Division G — Department of State Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

118th Congress · Approved Dec 23, 2024 · 138 Stat. 1773

DIVISION G Department of State Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

SEC. 7001. Short Title; Table of Contents.

(a)

Short Title.— This division may be cited as the “Department of State Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025”.

(b)

Table of Contents.— The table of contents for this division is as follows:

Sec. 7001. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 7002. Definitions.

TITLE LXXI— WORKFORCE MATTERS

Sec. 7101. Competitive local compensation plan.

Sec. 7102. Strategy for targeted recruitment of civil servants.

Sec. 7103. Electronic medical records.

Sec. 7104. Portability of professional licenses.

Sec. 7105. Expanding opportunities for Department-paid student internship program.

Sec. 7106. Career intermission program adjustment to enhance retention.

Sec. 7107. Assignment process modernization.

Sec. 7108. Report on modifying consular tour and first tours requirements.

Sec. 7109. Per diem allowance for newly hired members of the Foreign Service.

Sec. 7110. Termination of residential or motor vehicle leases and telephone service contracts for members of the Foreign Service.

Sec. 7111. Needs-based childcare subsidies enrollment period.

Sec. 7112. Comptroller General report on Department traveler experience.

Sec. 7113. Semiannual report on global footprint.

Sec. 7114. Report on former Federal employees advising foreign governments.

Sec. 7115. Authority to pay for or reimburse for certain security services.

TITLE LXXII— ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS

Sec. 7201. State-of-the-art building facilities.

Sec. 7202. Presence of chiefs of mission at diplomatic posts.

Sec. 7203. Periodic Inspector General reviews of chiefs of mission.

Sec. 7204. Special Envoy for Sudan.

Sec. 7205. Special Envoy for Belarus.

Sec. 7206. National Museum of American Diplomacy.

Sec. 7207. Overseas buildings due diligence.

Sec. 7208. Restrictions on the use of funds for solar panels.

Sec. 7209. Responsiveness to Congressional Research Service inquiries and Congressional Budget Office inquiries.

Sec. 7210. Expedited opening of diplomatic missions.

Sec. 7211. Report on United States Consulate in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China.

Sec. 7212. Personnel reporting.

Sec. 7213. Support co-location with allied partner nations.

Sec. 7214. Streamline qualification of construction contract bidders.

Sec. 7215. Continuation of rest and recuperation and overseas operations leave.

Sec. 7216. Overseas crisis response system and strategy.

TITLE LXXIII— INFORMATION SECURITY AND CYBER DIPLOMACY

Sec. 7301. Realigning the Regional Technology Officer Program.

Sec. 7302. Measures to protect Department devices from the proliferation and use of foreign commercial spyware.

Sec. 7303. Report on cloud computing in Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Sec. 7304. Information technology pilot projects.

Sec. 7305. Leveraging approved technology for administrative efficiencies.

TITLE LXXIV— PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Sec. 7401. United States Agency for Global Media.

Sec. 7402. Extension of authorizations to support United States participation in international fairs and expos.

Sec. 7403. Research and scholar exchange partnerships.

TITLE LXXV— DIPLOMATIC SECURITY AND CONSULAR AFFAIRS

Sec. 7501. Human trafficking authority.

Sec. 7502. Congressional notification for Serious Security Incidents.

Sec. 7503. Notifications regarding security decisions at diplomatic posts.

Sec. 7504. Security clearance suspension pay flexibilities.

Sec. 7505. Modification to notification requirement for security clearance suspensions and revocations.

Sec. 7506. Passport automation modernization.

Sec. 7507. Passport acceptance, courier services, and expiration dates.

Sec. 7508. Passport system reform and backlog prevention.

Sec. 7509. Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 Act amendments.

TITLE LXXVI— UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Sec. 7601. Personal service agreement authority for the United States Agency for International Development.

Sec. 7602. Crisis operations and disaster surge staffing.

Sec. 7603. Education allowance while on military leave.

Sec. 7604. Inclusion in the pet transportation exception to the Fly America Act.

TITLE LXXVII— DETERRING AND PREVENTING UNLAWFUL OR WRONGFUL DETENTION

Sec. 7701. Hostage recovery support.

Sec. 7702. Options and strategies for reducing likelihood of United States nationals being unlawfully or wrongfully detained or taken hostage.

Sec. 7703. Additional funding for sanctions implementation.

Sec. 7704. Enhancing United States travel advisories.

Sec. 7705. Coordination with transportation authorities and industry on travel advisories.

Sec. 7706. Privacy Act waiver and passport renewals.

Sec. 7707. Timeline for unlawful or wrongful detention determinations.

Sec. 7708. Declarations of invalidity.

TITLE LXXVIII— OTHER MATTERS

Sec. 7801. Authorization of appropriations to promote United States citizen employment at the United Nations and international organizations.

Sec. 7802. Amendment to Rewards for Justice program.

Sec. 7803. United States-Africa Leaders Summit and related matters.

Sec. 7804. Summit of the Americas.

Sec. 7805. Extension of certain payment in connection with the International Space Station.

Sec. 7806. Inclusion of cost associated with producing reports.

Sec. 7807. Fentanyl reporting and authorities.

Sec. 7808. Strengthening tracking of Tranq.

Sec. 7809. SIGAR sunset and transition.

Sec. 7810. Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts.

Sec. 7811. Feasibility study for reimbursement of certain expenses of persons evacuated from Afghanistan.

Sec. 7812. Extensions.

SEC. 7002. Definitions.

In this division:

(1)

Administrator.— The term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

(2)

Appropriate congressional committees.— The term “appropriate congressional committees” means the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

(3)

Department.— The term “Department” means the Department of State.

(4)

Secretary.— The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of State.

(5)

USAID.— The term “USAID” means the United States Agency for International Development.

TITLE LXXI Workforce Matters

SEC. 7101. Competitive Local Compensation Plan.

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)

the effectiveness and stability of United States foreign missions are linked to the dedication and expertise of locally employed staff; and

(2)

ensuring competitive compensation packages benchmarked against the local market is essential not only to retain valuable talent but also to reflect a commitment to employment practices abroad.

SEC. 7102. Strategy for Targeted Recruitment of Civil Servants.

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a strategy for targeted and proactive recruitment to fill open civil service positions, focusing on recruiting from schools or organizations, and on platforms targeting those with relevant expertise related to such positions.

SEC. 7103. Electronic Medical Records.

(a)

Sense of Congress.— It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)

Foreign Service personnel at the Department serve with distinction in austere places and under challenging conditions around the world with limited healthcare availability;

(2)

the use of paper medical records, which require Foreign Service personnel to carry files containing protected health information from post to post, limits the availability of their health information to Department medical personnel during critical health incidents;

(3)

electronic medical records are necessary, particularly as the Department opens new embassies in the South Pacific, thousands of miles from the nearest Department medical officer, who may not have access to up-to-date personnel medical files;

(4)

the lack of electronic medical records is even more important for mental health records, as the Department only has a small number of regional medical officer psychiatrists and relies heavily on telehealth for most Foreign Service personnel; and

(5)

due to the critical need for electronic medical records, it is imperative that the Department address the situation quickly and focus on secure commercially available or other successful systems utilized by public and private sector organizations with a track record of successfully implementing large-scale projects of this type.

(b)

Electronic Medical Records Requirement.— Not later than December 31, 2027, the Secretary shall have fully implemented an electronic medical records process or system for all Foreign Service personnel and their Eligible Family Members that eliminates reliance on paper medical records and includes appropriate safeguards to protect personal privacy.

(c)

Report on Implementation.—

(1)

In general.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report on the progress made towards meeting the requirement under subsection (b).

(2)

Elements.— The report required under paragraph (1) shall include the following elements:

(A)

An updated timeline for implementation.

(B)

An estimated completion date.

(C)

The amounts expended to date on the required electronic medical records system.

(D)

The estimated amount needed to complete the system.

(3)

Termination of requirement.—

(A)

In general.— The reporting requirement under paragraph (1) shall cease upon the earlier of—

(i)

notification to the appropriate congressional committees that electronic medical records have been completely implemented for all Foreign Service personnel; and

(ii)

the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(B)

Report required in case of non-implementation.— If the Department has not completely implemented electronic medical records within 5 years of the date of the enactment of this Act, the final report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include an explanation for the lack of completion and steps the Department will take to finalize the electronic medical records process.

SEC. 7104. Portability of Professional Licenses.

(a)

In General.— Chapter 9 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081 et seq.) is amended by adding after section 908 (22 U.S.C. 4088) the following new section:

“SEC. 909. PORTABILITY OF PROFESSIONAL LICENSES.

“(a) In General.—In any case in which a member of the Foreign Service or the spouse of a member of the Foreign Service has a covered United States license and such member of the Foreign Service or spouse relocates his or her residency because of an assignment or detail to a location that is not in the jurisdiction of the licensing authority that issued the covered license, such covered license shall be considered valid at a similar scope of practice and in the discipline applied for in the jurisdiction of such new residency for the duration of such an assignment or detail if such member of the Foreign Service or spouse—

“(1) provides a copy of the member’s notification of assignment to the licensing authority in the jurisdiction in which the new residency is located;

“(2) remains in good standing with—

“(A) the licensing authority that issued the covered license; and

“(B) every other licensing authority that has issued to the member of the Foreign Service or spouse a license valid at a similar scope of practice and in the discipline applied in the jurisdiction of such licensing authority; and

“(3) submits to the authority of the licensing authority in the new jurisdiction for the purposes of standards of practice, discipline, and fulfillment of any continuing education requirements.

“(b) Interstate Licensure Compacts.—If a member of the Foreign Service or spouse of a member of the Foreign Service is licensed and able to operate in multiple jurisdictions through an interstate licensure compact, with respect to services provided in the jurisdiction of the interstate licensure compact by a licensee covered by such compact, the member of the Foreign Service or spouse of a member of the Foreign Service shall be subject to the requirements of the compact or the applicable provisions of law of the applicable State and not this section.

“(c) Covered License Defined.—In this section, the term ‘covered license’ means a professional license or certificate—

“(1) that is in good standing with the licensing authority that issued such professional license or certificate;

“(2) that the member of the Foreign Service or spouse of a member of the Foreign Service has actively used during the two years immediately preceding the relocation described in subsection (a); and

“(3) that is not a license to practice law.”

(b)

Clerical Amendment.— The table of contents in section 2 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 908 the following new item:

“Sec. 909. Portability of professional licenses.”.

SEC. 7105. Expanding Opportunities for Department-Paid Student Internship Program.

(a)

In General.— Section 9201 of the Department of State Authorization Act of 2022 (22 U.S. 2737) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (b)(2)(A), by inserting “ or have graduated from such an institution within the six months preceding application to the Program” after “ paragraph (1)”;

(2)

in subsection (c), by inserting “ and gives preference as appropriate to individuals who have not previously completed internships within the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development” after “ career in foreign affairs”; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following subsections:

“(k) Work Hours Flexibility.—Students participating in the Program may work fewer than 40 hours per week and a minimum of 24 hours per week to accommodate their academic schedules, provided that the total duration of the internship remains consistent with program requirements.

“(l) Mentorship Program.—The Secretary and Administrator are authorized to establish a mentoring and coaching program that pairs Foreign Service or Civil Service employees with interns who choose to participate throughout the duration of their internship.”

SEC. 7106. Career Intermission Program Adjustment to Enhance Retention.

(a)

Authority to Extend Federal Employee Health Benefit Coverage.— The Secretary and Administrator are authorized to offer employees the option of extending Federal Employee Health Benefit coverage during pre-approved leave without pay for up to 3 years.

(b)

Responsibility for Premium Payments.— If an employee elects to continue coverage pursuant to subsection (a) for longer than 365 days, the employee shall be responsible for 100 percent of the premium (employee share and government share) during such longer period.

SEC. 7107. Assignment Process Modernization.

(a)

In General.— Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall modernize the Foreign Service bidding process, and should consider incorporating the following elements:

(1)

A stable-pair matching, preference-ranking system for non-directed Foreign Service employees and hiring bureaus, allowing for a more strategic alignment of workforce and resources.

(2)

Incorporation of lessons learned from the previous stable-pair matching bidding pilot framework referred to as “iMatch” but applied more expansively to include non-directed assignments up through FS–01 positions, taking advantage of efficiency benefits such as tandem assignment functionalities.

(3)

Mechanisms to ensure transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, and flexibility in the assignment process, while maintaining equal opportunities for all employees in the Foreign Service.

(4)

An independent auditing process to ensure adherence to established rules, effectiveness in meeting the Department’s needs, and prevention of bias or manipulation, including through the use of protected categories in making assignment decisions.

(b)

Consideration of Certain Promotion Issues.— In parallel with assignment process modernization efforts, the Secretary shall—

(1)

assess whether any point systems tied to promotion incentives should consider service in hard-to-fill or critical positions; and

(2)

assess whether the practice of dividing the assignment process into winter and summer cycles is necessary or efficient compared to stable matching processes.

(c)

Reporting and Oversight.— Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of the assignment process under this section, including—

(1)

data on match rates, including in filling critical or priority positions, officer and hiring office satisfaction, and the impact on tandem placements;

(2)

recommendations for further modifications to the bidding process;

(3)

an overview of the strategy used to communicate any changes to the workforce; and

(4)

results of analysis into additional transparency efforts, including those described in subsection (a)(3).

SEC. 7108. Report on Modifying Consular Tour and First Tours Requirements.

(a)

In General.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that evaluates—

(1)

the feasibility of reducing, removing, or adding flexibility to the directed consular tours requirements for non-consular-coned generalist members of the Foreign Service;

(2)

the projected impact on consular services if the current practice of directed consular tours are revised or removed, and projected additional resources or authorities that would be needed to address such impact; and

(3)

the feasibility of requiring that first tours for members of the Foreign Service be assigned in the National Capital Region.

(b)

Elements.— The report required under subsection (a) shall include a description of resources required to implement the changes described in such subsection, a timeline for implementation, and an assessment of the benefits and consequences of such changes, including any obstacles.

SEC. 7109. Per Diem Allowance for Newly Hired Members of the Foreign Service.

(a)

Per Diem Allowance.—

(1)

In general.— Except as provided in paragraph (2), any newly hired Foreign Service employee who is in initial orientation training, or any other training expected to last less than 6 months in the Washington, D.C. area before transferring to the employee’s first assignment overseas or domestically outside the Washington, D.C. area shall, for the duration of such training, receive a per diem allowance at the levels prescribed under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.

(2)

Limitation on lodging expenses.— A newly hired Foreign Service employee may not receive any lodging expenses under the applicable per diem allowance pursuant to paragraph (1) if that employee—

(A)

has a permanent residence in the Washington, D.C., area (not including government-supplied housing during such orientation training or other training); and

(B)

does not vacate such residence during such orientation training or other training.

(b)

Definitions.— In this section—

(1)

the term “per diem allowance” has the meaning given such term in section 5701 of title 5, United States Code; and

(2)

the term “Washington, D.C., area” means the geographic area within a 50-mile radius of the Washington Monument.

SEC. 7110. Termination of Residential or Motor Vehicle Leases and Telephone Service Contracts for Members of the Foreign Service.

Section 907 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4087) is amended by striking “ Service who are posted abroad at a Foreign Service post” and inserting “ Foreign Service who are posted in the United States or posted abroad”.

SEC. 7111. Needs-Based Childcare Subsidies Enrollment Period.

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Department and USAID shall—

(1)

issue and maintain guidance on how to apply for any program authorized under section 630 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public Law 107–67; 115 Stat. 552); and

(2)

consider using maximum flexibilities to accept applications throughout the year or in accordance with Qualifying Life Event changes (as defined by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB)).

SEC. 7112. Comptroller General Report on Department Traveler Experience.

(a)

In General.— Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review and submit to the appropriate congressional, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the effect of section 40118 of title 49, United States Code (commonly referred to as the “Fly America Act”) on Department travelers.

(b)

Elements.— The report required under subsection (a) shall include an analysis of the extent to which the Fly America Act—

(1)

disproportionately impacts Department personnel;

(2)

impacts travelers, including their ability to find suitable flights and the ability to complete their travel in a timely and effective manner;

(3)

increases or decreases costs to the United States Government;

(4)

produces overly burdensome restrictions in times of urgent travel such as Emergency Visitation Travel and Ordered/Authorized Departure; and

(5)

a description of other relevant issues the Comptroller General determines appropriate.

SEC. 7113. Semiannual Report on Global Footprint.

(a)

In General.— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report on the global footprint of the Department.

(b)

Elements.— The report required under subsection (a) shall include, for each diplomatic post—

(1)

the number and type of Department employees assigned to the post; and

(2)

the number of allocated positions that remain unfilled.

(c)

Form.— The report required under subsection (a) shall be submitted in classified form.

SEC. 7114. Report on Former Federal Employees Advising Foreign Governments.

(a)

In General.— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 3 years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees, the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report that identifies former United States Government senior officials who have been approved by the Secretary to advise foreign governments.

(b)

Form.— The report required under subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

SEC. 7115. Authority to Pay for or Reimburse for Certain Security Services.

(a)

In General.— The Secretary and the Administrator are authorized to pay for or reimburse for appropriate security services to mitigate risks to certain employees or members of their households resulting from or related to the employee’s official duties or affiliation with the Department or USAID. These security equipment or services may include security cameras and services to de-prioritize or remove internet search results revealing personally identifiable information.

(b)

Required Policy.— Prior to paying for or reimbursing services pursuant to subsection (a), the Department shall establish a policy that—

(1)

outlines the requirements for qualifying for the payment of or reimbursement of services;

(2)

identifies the office responsible for vetting requests for paying for or reimbursing of services; and

(3)

mandates expeditious consideration of such requests.

TITLE LXXII Organization and Operations

SEC. 7201. State-Of-The-Art Building Facilities.

The Secretary should use existing waiver authorities to expedite upgrades and critical maintenance for the Harry S. Truman Federal Building, with the goal of having at least 85 percent of construction and upgrades completed by December 31, 2027.

SEC. 7202. Presence of Chiefs of Mission at Diplomatic Posts.

(a)

Requirement for Arrival at Diplomatic Post Within 60 Days.—

(1)

In general.— The Secretary shall require that to be eligible for payment of travel expenses for initial arrival at the assigned post, a chief of mission must arrive at the post not later than 60 days after the date on which the chief of mission was confirmed by the Senate.

(2)

Exceptions.— The restriction under paragraph (1) shall not apply to a chief of mission who arrives later than 60 days after confirmation by the Senate if the delay was caused by one or more of the following:

(A)

A flight delay that was outside of the control of the chief of mission or the Department.

(B)

A natural disaster, global health emergency, or other naturally occurring event that prevented the chief of mission from entering the country of the assigned post.

(C)

Delay or refusal by the government of the host country to accept diplomatic accreditation.

(D)

Family or medical emergency.

(E)

Extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the chief of mission.

(3)

Waiver.— The Secretary may waive the requirement under paragraph (1) upon a determination that extenuating circumstances warrant such a waiver and upon submission of a brief description of the determination to the appropriate congressional committees.

(4)

Notification required.— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and in each case that a chief of mission arrives at an assigned post more than 60 days after confirmation, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report identifying any chief of mission who arrived at the assigned post more than 60 days after confirmation by the Senate, and includes a description of the justification.

(b)

Notifications on Departures of Chiefs of Mission.— Beginning on April 1, 2025, for 5 years, the Secretary shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of any chief of mission who has permanently departed from the assigned post within 90 days of the departure.

SEC. 7203. Periodic Inspector General Reviews of Chiefs of Mission.

(a)

In General.— Beginning on April 1, 2025, and for a 3-year period thereafter, the Inspector General of the Department of State shall conduct management reviews of chiefs of mission, charge d’affaires, and other principal officers assigned overseas during inspection visits, when those officers have been at post more than 180 days.

(b)

Disposition.— If there are serious management concerns raised and substantiated, a copy of the management review document shall be provided to the rating officer for formal discussion as part of the performance evaluation process. The management review shall remain in the employee’s personnel file unless otherwise required by law. The subject of a review conducted pursuant to subsection (a) shall have the opportunity to respond to and comment on the review, and the response shall be included in the employee’s file for promotion panel review.

(c)

Notification Requirement in Case of Serious Management Concerns.— The Inspector General of the Department of State shall notify the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, and the appropriate congressional committees within 30 days of any review in which a preponderance of evidence shows that a chief of mission, charge d’affaires, or other principal officer did not meet Department guidelines, and such behavior negatively impacted the ability to conduct operations at the mission, and which information is not otherwise submitted as part of the periodic inspection or report.

SEC. 7204. Special Envoy for Sudan.

(a)

Establishment.— The President shall, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint a Special Envoy for Sudan at the Department (in this section referred to as the “Special Envoy”). The Special Envoy shall report directly to the Secretary and should not hold another position in the Department while holding the position of Special Envoy.

(b)

Duties.— The Special Envoy shall—

(1)

lead United States diplomatic efforts to support negotiations and humanitarian response efforts related to alleviating the crisis in Sudan;

(2)

be responsible for coordinating policy development and execution related to ending the conflict and a future path to national recovery and democratic transition in Sudan across all bureaus in the Department and coordinating with interagency partners; and

(3)

consult regularly with the appropriate congressional committees and keep such committees fully and currently informed on the status of diplomatic efforts and negotiations.

(c)

Staffing.—

(1)

In general.— The Secretary shall ensure that the Special Envoy is staffed with personnel approved by the envoy, including through reassignment of positions responsible for issues related to Sudan that currently exist within the Department, encouraging details or assignment of employees of the Department from regional and functional bureaus with expertise relevant to Sudan, or through request for interagency details of individuals with relevant experience from other United States Government departments or agencies, including the Department of Treasury.

(2)

Briefing requirements.— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Department should brief the appropriate congressional committees on the number of full-time equivalent positions supporting the Special Envoy and the relevant expertise and duties of any employees of the Department serving as detailees.

(d)

Sunset.— The position of the Special Envoy for Sudan shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 7205. Special Envoy for Belarus.

Section 6406(d) of the Department of State Authorization Act of 2023 (division F of Public Law 118–31; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended to read as follows:

“(d) Role.—The position of Special Envoy—

“(1) shall only exist while United States diplomatic operations in Belarus at the United States Embassy in Minsk, Belarus are suspended; and

“(2) shall oversee the operations and personnel of the Belarus Affairs Unit.”

SEC. 7206. National Museum of American Diplomacy.

Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 is amended by adding after section 64 (22 U.S.C. 2735a) the following:

“SEC. 65. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY.

“(a) Activities.—

“(1) Support authorized.—The Secretary is authorized to provide, by contract, grant, or otherwise, for the performance of appropriate museum visitor and educational outreach services and related events, including—

“(A) organizing programs and conference activities;

“(B) creating, designing, and installing exhibits; and

“(C) conducting museum shop services and food services in the public exhibition and related physical and virtual space utilized by the National Museum of American Diplomacy.

“(2) Recovery of costs.—The Secretary of State is authorized to retain the proceeds obtained from customary and appropriate fees charged for the use of facilities, including venue rental for events consistent with the activities described in subsection (a)(1) and museum shop services and food services at the National Museum of American Diplomacy. Such proceeds shall be retained as a recovery of the costs of operating the Museum, credited to a designated Department account that exists for the purpose of funding the Museum and its programs and activities, and shall remain available until expended.

“(b) Disposition of Documents, Artifacts, and Other Articles.—

“(1) Property.—All historic documents, artifacts, or other articles acquired by the Department of State for the permanent museum collection and determined by the Secretary of State to be suitable for display by the National Museum of American Diplomacy shall be considered to be the property of the United States Government and shall be subject to disposition solely in accordance with this subsection.

“(2) Sale, trade, or transfer.—Whenever the Secretary of State makes a determination described in paragraph (3) with respect to a document, artifact, or other article described in paragraph (1), taking into account considerations such as the Museum’s collections management policy and best professional museum practice, the Secretary may sell at fair market value, trade, or transfer such document, artifact, or other article without regard to the requirements of subtitle I of title 40, United States Code. The proceeds of any such sale may be used solely for the advancement of the activities described in subsection (a)(1) of the National Museum of American Diplomacy and may not be used for any purpose other than the acquisition and direct care of the collections of the Museum.

“(3) Determinations prior to sale, trade, or transfer.—The determination described in this paragraph with respect to a document, artifact, or other article described in paragraph (1) is a determination that—

“(A) the document, artifact, or other article no longer serves to further the mission of the National Museum of American Diplomacy as set forth in the collections management policy of the Museum;

“(B) the sale at a fair market price based on an independent appraisal or trade or transfer of the document, artifact, or other article would serve to maintain or enhance the Museum collection; and

“(C) the sale, trade, or transfer of the document, artifact, or other article would be in the best interests of the United States.

“(4) Loans.—In addition to the authorization under paragraph (2) relating to the sale, trade, or transfer of documents, artifacts, or other articles described in paragraph (1), the Secretary of State may—

“(A) loan the documents, artifacts, or other articles to other institutions, both foreign and domestic, for repair, study, or exhibition when not needed for use or display by the National Museum of American Diplomacy; and

“(B) borrow documents, artifacts, or other articles from other institutions or individuals, both foreign and domestic, for activities consistent with subsection (a)(1).”

SEC. 7207. Overseas Buildings Due Diligence.

(a)

In General.— The Secretary shall take such steps as may be necessary to avoid or minimize purchasing or leasing for 180 days or longer a covered building to be used by United States Government personnel carrying out their official duties—

(1)

in which a covered entity is known through reasonable due diligence to have performed covered construction;

(2)

in which due diligence has indicated a covered entity has an ownership interest; or

(3)

where a covered entity is expected to perform covered construction.

(b)

Notification.—

(1)

In general.— If, after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary determines it is in the national security interest of the United States to acquire or lease a covered building, or enter into or renew a contract with a covered entity to perform covered construction with a covered building, then the Secretary shall notify the appropriate congressional committees and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives—

(A)

not later than 7 days before entering into an acquisition, lease, or agreement with a covered building or covered entity doing covered construction; and

(B)

not later than 21 days after becoming aware of an existing lease or agreement occurring with a covered building or covered entity doing covered construction.

(2)

Determination of national security interest.— The notification required under paragraph (1) shall also include, to the extent applicable—

(A)

a determination of whether the inconsistent acquisition, lease, or agreement is in the national security interest of the United States;

(B)

an identification of the interest advanced by such inconsistent action;

(C)

a detailed explanation for such determination; and

(D)

any action the Secretary has taken or intends to take to mitigate national security vulnerabilities that may be posed by such inconsistent action.

(c)

Definitions.— In this section:

(1)

Covered building.— The term “covered building” means a building that is used or intended to be used by personnel of a consular or diplomatic post located outside of the United States for carrying out their official duties.

(2)

Covered construction.— The term “covered construction”—

(A)

means any construction, development, conversion, extension, alteration, repair, or maintenance performed with respect to a building; and

(B)

includes the installation or maintenance of electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, communication, fire protection, and energy management systems with respect to such building.

(3)

Covered entity.— The term “covered entity” means an entity with respect to which the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Government of the Russian Federation, or an agent or instrumentality of the Government of the People’s Republic of China or the Government of the Russian Federation, directly or indirectly, including through any contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship—

(A)

owns or controls a significant percent of the ownership interest; or

(B)

otherwise exercises substantial control.

SEC. 7208. Restrictions on the Use of Funds for Solar Panels.

The Department may not use Federal funds to procure any solar energy products that were manufactured in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China or other regions in the country, which are known to be produced with forced labor.

SEC. 7209. Responsiveness to Congressional Research Service Inquiries and Congressional Budget Office Inquiries.

(a)

Findings.— The Congressional Research Service and the Congressional Budget Office are charged with rendering effective and efficient service to Congress and responding expeditiously, effectively, and efficiently to the needs of Congress.

(b)

Responses.— The Secretary and Administrator shall ensure that for any inquiry or request from the Congressional Research Service or the Congressional Budget Office—

(1)

an initial substantive response to the request is sent within 14 days of receipt of the inquiry;

(2)

a complete answer responsive to the request is sent within 90 days of receipt of the inquiry, together with an explanation as to why the request was delayed; and

(3)

Congressional Research Service and Congressional Budget Office staff shall be treated as congressional staff for any briefings or informal discussions.

(c)

Requirement to Disclose Unclassified Information.— The Secretary and the Administrator shall not refuse to provide information to the Congressional Research Service or the Congressional Budget Office on the basis that the Secretary or the Administrator deems such information to be sensitive but unclassified.

SEC. 7210. Expedited Opening of Diplomatic Missions.

(a)

Findings.— Congress makes the following findings:

(1)

Increasing the United States’ global diplomatic footprint is imperative to advance United States’ national security interests, particularly in the face of a massive diplomatic expansion of our strategic competitors.

(2)

Opening or re-opening diplomatic missions, often in small island nations where there is no United States Government presence, but one is needed to advance United States strategic objectives.

(3)

Diplomatic missions should be resourced and equipped for success upon opening to allow diplomats to focus on advancing United States national interests in-country.

(4)

The United States can and should move more swiftly to open new diplomatic missions and provide United States diplomats and locally employed staff with a workplace that meets locally appropriate quality, safety, and security standards.

(5)

To do this, the Department must streamline and support the process of opening new posts to identify efficiencies and remove obstacles that are unduly complicating the opening of new diplomatic missions, particularly in small island states and similarly situated locations.

(b)

Report to Congress.—

(1)

In general.— Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report on how the Department is creating a new framework to provide such diplomatic missions the needed resources and authorities to quickly and efficiently stand up and operate from the moment United States personnel arrive, or even before the opening of a new mission, particularly in small island nations.

(2)

Elements.— The report required under paragraph (1) shall include—

(A)

a list of authorities and processes related to the opening of new diplomatic missions;

(B)

a list of authorities and processes related to the opening of new diplomatic missions that the Department can waive to expediently stand up new diplomatic missions;

(C)

essential functions that each new diplomatic mission should be able to carry out independently upon opening;

(D)

a description of functions that another post or support center will need to carry out to support the new mission;

(E)

a list of essential equipment and access to facilities, including to support secure communications, that should be provided to each new diplomatic mission, the approval of which should be handled prior to or shortly after the opening of the new diplomatic mission, including arrangements for basic office equipment, vehicles, and housing;

(F)

the number of recommended locally engaged staff and United States direct hires resident in-country;

(G)

the number of non-resident support staff who are assigned to the new diplomatic mission, such as from another post or regional support center;

(H)

a description of how medical and consular support services could be provided;

(I)

procedures for requesting an expansion or renovation of the post’s functions or physical platform after opening, should that be needed;

(J)

any other authorities or processes that may be required to successfully and quickly stand up a new diplomatic mission, including any new authorities the Department may need;

(K)

a list of incentives, in addition to pay differentials, being considered for such posts;

(L)

a description of any specialized training, including for management and security personnel supporting the establishment of such new embassies that may be required; and

(M)

a list of what steps the Department is taking to expedite embassy construction in Dublin, Ireland, consulate build-out in Nuuk, Greenland, and embassy renovations in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and projected new posts in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands.

(c)

Senior Official to Lead New Embassy Expansion.—

(1)

Designation.— The Secretary shall designate an assistant secretary-level senior official to expedite and make recommendations for the reform of procedures for opening new diplomatic missions abroad, particularly in small island states.

(2)

Responsibilities.— The senior official designated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be responsible for proposing policy and procedural changes to the Secretary to—

(A)

expediting the resourcing of new diplomatic missions by waiving or reducing when possible mandatory processes required to open new diplomatic missions, taking into account the threat environment and circumstances in the host country;

(B)

when necessary, quickly adjudicating within the Department any decision points that arise during the planning and execution phases of the establishment of a new mission;

(C)

ensuring new missions receive the management and operational support needed, including by designating such support be undertaken by another post, regional support center, or Department entities based in the United States; and

(D)

ensuring that the authorities provided in the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (title VI of division A of appendix G of Public Law 106–113), as amended by the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 2022 (section 9301 of Public Law 117–263; 136 Stat. 3879), are fully utilized in the planning for all new diplomatic missions.

(d)

New Diplomatic Mission Defined.— In this section, the term “new diplomatic mission” means any bilateral diplomatic mission opened since January 1, 2020, in a country where there had not been a bilateral diplomatic mission since the date that is 20 years before the date of the enactment of this Act.

(e)

Sunset.— The authorities and requirements of this section shall terminate 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 7211. Report on United States Consulate in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China.

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the effect of the suspension of operations at of the United States Consulate General in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, on July 27, 2020, on diplomatic and consular activities of the United States in Southwestern China, including the provision of consular services to United States citizens, and on relations with the people of Southwestern China, including in areas designated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China as autonomous.

SEC. 7212. Personnel Reporting.

Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and at least every 120 days thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report—

(1)

describing the on-board personnel levels, hiring, and attrition of the Civil Service, Foreign Service, eligible family members, locally employed staff, and contractor workforce of the Department, on an operating unit-by-operating unit basis; and

(2)

including a status update on progress toward fiscal year hiring plans for Foreign Service and Civil Service.

SEC. 7213. Support Co-Location with Allied Partner Nations.

The Secretary, following consultation which occurs a reasonable time in advance of the exercise of the authority and includes details on costs and purposes with the appropriate congressional committees, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives may alter, repair, and furnish United States Government-owned and leased space for use by the government of a foreign country to facilitate co-location of such government in such space, on such terms and conditions as the Secretary may determine, including with respect to reimbursement of all or part of the costs of such alteration, repair, or furnishing. Reimbursements or advances of funds pursuant to this section may be credited to the currently applicable appropriation and shall be available for the purposes for which such appropriation is authorized.

SEC. 7214. Streamline Qualification of Construction Contract Bidders.

Section 402 of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4852) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)—

(A)

by inserting “ be awarded” after “ joint venture persons may”;

(B)

by striking “ bid on” both places it appears; and

(C)

in paragraph (1), by striking “ $10,000,000” and inserting “ $25,000,000”; and

(2)

in subsection (c)—

(A)

in paragraph 1, by striking “ two” and inserting “ three”; and

(B)

in paragraph (2)—

(i)

in subparagraph (D), by striking “ at a United States diplomatic or consular establishment abroad” and inserting “ on a Federal contract abroad”;

(ii)

by striking subparagraphs (E) and (G);

(iii)

by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (E); and

(iv)

in subparagraph (E), as redesignated by clause (iii), by striking “ 80”both places it appears and inserting “ 65”.

SEC. 7215. Continuation of Rest and Recuperation and Overseas Operations Leave.

(a)

In General.— Chapter 9 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 903 (22 U.S.C. 4083) the following new sections:

“SEC. 903a. REST AND RECUPERATION LEAVE.

“(a) Definitions.—In this section—

“(1) the term ‘agency’ means an Executive agency (as that term is defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code), but does not include the Government Accountability Office;

“(2) the term ‘combat zone’ means a geographic area designated by an Executive order of the President as an area in which the Armed Forces are engaging or have engaged in combat, an area designated by law to be treated as a combat zone, or a location the Department of Defense has certified for combat zone tax benefits due to its direct support of military operations;

“(3) the term ‘employee’ means an officer or an individual who is—

“(A) appointed in the civil service, the Foreign Service, or any appointment authority other than the uniformed services (as that term is defined in section 101 of title 37, United States Code), by one of the following acting in an official capacity:

“(i) The President.

“(ii) A Member or Members of Congress, or Congress.

“(iii) An individual who is an employee under this section.

“(iv) The head of a Government-controlled corporation;

“(B) engaged in the performance of a Federal function under authority of law or an Executive act; and

“(C) subject to the supervision of an individual described in subparagraph (A) while engaged in the performance of the duties of his or her position;

“(4) the term ‘high risk, high threat post’ has the meaning given that term in section 104 of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4803); and

“(5) the term ‘leave year’ means the period beginning on the first day of the first complete pay period in a calendar year and ending on the day immediately before the first day of the first complete pay period in the following calendar year.

“(b) Leave for Rest and Recuperation.—The Secretary or other head of an agency may prescribe regulations to grant up to 20 days of paid leave, per leave year, for the purposes of rest and recuperation to an employee of the agency serving in a combat zone, any other high risk, high threat post, or any other location presenting significant security or operational challenges.

“(c) Discretionary Authority of the Secretary or Other Agency Head.—Use of the authority under subsection (b) is at the sole and exclusive discretion of the head of the agency concerned.

“(d) Records.—An agency shall record leave provided under this section separately from leave authorized under any other provision of law.

“SEC. 903b. OVERSEAS OPERATIONS LEAVE.

“(a) Definitions.—In this section—

“(1) the term ‘agency’ means an Executive agency (as that term is defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code), but does not include the Government Accountability Office.

“(2) the term ‘employee’ means an officer or an individual who is—

“(i) The President.

“(ii) A Member or Members of Congress, or Congress.

“(iii) An individual who is an employee under this section.

“(iv) The head of a Government-controlled corporation;

“(B) engaged in the performance of a Federal function under authority of law or an Executive act; and

“(C) subject to the supervision of an individual described in subparagraph (A) while engaged in the performance of the duties of his or her position; and

“(3) the term ‘leave year’ means the period beginning with the first day of the first complete pay period in a calendar year and ending with the day immediately before the first day of the first complete pay period in the following calendar year.

“(b) Leave for Overseas Operations.—The Secretary or other head of an agency may prescribe regulations to grant up to 10 days of paid leave, per leave year, to an employee of the agency serving abroad for the purpose of local holidays.

“(c) Discretionary Authority of the Secretary or Other Agency Head.—Use of the authority under subsection (b) is at the sole and exclusive discretion of the head of the agency concerned.”

(b)

Clerical Amendment.— The table of contents in section 2 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–465; 94 Stat. 2071) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 903 the following new items:

“Sec. 903a. Rest and recuperation leave.

“Sec. 903b. Overseas operations leave.”.

SEC. 7216. Overseas Crisis Response System and Strategy.

(a)

Senior Focal Point on Crisis Management and Response.—

(1)

Designation.— The Secretary shall designate a senior official with significant experience in crisis management and response to support the Department’s response to and management of international crises as defined in subsection (e).

(2)

Duties.— The Senior Focal Point for Crisis Management and Response shall facilitate the Department’s coordinated response to crisis management and response, in a manner consistent with roles and responsibilities of other senior Department and USAID personnel assigned to address and implement crisis management and response activities, and will carry out relevant activities to include the following:

(A)

Coordinate the Department’s response to and management of international crises.

(B)

Coordinate with regional and other relevant Department bureaus and USAID on such crises and other matters relevant to crisis management and response.

(C)

Facilitate information necessary for the execution of after-action reviews after international crises.

(D)

Maintain close liaison with the appropriate congressional committees regarding the Department’s response to and management of international crises.

(E)

Undertake other duties, as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the Administrator, relevant to crisis management and response.

(3)

Reporting.— The Senior Focal Point for Crisis Management and Response shall report directly to the Secretary in the execution of the duties described under paragraph (2).

(b)

Tabletop Exercises and Simulations.—

(1)

In general.— Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than annually thereafter for 3 years, the Secretary shall direct the relevant offices of the Department to ensure a tabletop exercise or simulation on international crises is conducted by the Department. The tabletop exercise or simulation should be conducted in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

(2)

Matters to be included.— The Secretary shall ensure that such exercises or simulations address the Department’s crisis response and evacuation requirements, and should include—

(A)

the necessary and appropriate information to outline the crisis management roles and responsibilities of the Department’s senior leadership;

(B)

established Department crisis management structures for international crises;

(C)

required processes, personnel, and resources for operational drawdown and evacuation operations in international crises; and

(D)

all procedures relevant to the identification of, coordination with, and the provision of assistance to—

(i)

private United States citizens;

(ii)

United States Government employees and their dependents;

(iii)

United States allies and partners;

(iv)

local nationals who have assisted United States Government efforts; and

(v)

third-country nationals.

(3)

Leadership; participation.— The Secretary shall ensure that—

(A)

the Department’s Senior Focal Point on Crisis Management and Response, the Operation Center’s Crisis Management and Strategy team, the Foreign Service Institute’s Leadership and Management School’s Crisis Management Training division, or other Department operating units, as determined to be appropriate by the Secretary, lead such exercises or simulations; and

(B)

such exercises or simulations include the participation of the Department’s relevant senior leadership and staff, including leadership and staff from regional and relevant functional bureaus.

(4)

Consultation.— Such exercises or simulations may be conducted in consultation with—

(A)

the Department of Defense;

(B)

other Federal agencies; and

(C)

State and local government entities.

(5)

Participation.— The Secretary may, as consistent with the national security interests of the United States, invite to participate in such exercises or simulations—

(A)

foreign allies and partners; and

(B)

civil society and nongovernmental organizations, including those that have directly engaged in crisis response efforts in the past.

(6)

Briefing.—

(A)

In general.— Except as provided in subparagraph (C), not later than 90 days after the completion of any tabletop exercise or simulation required under paragraph (1), the Department shall brief the appropriate congressional committees, the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on the organization of the tabletop exercise or simulation. The briefing, or particular elements therein, may be provided in a classified format.

(B)

Elements.— The briefing required under subparagraph (A) should—

(i)

provide a description of the tabletop exercise or simulation;

(ii)

identify, as appropriate, key participants in the tabletop exercise or simulation;

(iii)

include any deficiencies identified in prior tabletop exercise and plans to mitigate such deficiencies;

(iv)

provide a summary of the supporting capabilities, including infrastructure, prepositioned equipment and supplies, personnel and other supporting logistics capabilities, required to respond to the simulated international crisis; and

(v)

include such other information as determined necessary or appropriate by the Secretary.

(C)

Notification in lieu of briefing.— Beginning on the date that is 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, not later than 90 days after the completion of any tabletop exercise or simulation required under paragraph (1), submit to the appropriate congressional committees a notice of such exercise or simulation which shall be in lieu of a briefing reviewing the tabletop exercise or simulation required under subparagraph (A).

(c)

Foreign Service Institute Training.— The Secretary shall ensure existing crisis management curricula and courses offerings are reviewed for accuracy and tailored to relevant audiences. In addition, the Foreign Service Institute should ensure that the ambassadorial seminar and Deputy Chief of Mission course include curriculum on crisis management, including one or more of the following:

(1)

The use of regular internal town halls and targeted messages from the Ambassador or Deputy Chief of Mission to support mission objectives during crisis periods.

(2)

Established best practices for internal communications specific to high-threat posts.

(3)

Diplomatic post-led drawdown and evacuation operations, military assisted departures, and noncombatant evacuation operations.

(4)

Best practices for leading post efforts to communicate with and assist United States citizens.

(5)

How to conduct or participate in the Department’s domestic-led tabletop exercises and simulations, including those authorized in subsection (b).

(6)

Communicating with and assessing the needs of locally employed staff during emergencies.

(d)

Department of State Emergency Response Lessons Learned Clearinghouse.—

(1)

In general.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish and maintain a clearinghouse of lessons learned and after-action reports relating to international crises, including evacuation operations of United States Government employees and their eligible family members or evacuation of private United States citizens or third-country nationals, to be known as the “Department of State Emergency Response Lessons Learned Clearinghouse” (in this section referred to as the “Clearinghouse”).

(2)

Repository.— The Clearinghouse should be designed to provide—

(A)

a central electronic repository of lessons learned and after-action reports to be made accessible to Department personnel to be used to improve crisis response and contingency planning;

(B)

resources to inform and develop crisis response and contingency planning, including for the ambassadorial seminar and Deputy Chief of Mission course as provided in subsection (c); and

(C)

publicly available documents and information, as appropriate, for civil society, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to assist with the Department’s development of best practices.

(e)

International Crisis Defined.— In this section , the term “international crisis” means any situation overseas which requires the Department to change the operating status of United States diplomatic facilities, including a diplomatic post-led or military-assisted departure, ordered departure, or a noncombatant evacuation operation.

TITLE LXXIII Information Security and Cyber Diplomacy

SEC. 7301. Realigning the Regional Technology Officer Program.

Section 9508(a)(1) of the Department of State Authorizations Act of 2022 (division I of Public Law 117–263; 22 U.S.C. 10305(a)(1)) is amended by inserting “ , and shall be administered by the Bureau for Cyberspace and Digital Policy” before the period at the end.

SEC. 7302. Measures to Protect Department Devices from the Proliferation and Use of Foreign Commercial Spyware.

(a)

Definitions.— In this section:

(1)

Appropriate committees of congress.— The term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—

(A)

the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and

(B)

the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Homeland Security, and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

(2)

Covered device.— The term “covered device” means any electronic mobile device, including smartphones, tablet computing devices, or laptop computing device, that is issued by the Department for official use.

(3)

Foreign commercial spyware; spyware.— The terms “foreign commercial spyware” and “spyware” have the meanings given those terms in section 1102A of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3232a).

(b)

Protection of Covered Devices.—

(1)

Requirement.— Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the relevant agencies—

(A)

issue standards, guidance, best practices, and policies for Department and USAID personnel to protect covered devices from being compromised by foreign commercial spyware;

(B)

survey the processes used by the Department and USAID to identify and catalog instances where a covered device was compromised by foreign commercial spyware over the prior 2 years and it is reasonably expected to have resulted in an unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information; and

(C)

submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the measures in place to identify and catalog instances of such compromises for covered devices by foreign commercial spyware, which may be submitted in classified form.

(2)

Notifications.— Not later than 60 days after the date on which the Department becomes aware that a covered device was seriously compromised by foreign commercial spyware, the Secretary, in coordination with relevant agencies, shall notify the appropriate committees of Congress of the facts concerning such targeting or compromise, including—

(A)

the location of the personnel whose covered device was compromised;

(B)

the number of covered devices compromised;

(C)

an assessment by the Secretary of the damage to the national security of the United States resulting from any loss of data or sensitive information; and

(D)

an assessment by the Secretary of any foreign government or foreign organization or entity, and, to the extent possible, the foreign individuals, who directed and benefitted from any information acquired from the compromise.

(3)

Annual report.— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary, in coordination with relevant agencies, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report regarding any covered device that was compromised by foreign commercial spyware, including the information described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (2).

SEC. 7303. Report on Cloud Computing in Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the status of the Bureau of Consular Affairs adoption of cloud-based products and services as well as options to require enterprise-wide adoption of cloud computing, including for all consular operations.

SEC. 7304. Information Technology Pilot Projects.

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief Information Officer of the Department should consider, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, piloting not fewer than 3 information technology systems and prioritizing information technology systems with high potential to accelerate the passport renewal processes, reduce processing times, and reduce dependency on legacy systems.

SEC. 7305. Leveraging Approved Technology for Administrative Efficiencies.

The Secretary and Administrator shall ensure appropriate and secure technological solutions are authorized and available for employee use, where feasible, to promote technological fluency in the workforce, including the integration of secure tools in the evaluation process to ensure performance management standards while maximizing efficiency.

TITLE LXXIV Public Diplomacy

SEC. 7401. United States Agency for Global Media.

Section 306 of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6205) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsection (g) and (h), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after subsection (e) the following new subsection:

“(f) Suspension and Debarment of Grantees.—

“(1) In general.—Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), a grantee may not be debarred or suspended without consultation with the Chief Executive Officer and a three-fourths majority vote of the Advisory Board in support of such action.

“(2) Suspension.—

“(A) Criteria for suspension.—A grantee may not be suspended unless the Advisory Board determines that the criteria described in section 513.405 of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, have been met.

“(B) Suspending official.—The Advisory Board shall collectively serve as the suspending official (as described in section 513.105 of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations).

“(3) Debarment.—

“(A) Criteria for debarment.—A grantee may not be debarred unless the Advisory Board determines that one or more of the causes described in section 513.305 of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, has been established.

“(B) Debarring official.—The Advisory Board shall collectively serve as the debarring official (as described in section 513.105 of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations).”

SEC. 7402. Extension of Authorizations to Support United States Participation in International Fairs and Expos.

Section 9601 of the Department of State Authorizations Act of 2022 (division I of Public Law 117–263; 136 Stat. 3909) is amended in subsection (b), by striking “ fiscal years 2023 and 2024” and inserting “ fiscal years 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027”.

SEC. 7403. Research and Scholar Exchange Partnerships.

(a)

Sense of Congress.— It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)

it is in the strategic interest of the United States to strengthen relations with Sub-Saharan African states to promote shared interests in the areas of—

(A)

democracy and good governance;

(B)

education and human capital;

(C)

trade and economic development;

(D)

science and technology;

(E)

biodiversity, food, and agriculture; and

(F)

the preservation and management of natural resources, including critical minerals; and

(2)

historically Black colleges and universities (referred to in this section as “HBCUs”) have a long history of—

(A)

cultivating diaspora relations with Sub-Saharan African states; and

(B)

developing innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

(b)

Strengthened Partnerships.— The Secretary and the Administrator should seek to strengthen and expand partnerships and educational exchange opportunities, including by working with HBCUs, which build the capacity and expertise of students, scholars, and experts from Sub-Saharan Africa in key development sectors.

(c)

Technical Assistance.— The Administrator is authorized to—

(1)

provide technical assistance to HBCUs to assist in fulfilling the goals of this section, including in developing contracts, operating agreements, legal documents, and related infrastructure; and

(2)

upon request, provide feedback to HBCUs, to the maximum extent practicable, after a grant rejection from relevant Federal programs in order to improve future grant applications, as appropriate.

TITLE LXXV Diplomatic Security and Consular Affairs

SEC. 7501. Human Trafficking Authority.

(a)

In General.— The Secretary is authorized to investigate transnational violations of chapter 77 of title 18, United States Code, in which part of the offense conduct occurred outside the United States or involved one or more foreign nationals.

(b)

Authorities.— Section 37(a)(1) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2709(a)(1)) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (B), by striking “ ; or” and inserting a semicolon;

(2)

by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); and

(3)

by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new subparagraph:

“(C) transnational violations of chapter 77 of title 18, United States Code, in which any part of the offense conduct occurred outside the United States or involved one or more foreign nationals; or”

(c)

Report.— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 3 years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes each of the following:

(1)

The number of relevant cases opened and investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service as a result of the additional authorities granted by the amendments made by this section.

(2)

The percentage of the cases opened and investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service as a result of the additional authorities granted by the amendments made by this section that were referred for further action, including prosecution.

(3)

An assessment of the efficacy of the authorities granted by the amendments made by this section and whether such authorities are sufficient to meaningfully contribute to Department and broader United States Government efforts to prosecute and prevent, where applicable, human trafficking and transnational violations of chapter 77 of title 18, United States Code.

(4)

An assessment of whether the resources of the Diplomatic Security Service are sufficient to effectively carry out the objectives of this section.

(d)

Sunset.— This section and the amendments made by subsection (b) shall terminate on the date that is three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and the provisions of law amended by such amendments shall be restored as if such amendments had not been enacted.

(e)

Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.— In this section, the term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—

(1)

the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Judiciary, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and

(2)

the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Judiciary, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 7502. Congressional Notification for Serious Security Incidents.

Section 301(a) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4833(a)), is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively;

(2)

by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:

“(2) Initial congressional notification.—The Secretary shall notify the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, and the Speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives not later than 8 days after a possible Serious Security Incident has been identified by the Department. Such notification shall include a preliminary description of the incident, of an incident described in paragraph (1), including any known individuals involved, when and where the incident took place, and the next steps in the investigation.”

; and

(3)

in paragraph (4), as redesignated by paragraph (1) of this section, by striking “ paragraph (2)” and inserting “ paragraph (3)”.

SEC. 7503. Notifications Regarding Security Decisions at Diplomatic Posts.

Section 103(c) of section 103 of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4802(c)) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;

(2)

by striking “ The Secretary” and inserting “ (1) The Secretary”; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(2) The Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional committees within 10 days of any decision to retain authority over or approve decisions at an overseas post, including the movement of personnel.”

SEC. 7504. Security Clearance Suspension Pay Flexibilities.

Section 610(c)(6) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4010(c)(6)) is amended by striking “ paragraph 1(B)” and inserting “ this subsection”.

SEC. 7505. Modification to Notification Requirement for Security Clearance Suspensions and Revocations.

Section 6710(a) of the Department of State Authorization Act of 2023 (division F of Public Law 118–31; 22 U.S.C. 2651a note) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and moving such subparagraphs, as so redesignated, 2 ems to the right;

(2)

by striking “ In General.—With respect” and inserting the following:

“(1) In general.—With respect”

(3)

in subparagraph (B), as redesignated by paragraph (1)—

(A)

by striking “ revocation on” and all that follows through “ or revocation” and inserting

“(A) the present employment status of the covered official and whether the job duties of the covered official have changed since such suspension or revocation;

“(B) the basis for such suspension or revocation, including a complete description;

“(C) the investigation of the covered official and the results of such investigation; and

“(D) any negative fallout or impacts for the Department of State, the United States Government, or national security of the United States as a result of the actions for which the security clearance was suspended or revoked.”

; and

(4)

by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(2) Submission to intelligence committees.—To the extent the basis for any suspension or revocation of a security clearance is premised on the unauthorized release of intelligence (as defined by section 3(1) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(1)), the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives shall be an appropriate congressional committee for the purposes of this section.”

SEC. 7506. Passport Automation Modernization.

The Act entitled “An Act to regulate the issue and validity of passports, and for other purposes”, approved July 3, 1926 (44 Stat. 887, 22 U.S.C. 211a), is amended—

(1)

by inserting “ and through the use of Department of State electronic systems,” after “ the insular possessions of the United States,”; and

(2)

by striking “ person” and inserting “ entity”.

SEC. 7507. Passport Acceptance, Courier Services, and Expiration Dates.

(a)

Authority to Designate Additional Persons to Serve as Passport Agents.— Section 6109(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (22 U.S.C. 213a(b)) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); and

(2)

by inserting after paragraph (5) the following new paragraph:

“(6) A United States citizen who, as determined by the Secretary, is employed by and provides services through a reputable, established company or institution and is commissioned or appointed as a notary or notary public or otherwise authorized to perform a notarization under the laws of a State, district, or territorial government.”

(b)

Improvements Related to Hand-carry Courier Services for Passport Applications and Passports.—

(1)

In general.— The Secretary shall take such steps as may be necessary to—

(A)

facilitate an increase in the number of companies certified to provide hand-carry courier services;

(B)

increase the daily maximum number of applications for United States passports, by type, that such companies may submit to a passport agency of the Department (commonly referred to as “meeting slots”) as part of the hand-carry courier services of such company; and

(C)

facilitate citizens’ awareness of the tools applicants may use to locate companies certified to provide hand-carry courier services, including adding contact information in the form of a weblink, phone number, or physical office address to the online list of registered courier companies.

(2)

Hand-carry courier service defined.— In this section, the term “hand-carry courier service” includes—

(A)

the transport of applications for United States passports to a passport agency of the Department for processing; and

(B)

the retrieval of newly issued United States passports for delivery, directly or indirectly, to the passport holder.

(c)

Revision to Date of Expiration of United States Passports.— The Secretary may take such actions as may be necessary to provide for the date of expiration of each United States passport issued or renewed on or after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act to be the same date as the date of birth of the applicant or holder of the passport.

SEC. 7508. Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention.

(a)

Standards for Passport Issuance Process.— In administering and modernizing the passport issuance process, the Secretary shall evaluate the performance of such process against the following criteria:

(1)

To maintain a service standard of processing a routine new or renewal adult passport application from document submission until mailing of final documents in an expeditious and reliable timeframe.

(2)

To maintain low passport fees and surcharges.

(3)

To ensure world-class technical, security, and cybersecurity standards for United States passports and the passport issuance process.

(4)

To minimize typographical, clerical, or picture-based errors.

(5)

To provide a streamlined customer experience for passport applicants.

(6)

To provide reasonably convenient passport services to United States citizens and nationals living a significant distance from a passport agency, particularly residents in a significant population center more than a 5-hour drive from a passport agency.

(b)

Enhanced Information Technology Solutions to Improve the Passport Issuance Process.—

(1)

In general.— The Secretary shall seek to implement the information technology solutions described in paragraph (2) in accordance with the timelines described in such paragraph.

(2)

Enhanced information technology solutions and timelines described.— The enhanced information technology solutions and timelines described in this paragraph are the following:

(A)

Consistent with the Bureau’s modernization plans and timelines, and subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary shall seek to enter into contracts or agreements as appropriate, for the establishment and maintenance of a mobile application to allow for applicant communication with the Department, including document submission, application status tracking, virtual appointments, access to the notification of application errors, and allowing for passport holders to receive messages from the Department and communicate emergencies to the Department.

(B)

The Secretary may provide each passport applicant with the option of whether to use the mobile application described in subparagraph (A) or another service of the Department.

(C)

As a condition for awarding any contracts described in subparagraph (A), any awardees shall demonstrate they can begin tests on the solution within one year of the award of the contract and complete implementation, including bug fixes, cybersecurity audits, and customer service testing, not later than 2 years after the award of the contract.

(D)

Consistent with existing law, the Secretary shall seek to expand the online passport renewal system, including to accept electronic document submission for first-time adult applications as applicable, in addition to adult renewal applications, in sufficient volume to be able to accommodate most applications by the date that is 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(E)

First-time applicants shall continue to verify their applications in-person subject to the requirements of section 1 of title IX of the Act of June 15, 1917 (22 U.S.C. 213).

(F)

To meet the objectives described in subparagraphs (D) and (E), the Secretary may, to the maximum extent practicable, make use of commercially available technology solutions, including entering into contracts or agreements as appropriate for the expansion and maintenance of the online passport renewal system to accommodate the functionality described in such subparagraphs.

(G)

In expanding the online passport renewal system pursuant to subparagraph (D), the following services should be included or otherwise accounted for:

(i)

A user-friendly internet website or portal to facilitate internet-based submission of passport applications by adults.

(ii)

To the extent possible, remote document verification tools and infrastructure to allow for a passport transaction to be completed entirely remotely.

(iii)

To the extent possible, information technology infrastructure not already maintained by the Department.

(H)

(i)

The Secretary shall take all reasonable steps to implement additional rules-based tools to adjudicate passport renewals while maintaining human passport authorizing officers involved in the adjudication and issuance processes and should strongly consider commercially available technology solutions,

(ii)

The tools described in clause (i) shall be fully operational within 4 years of the date of the enactment of this Act.

(iii)

The Chief Information Officer shall ensure that the use of the tools do not make passport adjudication more vulnerable to cyberattack.

(iv)

The Secretary shall ensure that the tools described in clause (i) are implemented consistent with the maintenance of standards appropriate to ensuring the integrity of the United States passport.

(I)

In carrying out the requirements of this subsection, the Secretary shall consult with the Chief Information Officer of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, or other technical officer of the Department as appropriate, to ensure technical feasibility and specifications, cybersecurity requirements, compatibility with existing Department information technology infrastructure, and the feasibility of timelines from a technical standpoint.

(J)

The Secretary shall ensure the scalability and long-term viability and upgradability of any information technology systems developed or procured pursuant to this subsection.

(3)

Interim action plan.—

(A)

In general.— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Chief Information Officer, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an action plan on how the Bureau plans to complete the modernization described in this subsection in conjunction with other related, ongoing steps to modernize the passport issuance process.

(B)

Elements.— The action plan required by subparagraph (A) shall include the following elements:

(i)

Progress made on implementing the information technology solutions described in paragraph (2) within specified timelines, and additional steps planned.

(ii)

The expected cost and timeline for implementation of the information technology solutions described in paragraph (2).

(iii)

An evaluation of the information technology solutions described in paragraph (2) to determine whether the full implementation of such solutions will require additional funding or authorities, including budget estimates and a description of such authorities, as appropriate.

(iv)

Efforts to ensure world-class cybersecurity standards for protection of passport applicant data and the passport issuance process infrastructure, particularly such infrastructure involved in adjudication of passport applications.

(v)

Other specific planned steps that the Bureau will take to achieve the criteria described in subsection (a).

(4)

Final report.— Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Chief Information Officer, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the following:

(A)

Progress on each information technology solution described in paragraph (2).

(B)

Additional information technology solutions the Bureau intends to adopt.

(C)

Changes in the cost for implementation of the steps described in the action plan, if applicable.

(5)

Form.— The plans and report required by this subsection shall be submitted in an unclassified form and may include a classified annex, if necessary.

(c)

Rule of Construction for Passport Issuance.— Nothing in this section may be construed as an offer to procure a service or services or as a guarantee of a contract for such services.

SEC. 7509. Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 Act Amendments.

(a)

Definitions.— Section 3 of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 (22 U.S.C. 9101) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (3)—

(A)

in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “ ‘abduction case’ means a” and inserting

“(A) a”

(B)

by striking “ (A) has been reported” and inserting the following:

“(i) has been reported”

(C)

in clause (i) (as so designated), by striking “ and” at the end;

(D)

by striking “ (B) meets the criteria” and inserting the following:

“(ii) meets the criteria”

(E)

in clause (ii) (as so designated), by striking the period at the end and inserting “ ; and”; and

(F)

by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

“(B) includes any case reported involving an application filed with the Central Authority of the United States or directly with the foreign central authority by a parent seeking rights of access or return.”

; and

(2)

in paragraph (11), by striking “ 16” and inserting “ 18”.

(b)

Action in the Case of Abducted Children Who Reach the Age of 16.— Section 201 of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 (22 U.S.C. 9121) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(d) Action in the Case of Abducted Children Who Reach the Age of 16.—When an individual who is an abducted child attains 16 years of age, a consular officer from a United States diplomatic mission in the country in which such individual resides shall, until either the left-behind parent seeking assistance or the individual (after attaining 18 years of age) requests the officer to cease, annually attempt to contact such individual, through welfare and whereabout visits and by engaging other agencies and foreign counterparts as necessary, to provide information, as relevant, on rights and privileges as a United States citizen, such as passports, and any eligible benefits from left-behind parent, such as G.I. educational and health benefits and to obtain a verified location of such individual.”

(c)

Study on International Parental Child Abduction.— Section 202 of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 (22 U.S.C. 9122) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(h) Study of International Parental Child Abduction.—

“(1) Study required.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of State, subject to the availability of funds, shall seek to enter into an agreement with an appropriate university, research institution, or nongovernmental organization to study and publish a report on the impact to abducted children and left-behind parents as a result of international parental child abduction.

“(2) Consultation.—The Secretary of State shall consult with the appropriate congressional committees on the goals of the study and report required under paragraph (1).

“(3) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to carry out the study required under paragraph (1).”

TITLE LXXVI United States Agency for International Development

SEC. 7601. Personal Service Agreement Authority for the United States Agency for International Development.

Section 636(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2396(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(17) employing individuals or organizations, by contract, for services abroad for purposes of this Act and title II of the Food for Peace Act, and individuals employed by contract to perform such services shall not by virtue of such employment be considered to be employees of the United States Government (except that the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development may determine the applicability to such individuals of section 5 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1965 (22 U.S.C. 2672) regarding tort claims when such claims arise in foreign countries in connection with United States operations abroad, and of any other law administered by the Administrator concerning the employment of such individuals abroad), and such contracts are authorized to be negotiated, the terms of the contracts to be prescribed, and the work to be performed, where necessary, without regard to such statutory provisions as relate to the negotiation, making, and performance of contracts and performance of work in the United States.”

SEC. 7602. Crisis Operations and Disaster Surge Staffing.

Section 625 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2385) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(k) Crisis Operations and Disaster Surge Staffing.—

(1) The United States Agency for International Development is authorized to appoint personnel in the excepted service using funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available under the heading ‘Transition Initiatives’ in an Act making appropriations for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs and to carry out the provisions of part I and chapter 4 of part II of this Act of and section 509(b) of the Global Fragility Act of 2019 (title V of division J of Public Law 116–94) to prevent or respond to foreign crises.

“(2) Funds authorized to carry out such purposes may be made available for the operating expenses and administrative costs of such personnel and may remain attributed to any minimum funding requirement for which they were originally made available.

“(3) The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall coordinate with the Office of Personnel Management on implementation of the appointment authority under paragraph (1).

“(4) Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 3 years, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report regarding the continued need for and utilization of the authority pursuant to this subsection.”

SEC. 7603. Education Allowance While on Military Leave.

Section 908 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4088) is amended by inserting “ or United States Agency for International Development” after “ A Department”.

SEC. 7604. Inclusion in the Pet Transportation Exception to the Fly America Act.

Section 6224(a)(1) of the Department of State Authorization Act of 2023 (division F of Public Law 118–31; 22 U.S.C. 4081a) is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—

(1)

by striking “ the Department is” and inserting “ the Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other United States Government employees under chief of mission authority are”; and

(2)

by striking “ Department personnel” and inserting “ Department and USAID personnel, and other United States Government employees under chief of mission authority”.

TITLE LXXVII Deterring and Preventing Unlawful or Wrongful Detention

SEC. 7701. Hostage Recovery Support.

Section 302(d) of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741(d)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (2)(B)(ii)(II), by inserting “ unless the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs determines that circumstances warrant an additional night,” after “ lodging,”; and

(2)

in paragraph (4), by striking “ of any amount spent above $250,000 for any fiscal year to carry out paragraphs (2) and (3)” and inserting “ not later than 14 days after such time that total expenditures to carry out paragraphs (2) and (3) in any fiscal year surpass $250,000 for any fiscal year”.

SEC. 7702. Options and Strategies for Reducing Likelihood of United States Nationals Being Unlawfully or Wrongfully Detained or Taken Hostage.

The Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 305 the following new section:

“SEC. 305A. REPORT ON STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING LIKELIHOOD OF UNITED STATES NATIONALS BEING UNLAWFULLY OR WRONGFULLY DETAINED OR TAKEN HOSTAGE.

“Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, in coordination with the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, the Hostage Response Group, and relevant agencies, as appropriate, shall submit to the President and Congress a classified report that identifies and recommends options and strategies to reduce the likelihood of United States nationals being unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or taken hostage.”

SEC. 7703. Additional Funding for Sanctions Implementation.

(a)

In General.— There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury for fiscal year 2026 $2,000,000 to implement the sanctions authorities, except for any authority or requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods, provided by section 306 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741d) and Executive Order 14078 (22 U.S.C. 1741 note prec.; relating to bolstering efforts to bring hostages and wrongfully detained United States nationals home).

(b)

Good Defined.— In this section, the term “good” means any article, natural or manmade substance, material, supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test equipment, and excluding technical data.

SEC. 7704. Enhancing United States Travel Advisories.

There is authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for the Bureau of Consular Affairs to use on travel advisory advertisement campaigns regarding travel made by United States nationals to countries under Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisories issued by the Department of State Travel Advisory System.

SEC. 7705. Coordination with Transportation Authorities and Industry on Travel Advisories.

The Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 305A, as added by section 7702 of this Act, the following new section:

“SEC. 305B. COORDINATION WITH TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES AND INDUSTRY ON DEPARTMENT OF STATE TRAVEL ADVISORIES.

“(a) Coordination With the Department of Homeland Security.—

“(1) In general.—The Secretary of State shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and representatives of any other Federal agency determined necessary, and in consultation with the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, develop messaging and informational guidance to be delivered at all United States international airports and on relevant United States Government websites warning United States nationals of the risks of wrongful or unlawful detention or hostage-taking in covered countries.

“(2) Messaging and guidance.—The messaging and guidance described under paragraph (1) may include—

“(A) posters, brochures, and other informational materials;

“(B) web banners or other warnings to be displayed on relevant United States Government websites and webpages;

“(C) verbal warnings at United States international airports to United States nationals whose destinations, to the extent they are discernable, are covered countries; and

“(D) other methods deemed appropriate by the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and representatives of any other Federal agency determined necessary.

“(b) Department of State Coordination With United States Airlines.—The Secretary of State shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and representatives of any other Federal agency determined necessary, and in consultation with the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, work with United States airlines to provide warnings about the risk of wrongful or unlawful detention and hostage-taking to United States nationals booking travel through their airlines to a covered country.

“(c) Report.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and representatives of any other Federal agency determined necessary, submit to Congress a report detailing—

“(1) the additional steps taken to warn United States nationals of the risks of wrongful or unlawful detention and hostage-taking abroad, including those described in this section;

“(2) efforts to improve the visibility and expand the reach of Department of State travel advisories concerning the risks to United States nationals of wrongful or unlawful detention and hostage-taking abroad; and

“(3) additional recommendations on steps the United States Government might take to improve the awareness of United States nationals of the risk of wrongful or unlawful detention and hostage-taking abroad.

“(d) Covered Country Defined.—In this section, the term ‘covered country’ means a country for which a Department of State travel advisory contains either the ‘K—Kidnapping or Hostage Taking’ or ‘D—Wrongful Detention’ Risk Indicators.”

SEC. 7706. Privacy Act Waiver and Passport Renewals.

(a)

Requirement To Include Travel Advisory Information on United States Passports.— Section 6103 of the Department of State Authorization Act of 2023 (division F of Public Law 118–31; 22 U.S.C. 211a note) is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “ should” and inserting “ shall”.

(b)

Inclusion of Privacy Act Written Consent Form in Passport Application.— Section 1 of title IX of the Act of June 15, 1917 (22 U.S.C. 213), is amended by adding at the end the following: “ Each passport application made available to potential applicants (DS–11) and each passport renewal application made available to current passport holders (DS–82) shall include a form that, if completed, indicates the applicant’s consent to the disclosure of information otherwise protected under section 552a of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the ‘Privacy Act of 1974’) in the event such applicant is determined to be wrongfully detained by a foreign government. Declining to complete such form shall not affect the issuance of a passport to a qualified applicant or diplomatic efforts to secure the release of a United States national from the custody of a foreign government or entity.”.

SEC. 7707. Timeline for Unlawful or Wrongful Detention Determinations.

Section 302 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(e) Timeline for Unlawful or Wrongful Detention Determinations.—

“(1) Credible information determinations.—

“(A) In general.—Not less frequently than every 180 days, the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs shall review the cases where there is potential credible information that any United States national is being detained wrongfully and which has been identified through official government channels to both bureaus.

“(B) Report of findings.—Not later than 30 days after each review under subparagraph (A), the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs and the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress a classified report identifying the United States nationals identified as a result of the review in subparagraph (A) detained overseas who have not, as of the date of the report, been determined by the Secretary to be unlawfully or wrongfully detained.

“(C) Notification to family members.—In the case of a United States national detained overseas identified in the report under subparagraph (B), the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs shall notify a family member (as that term is defined in subsection (d)(8)) or the legal representative of the United States national not later than 30 days after the transmittal of the report required by subparagraph (B).

“(2) Status determinations.—

“(A) In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B) and to the extent practicable, not later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary of State receives an assessment from the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs or the head of any other relevant bureau of the Department of State that credible information exists that a United States national is being detained unlawfully or wrongfully, the Secretary shall determine whether the United States national is in fact being unlawfully or wrongfully detained.

“(B) Waiver.—

“(i) In general.—The Secretary may waive the requirement under subparagraph (A) to make an unlawful or wrongful detention determination if the Secretary—

“(I) determines that making such a determination may jeopardize the safety or interests of the United States national being detained abroad or the national security interests of the United States; and

“(II) submits to Congress a classified report describing the reasons for the waiver.

“(ii) Timing.—A waiver under clause (i) shall expire on the date that is 180 days after the date on which the Secretary submits the report on the waiver to Congress pursuant to clause (i)(II).

“(iii) Renewal.—The Secretary may renew a waiver granted pursuant to clause (i) in the manner provided under such clause.”

SEC. 7708. Declarations of Invalidity.

Section 302 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741), as amended by section 7707 of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(f) Declarations of Invalidity.—Upon the release of a United States national determined to be unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad and the return of that national, the President shall issue to that national a letter, to be known as a ‘declaration of invalidity’, that officially declares the detention abroad of the national as invalid for the purpose of completing any documentation that warrants a background investigation or review of prior offenses, such as a conviction.”

TITLE LXXVIII Other Matters

SEC. 7801. Authorization of Appropriations to Promote United States Citizen Employment at the United Nations and International Organizations.

(a)

In General.— The President should direct United States departments and agencies to, in coordination with the Secretary —

(1)

fund and recruit Junior Professional Officers for positions at the United Nations and related specialized and technical organizations; and

(2)

facilitate secondments, details, and transfers to agencies and specialized and technical bodies of the United Nations.

(b)

Authorization of Appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated an additional $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2025 through 2031 for the Secretary to support Junior Professional Officers, details, transfers, and interns that advance United States interests at multilateral institutions and international organizations, including to recruit, train, and host events related to such positions, and to promote United States citizen candidates for employment and leadership positions at multilateral institutions and international organizations.

(c)

Availability.— Amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.

(d)

Congressional Notification.— Not later than 15 days prior to the obligation of funds authorized to be appropriated under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a notification outlining the amount and proposed use of such funds.

SEC. 7802. Amendment to Rewards for Justice Program.

Section 36(b) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708(b)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (13), by striking “ ; or” and inserting a semicolon;

(2)

in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end and inserting “ ; or”; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(15) the restraining, seizing, forfeiting, or repatriating of stolen assets linked to foreign government corruption and the proceeds of such corruption.”

SEC. 7803. United States-Africa Leaders Summit and Related Matters.

(a)

United States-Africa Leaders Summit.—

(1)

In general.— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and biennially thereafter, the President shall convene a United States-Africa Leaders Summit to strengthen ties and promote cooperation with African leaders, as well as civil society, business, diaspora, women, and youth leaders.

(2)

Participation.— Each summit convened pursuant to this subsection shall have participation, including in meetings with United States officials, from—

(A)

leaders of civilian-led governments of African countries in good standing with the African Union, provided that such leaders—

(i)

are not sanctioned by the United States; and

(ii)

have not been found, by credible international observers or other international bodies, to have undermined democratic elections;

(B)

heads of transitional governments that are implementing a roadmap to hold credible elections and who are unaffiliated with actions that were related to an unconstitutional change of administration; and

(C)

civil society from each of the African countries represented at the Summit.

(3)

Non-payment of au membership fees not basis for disqualification.— For the purposes of this subsection, non-payment of membership fees to the African Union shall not disqualify a country’s leader.

(b)

United States-Africa City Summit (“mini Summit”).— The Secretary should, not later than one year after each summit hosted under subsection (a) host a United States-Africa City Summit (“Mini Summit”) across cities in Africa or the United States to promote subregional cooperation and serve as a catalyst in fostering engagement with representatives of government, civil society, business, academia, youth, culture and the arts, the African diaspora community, and underrepresented groups.

(c)

United States-Africa Leaders Summit Implementation Unit.—

(1)

In general.— The Secretary shall establish within the Bureau for African Affairs of the Department of State a United States-Africa Leaders Summit implementation unit responsible for coordinating, planning and implementing summits, which should include robust interagency consultation and may include, on a temporary basis, personnel seconded from USAID and other Federal agencies as appropriate, and which shall be led by an individual who has previously been appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

(2)

Duties.— The duties of the implementation unit authorized by this subsection shall include—

(A)

using lessons learned from the 2022 African Leaders Summit and subsequent summits to inform planning of future summits;

(B)

leading interagency efforts to provide guidance to United States embassies in African countries related to planning each summit and engagement with governments and civil society in advance of each summit;

(C)

tracking and ensuring implementation of commitments made during United States-Africa Leaders Summits;

(D)

liaising with interagency partners and the National Security Council regarding implementation of summit commitments;

(E)

facilitating meetings and engagement with African Diaspora communities and stakeholders; and

(F)

reporting quarterly on a public website of the Department regarding progress to accomplish summit commitments and status of commitments across Federal departments and agencies.

(3)

Requirement for consultation.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the implementation unit shall consult with the appropriate congressional committees on summit planning and the fulfillment of commitments and any relevant follow on issues in the wake of each summit.

(d)

Authorization of Appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated $28,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 and $14,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029. Such sums shall remain available for three fiscal years.

SEC. 7804. Summit of the Americas.

(a)

Statement of Policy.— It shall be the policy of the United States to work with the Summit of the Americas Secretariat to support the organization of a Summit of the Americas every 4 years, or more frequently as appropriate, subject to the availability of funds, to strengthen ties and promote cooperation between the United States and countries in the Western Hemisphere, as well as civil society, business, diaspora, women, and youth leaders.

(b)

Authorization.— The Secretary is authorized to carry out the policy described in subsection (a).

(c)

Cities Summit of the Americas.—

(1)

Findings.— Congress makes the following findings:

(A)

Subnational diplomacy strengthens democratic governance by enhancing the ability of local leader to tackle shared challenges and deepens United States ties with regional partners by localizing bilateral and multilateral partnerships and connections.

(B)

The first-ever Cities Summit of the Americas in 2023 promoted a valuable exchange of best practices and lessons learned between city, State, municipal, and regional leaders and should be held as part of the Summit of the Americas process.

(2)

In general.— The Secretary is authorized to work with the Summit of the Americas Secretariat to support the organization of Cities Summit of the Americas, across cities in the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, to take place as a part of each Summit of the Americas described in subsection (a), to promote subnational cooperation and serve as a catalyst in fostering engagement with representatives of government, civil society, faith-based organizations, business, academia, youth, culture and the arts, Latin American and Caribbean diaspora communities, and underrepresented groups.

(d)

Implementation.— The Secretary is authorized to designate an existing official to serve within the Department as senior-level coordinator to coordinate, in conjunction with other relevant agencies, matters related to the implementation of Summit of Americas commitments, including—

(1)

tracking and ensuring implementation of commitments made during Summits of the Americas; and

(2)

liaising with interagency partners and the National Security Council regarding implementation of summit commitments.

(e)

Report.— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of this section, including the status of commitments of the United States and participating partners for the prior year and upcoming year.

SEC. 7805. Extension of Certain Payment in Connection with the International Space Station.

Section 7(1) of Public Law 106–178 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended, in the undesignated matter following subparagraph (B), by striking “ December 31, 2025” and inserting “ December 31, 2030”.

SEC. 7806. Inclusion of Cost Associated with Producing Reports.

(a)

Estimated Cost of Reports.— Beginning on October 1, 2026, and for the next three fiscal years, the Secretary shall require that any report produced for external distribution, including for distribution to Congress, include the total estimated cost of producing such report and the estimated number of personnel hours.

(b)

Annual Total Cost of Reports.— Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, beginning with fiscal year 2025, and for the next three fiscal years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives an annual report listing the reports issued for the prior fiscal year, the frequency of each report, the total estimated cost associated with producing such report, and the estimated number of personnel hours.

SEC. 7807. Fentanyl Reporting and Authorities.

(a)

Definitions.— In this section:

(1)

Appropriate committees of congress.— The term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—

(A)

the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;

(B)

the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;

(C)

the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate;

(D)

the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;

(E)

the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;

(F)

the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives;

(G)

the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives;

(H)

the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives;

(I)

the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and

(J)

the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

(2)

Beneficiary countries.—

(A)

In general.— Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the term “beneficiary countries” means Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.

(B)

Updates.— The Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, may add or remove one or more countries from the list of beneficiary countries under subparagraph (A) after providing written notification of such changes to the appropriate committees of Congress.

(3)

Listed chemical.— The term “listed chemical” has the meaning given such term in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802).

(b)

Establishment.— The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General, may carry out the “Precursor Chemical Destruction Initiative” in beneficiary countries to achieve the purposes described in subsection (c).

(c)

Purposes.— The purposes of this section are—

(1)

to improve and increase rates of seizure and destruction of listed chemicals in beneficiary countries;

(2)

to alleviate the backlog of seized listed chemicals and dispose of the hazardous waste generated by illicit drug trafficking in beneficiary countries in an environmentally safe and effective manner;

(3)

to ensure that seized listed chemicals are not reintroduced into the illicit drug production stream within beneficiary countries;

(4)

to free up storage space for future listed chemical seizures within beneficiary countries; and

(5)

to reduce the negative environmental impact of listed chemicals.

(d)

Implementation Plan.— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, shall submit an implementation plan to the appropriate committees of Congress that includes a timeline and stated objectives for actions to be taken in beneficiary countries in support of the Precursor Chemical Destruction Initiative.

(e)

Elements.— The implementation plan required under subsection (d) shall include—

(1)

a multi-year strategy with a timeline, overview of objectives, budgetary projections, and anticipated outcomes for the region and for each beneficiary country;

(2)

specific, measurable benchmarks to track the progress of the Precursor Chemical Destruction Initiative towards accomplishing the outcomes referred to in paragraph (1);

(3)

a plan for the delineation of the roles to be carried out by the Department of State, the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, and any other Federal department or agency in carrying out the Precursor Chemical Destruction Initiative; and

(4)

a plan for addressing security and government corruption and providing updates to the appropriate committees of Congress on the results of such efforts.

(f)

Annual Progress Update.— Not later than one year after the submission of the implementation plan pursuant to subsection (d), and annually thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a written description of the results achieved by the Precursor Chemical Destruction Initiative, including—

(1)

the implementation of the strategy and plans described in subsections (d) and (e);

(2)

compliance with, and progress related to, meeting the benchmarks referred to in subsection (e)(2); and

(3)

the type and quantity of listed chemicals destroyed by each beneficiary country.

(g)

Funding.— The Secretary shall use amounts otherwise appropriated for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement programs managed by the Department to carry out this section.

SEC. 7808. Strengthening Tracking of Tranq.

Section 489(a)(11) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291h(a)(11)) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (A), by inserting “ , xylazine,” after “ illicit fentanyl”; and

(2)

in subparagraph (D), by inserting “ )” before the semicolon at the end.

SEC. 7809. Sigar Sunset and Transition.

(a)

Sunset.— Section 1229(o)(1) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181; 5 U.S.C. 415 note) is amended by striking “ terminate 180 days” and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting “ terminate on January 31, 2026.”.

(b)

Eligibility for ICTAP.— Any individual who is an employee of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction on the date of the enactment of this section shall be—

(1)

given priority consideration for appointment under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program under subpart G of part 330 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), subject to the terms and conditions of such Program; and

(2)

considered to be displaced and ICTAP-eligible as those terms are defined in section 330.702 of such subpart (or any successor regulation) for purposes of the Program; and

(3)

considered to have established proof of eligibility under section 330.710 of such subpart (or any successor regulation) for the purposes of the Program.

(c)

Appointment to the Competitive Service.— Any individual described in subsection (b) who is found to be well qualified for a position may be appointed in the competitive service without competitive examination.

(d)

Regulations.— The Director of the Office of Personnel Management may prescribe regulations for the administration of this section.

(e)

Use of Unobligated Funds.— Any unobligated funds remaining available for the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction on February 1, 2026, may be used by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of State.

SEC. 7810. Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts.

(a)

Establishment of Coordinator.— The Secretary shall appoint a Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (in this section referred to as the “Coordinator”), who shall be responsible for—

(1)

relocating and resettling eligible Afghan allies and facilitating the departure of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who request United States assistance to leave Afghanistan; and

(2)

working with other offices of the Department, as well as with appropriate counterparts at other Federal departments and agencies, to ensure integrated United States support for such relocation efforts.

(b)

Authorities.— The Coordinator is authorized—

(1)

to enter into personal services contracts for a period ending not later than the date described in subsection (e);

(2)

to extend and maintain through such date personal services contracts entered into pursuant to the authority provided by section 2401 of the Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117–43);

(3)

to hire temporary personnel who are United States citizens, except that to the extent possible the Coordinator should use Foreign Service limited appointments to fill such positions both in the United States and abroad in accordance with section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3949); and

(4)

subject to the availability of appropriations—

(A)

to accept, in the form of reimbursement or transfer, amounts from other Federal departments or agencies as appropriate to carry out the duties described in subsection (a); and

(B)

to reimburse such other departments or agencies as the Coordinator may determine appropriate to carry out such duties.

(c)

Detailees and Assignees.— Any Federal Government employee may be detailed or assigned to the Office of the Coordinator, with or without reimbursement, consistent with applicable laws and regulations regarding such employee, and such detail or assignment shall be without interruption or loss of status or privilege.

(d)

Notification With Respect to Transfers of Funds.— The Coordinator shall notify the appropriate congressional committees and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives of each use of the transfer authority made available under subsection (b)(4)(A) not later than 15 days before the completion of such transfer.

(e)

Sunset.— This section and the authorities provided by this section shall terminate on the date that is 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 7811. Feasibility Study for Reimbursement of Certain Expenses of Persons Evacuated from Afghanistan.

(a)

Feasibility Study.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a feasibility study on potential reimbursement for the expenses of personal funds by any covered United States person to evacuate American citizens, lawful permanent residents of the United States, or allies from Afghanistan during the period beginning on August 1, 2021, and ending on March 31, 2022.

(b)

Consultation.— In developing the feasibility study required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with nongovernmental organizations, including veterans service organizations, with expertise in supporting the evacuation of United States citizens and Afghan allies from Afghanistan.

(c)

Elements.— The feasibility study required by subsection (a) shall also include the following elements:

(1)

A list of each nongovernmental organization consulted in accordance with subsection (b) during the development of the feasibility study.

(2)

The process for filing a reimbursement claim.

(3)

The supporting documentation required to file a reimbursement claim.

(4)

An estimate of the time that would be associated with processing a reimbursement claim.

(5)

Eligibility requirements for covered United States persons to file a reimbursement claim under the program described in the feasibility study.

(6)

The criteria for reimbursement under the program, including a maximum reimbursement limit and a prohibition on the issuance of reimbursements for expenses described in subsection (a) for which a deduction was allowed under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(7)

The types of reimbursable claims and activities that would be considered for reimbursement, such as funding for safe houses, travel, food, and other life-saving provisions.

(8)

The process for disbursing funds to United States persons once a reimbursement claim is verified and approved.

(9)

An estimate of the costs that would be associated with implementing the reimbursement program described in the feasibility study, including whether sufficient funds have already been appropriated.

(10)

A recommendation for the Federal entity best suited to carry out the reimbursement program described in the feasibility study, including whether sufficient statutory authority already exists for such Federal entity to provide such reimbursements.

(11)

Additional recommendations, including assessment of feasibility, for options to pay back covered United States persons other than through reimbursements.

(d)

Definitions.— In this section:

(1)

Appropriate committees of congress.— The term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—

(A)

the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and

(B)

the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

(2)

Ally from afghanistan.— The term “ally from Afghanistan” means an individual who was eligible, upon evacuation during the period described in subsection (a), for—

(A)

special immigrant status or processing under section 101(a)(27) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)), pursuant to section 602(b) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–8; 8 U.S.C. 1101 note); or

(B)

the U.S. Refugees Admissions Program through the Priority 1 or Priority 2 categories.

(3)

Covered united states person.— The term “covered United States person”—

(A)

means an individual who is a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States; and

(B)

does not include any private group, foundation, or other entity who received funds from private foundations, other private donors, or other sources of funds to conduct evacuation efforts in Afghanistan.

SEC. 7812. Extensions.

(a)

USAID Civil Service Annuitant Waiver.— Section 625(j)(1)(B) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2385(j)(1)(B)) shall be applied by striking “ October 1, 2010” and inserting “ September 30, 2026”.

(b)

Overseas Pay Comparability and Limitation.—

(1)

In general.— The authority provided under section 1113 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 111–32; 123 Stat. 1904) shall remain in effect through December 31, 2034.

(2)

Limitation.— The authority described in paragraph (1) may not be used to pay an eligible member of the Foreign Service (as defined in section 1113(b) of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 111–32; 123 Stat. 1904)) a locality-based comparability payment (stated as a percentage) that exceeds two-thirds of the amount of the locality-based comparability payment (stated as a percentage) that would be payable to such member under section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, if such member’s official duty station were in the District of Columbia.

(c)

Inspector General Annuitant Waiver.— The authorities provided under section 1015(b) of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (Public Law 111–212; 124 Stat. 2332)—

(1)

shall remain in effect through September 30, 2026; and

(2)

may be used to facilitate the assignment of persons for oversight of programs in countries with a humanitarian disaster or complex emergency declaration.

(d)

Security Review Committees.— The authority provided under section 301(a)(3) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4831(a)(3)) shall remain in effect for facilities in Afghanistan and shall apply to facilities in Ukraine through September 30, 2026, except that the notification and reporting requirements contained in such section shall include the appropriate congressional committees, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

(e)

READ Act Reauthorization.— Section 4(a) of the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act (division A of Public Law 115–56; 22 U.S.C. 2151c note) is amended by striking “ one year after the date of the enactment of this Act” and inserting “ December 31, 2025”.

(f)

Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018.— The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–330; 8 U.S.C. 1182 note) is amended—

(1)

in section 4(a), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “ the following five years” and inserting “ the following 10 years”; and

(2)

in section 5(c), in the first sentence, by striking “ the following five years” and inserting “ the following 10 years”.

(g)

Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019.— Section 7(h) of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (Public Law 116–76; 22 U.S.C. 5701 note) is amended by striking “ December 20, 2024” and inserting “ the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act”.

(h)

Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020.— Section 6(h) of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–145; 22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended by striking “ 5 years” and inserting “ 10 years”.