---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 2734d"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "2734d"
heading: "Recruitment and retention of individuals who have lived, worked, or studied in predominantly Muslim countries or communities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/2734d"
units:
  - "Chapter 38 — Department of State"
---

# §2734d. Recruitment and retention of individuals who have lived, worked, or studied in predominantly Muslim countries or communities

- (a) **Findings—** Congress finds that successful engagement, including robust public diplomacy, with predominantly Muslim countries and communities is critical for achieving United States foreign policy objectives.
- (b) **Sense of Congress—** It is the sense of Congress that the Department should recruit more employees that have a personal background in, and thorough understating[^1] of, the cultures, languages, and history of the Middle East and wider Muslim world.
- (c) **Recruitment and retention of certain individuals—** The [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) shall make every effort to recruit and retain individuals that have lived, worked, or studied in predominantly Muslim countries or communities, including individuals who have studied at an Islamic institution of higher learning.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “understanding”.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 114–323, title VII, § 713, Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1945.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Definitions

For definitions of “Department” and “Secretary” as used in this section, see section 2 of Pub. L. 114–323, set out as a note under section 2651 of this title.