Sec. 1008. Importance of foreign affairs training to national security
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/bill/117/hr/1157/ih/section-1008·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the Department is a crucial national security agency, whose employees, both Foreign and Civil Service, require the best possible training 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; the Department’s Foreign Service Institute should seek to substantially increase its educational and training offerings to Department personnel, including developing new and innovative educational and training courses, methods, programs, and opportunities; and consistent with existing Department gift acceptance authority and other applicable laws, the Department and 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 accomplish the goals specified in paragraph (3).
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy to establish a training float to allow for up to 15 percent of the Foreign Service to participate in long-term training at any given time. The strategy should identify steps necessary to ensure sufficient training capacity and opportunities are available to Foreign Service officers, mechanisms to ensure equitable distribution of long-term training opportunities to Foreign Service officers, and resources and any additional authorities necessary to facilitate such a training float.
The strategy shall identify which types of training would be prioritized, the extent (if any) to which such training is already being provided to Foreign Service officers by the Department of State, and why such training cannot be achieved without Foreign Service officers leaving the workforce.