximize the ability of the Foreign Service to draw upon the talents of the American people to most effectively promote the foreign policy interests of the United States. Congress finds that— the Foreign Service practice of grooming generalists for careers in the Foreign Service, starting with junior level directed assignments, is effective for most officers; and the practice described in paragraph
(1)precludes the recruitment of many patriotic, highly-skilled, talented, and experienced mid-career professionals who wish to join public service and contribute to the work of the Foreign Service, but are not in a position to restart their careers as entry-level government employees. It is the sense of Congress that the Foreign Service should permit mid-career entry into the Foreign Service for qualified individuals who are willing to bring their outstanding talents and experiences to the work of the Foreign Service. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a 3-year pilot program for lateral entry into the Foreign Service that— targets mid-career individuals from the civil service and private sector who have skills and experience that would be extremely valuable to the Foreign Service; is in full comportment with current Foreign Service intake procedures, including the requirement to pass the Foreign Service exam; offers participants in the pilot program placement in the Foreign Service at a grade level higher than FS–4 if such placement is warranted by their education and qualifying experience; requires only 1 directed assignment in a position appropriate to the pilot program participant’s grade level; includes, as part of the required initial training, a class or module that specifically prepares participants in the pilot program for life in the Foreign Service, including conveying to them essential elements of the practical knowledge that is normally acquired during a Foreign Service officer’s initial assignments; and includes an annual assessment of the progress of the pilot program by a review board consisting of Department officials with appropriate expertise, including employees of the Foreign Service, in order to evaluate the pilot program’s success and direction in advancing the policy set forth in subsection
(a)in light of the findings set forth in subsection (b). Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the duration of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes— the cumulative number of accepted and unaccepted applicants to the pilot program established under subsection (d); the cumulative number of pilot program participants placed into each Foreign Service cone; the grade level at which each pilot program participant entered the Foreign Service; information about the first assignment to which each pilot program participant was directed; the structure and operation of the pilot program, including— the operation of the pilot program to date; and any observations and lessons learned about the pilot program that the Secretary considers relevant. The Secretary shall— collect and maintain data on the career progression of each pilot program participant for the length of the participant’s Foreign Service career; and make the data described in paragraph
(1)available to the appropriate congressional committees upon request.