US Codex
Pub. L.
Notes

Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017

114th Congress · Approved Dec 16, 2016 · 130 Stat. 1905

An Act

To authorize the Department of State for fiscal year 2016, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa­tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short Title; Table of Contents.

(a)
Short Title.— This Act may be cited as the “Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017”.
(b)
Table of Contents.— The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; Table of contents.

Sec. 2. Definitions.

TITLE I— EMBASSY SECURITY AND PERSONNEL PROTECTION

Subtitle A— Review and Planning Requirements

Sec. 101. Designation of high risk, high threat posts.

Sec. 102. Contingency plans for high risk, high threat posts.

Sec. 103. Direct reporting.

Sec. 104. Accountability Review Board recommendations related to unsatisfactory leadership.

Subtitle B— Physical Security and Personnel Requirements

Sec. 111. Capital security cost sharing program.

Sec. 112. Local guard contracts abroad under diplomatic security program.

Sec. 113. Transfer authority.

Sec. 114. Security enhancements for soft targets.

Sec. 115. Exemption from certain procurement protest procedures for noncompetitive contracting in emergency circumstances.

Sec. 116. Sense of Congress regarding minimum security standards for temporary United States diplomatic and consular posts.

Sec. 117. Assignment of personnel at high risk, high threat posts.

Sec. 118. Annual report on embassy construction costs.

Sec. 119. Embassy security, construction, and maintenance.

Subtitle C— Security Training

Sec. 121. Security training for personnel assigned to high risk, high threat posts.

Sec. 122. Sense of Congress regarding language requirements for diplomatic security personnel assigned to high risk, high threat post.

Subtitle D— Expansion of the Marine Corps Security Guard Detachment Program

Sec. 131. Marine Corps Security Guard Program.

TITLE II— OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Sec. 201. Competitive hiring status for former employees of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

Sec. 202. Certification of independence of information technology systems of the Office of Inspector General of the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors.

Sec. 203. Protecting the integrity of internal investigations.

Sec. 204. Report on Inspector General inspection and auditing of Foreign Service posts and bureaus and other offices of the Department.

Sec. 205. Implementing GAO and OIG recommendations.

Sec. 206. Inspector General salary limitations.

TITLE III— INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Sec. 301. Oversight of and accountability for peacekeeper abuses.

Sec. 302. Reimbursement of contributing countries.

Sec. 303. Withholding of assistance.

Sec. 304. United Nations peacekeeping assessment formula.

Sec. 305. Reimbursement or application of credits.

Sec. 306. Report on United States contributions to the United Nations relating to peacekeeping operations.

Sec. 307. Whistleblower protections for United Nations personnel.

Sec. 308. Encouraging employment of United States citizens at the United Nations.

Sec. 309. Statement of policy on Member State’s voting practices at the United Nations.

Sec. 310. Qualifications of the United Nations Secretary General.

Sec. 311. Policy regarding the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Sec. 312. Additional report on other United States contributions to the United Nations.

Sec. 313. Comparative report on peacekeeping operations.

TITLE IV— PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES

Sec. 401. Locally-employed staff wages.

Sec. 402. Expansion of civil service opportunities.

Sec. 403. Promotion to the Senior Foreign Service.

Sec. 404. Lateral entry into the Foreign Service.

Sec. 405. Reemployment of annuitants and workforce rightsizing.

Sec. 406. Integration of foreign economic policy.

Sec. 407. Training support services.

Sec. 408. Special agents.

Sec. 409. Limited appointments in the Foreign Service.

Sec. 410. Report on diversity recruitment, employment, retention, and promotion.

Sec. 411. Market data for cost-of-living adjustments.

Sec. 412. Technical amendment to Federal Workforce Flexibility Act.

Sec. 413. Retention of mid- and senior-level professionals from traditionally underrepresented minority groups.

Sec. 414. Employee assignment restrictions.

Sec. 415. Security clearance suspensions.

Sec. 416. Sense of Congress on the integration of policies related to the participation of women in preventing and resolving conflicts.

Sec. 417. Foreign Service families workforce study.

Sec. 418. Special envoys, representatives, advisors, and coordinators of the Department.

Sec. 419. Combating anti-Semitism.

TITLE V— CONSULAR AUTHORITIES

Sec. 501. Codification of enhanced consular immunities.

Sec. 502. Passports made in the United States.

TITLE VI— WESTERN HEMISPHERE DRUG POLICY COMMISSION

Sec. 601. Establishment.

Sec. 602. Duties.

Sec. 603. Membership.

Sec. 604. Powers.

Sec. 605. Staff.

Sec. 606. Sunset.

TITLE VII— MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 701. Foreign relations exchange programs.

Sec. 702. United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.

Sec. 703. Broadcasting Board of Governors.

Sec. 704. Rewards for Justice.

Sec. 705. Extension of period for reimbursement of seized commercial fishermen.

Sec. 706. Expansion of the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program, the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program, and the Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program.

Sec. 707. GAO report on Department critical telecommunications equipment or services obtained from suppliers closely linked to a leading cyber-threat actor.

Sec. 708. Implementation plan for information technology and knowledge management.

Sec. 709. Ransoms to foreign terrorist organizations.

Sec. 710. Strategy to combat terrorist use of social media.

Sec. 711. Report on Department information technology acquisition practices.

Sec. 712. Public availability of reports on nominees to be chiefs of mission.

Sec. 713. Recruitment and retention of individuals who have lived, worked, or studied in predominantly Muslim countries or communities.

Sec. 714. Sense of Congress regarding coverage of appropriate therapies for dependents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Sec. 715. Repeal of obsolete reports.

Sec. 716. Prohibition on additional funding.

SEC. 2. Definitions.

In this Act:
(1)
Appropriate congressional committees.— The term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
(A)
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(B)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(2)
Department.— Unless otherwise specified, the term “Department” means the Department of State.
(3)
Foreign service.— The term “Foreign Service” has the meaning given such term in section 102 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3902).
(4)
Inspector general.— Unless otherwise specified, the term “Inspector General” means the Office of Inspector General of the Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
(5)
Peacekeeping credits.— The term “peacekeeping credits” means the amounts by which United States assessed peacekeeping contributions exceed actual expenditures, apportioned to the United States, of peacekeeping operations by the United Nations during a United Nations peacekeeping fiscal year.
(6)
Secretary.— Unless otherwise specified, the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of State.