,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #gfgc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #bj1 #bjbj ,ms4 ,bass 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,sires1 ,ms4 ,judy ,chu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,castro of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,evans1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,ms4 ,haaland1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 and ,ms4 ,omar7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to ensure the ,united ,states diplomatic workforce at all levels reflects the diverse composition of the ,united ,states4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,represent ,america ,abroad ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,as the ,united ,states becomes more racially and ethnically diverse1 the ,department of ,state must continue to invest in policies to recruit1 retain1 and develop the best and brightest from the full spectrum of ,american society in order to be better positioned to advance ,united ,states interests abroad4 7#b7 ,foreign ,service officers are ,america's face to the world4 ,thus1 the workforce must represent the ,united ,states commitment to inclusion and diversity in order to effectively advance ,american values on the world stage4 7#c7 ,the ,department of ,state must embrace policies that recruit professionals from the broadest possible pool of talent and retain them in order to significantly increase diversity in the ,foreign ,service4 ,timely action to increase diversity at the mid-levels is crucial1 as it takes approximately nine years for an entry level ,foreign ,service officer 7class #f1 #e1 #d7 to rise to the mid-ranks of the ,foreign ,service 7class #c1 #b1 or #a74 7#d7 ,a ,february #bjbj report by the ,government ,accountability ,office found barriers to a diverse and inclusive workforce at the ,department of ,state1 especially at the mid-career and senior levels4 ,individuals who are racial or ethnic minorities comprise only #bd percent of ,foreign ,service officers as a whole4 ,at the executive level1 individuals who are racial or ethnic minorities comprise only #ac percent4 ,this means that the leadership is the least diverse level within the ,foreign ,service4 7#e7 ,in the past1 the ,department of ,state has acknowledged its lack of workforce diversity and pledged to take concrete steps to address the problem4 ,in #bjag1 then-,secretary of ,state ,rex ,tillerson recognized a great diversity gap in the ,department of ,state and former ,secretary of ,state ,john ,kerry noted that in order to represent the ,united ,states1 the ,department of ,state must have a workforce that reflects the rich composition of its citizenry4 ,yet there has been no concrete plan to address the lack of diversity at the mid-career and senior levels4 #c4 ,declaration of national interest2 statement of policy 7a7 ,declaration of national interest ,congress declares that it is in the national interest of the ,united ,states to ensure that the members of the ,united ,states ,foreign ,service workforce be representative of the ,american people4 7b7 ,statement of policy ,it shall be the policy of the ,department of ,state-- 7#a7 to strengthen the ,foreign ,service workforce by bolstering the diversity of those who represent ,americans abroad2 7#b7 to treat the people of the ,foreign ,service as its primary asset1 and as such1 hold as a central tenet making strides in increasing minority representation at all levels of the ,foreign ,service workforce to secure the country's national interests2 and 7#c7 in accordance with the ,foreign ,service ,act of #aihj1 to attract highly qualified1 mid-career professionals who are also ,american minorities1 through a pathway program for entry into the ,foreign ,service4 #d4 ,authorization 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall establish a program1 which shall be known as the ,represent ,america ,mid-,career ,foreign ,service ,entry ,program 7in this section referred to as the ,program71 to be administered jointly by the ,director ,general of the ,foreign ,service and the ,director of ,global ,talent ,management1 to identify1 attract1 and welcome mid-career professionals who are from minority groups into the ,foreign ,service4 7b7 ,elements of ,program 7#a7 ,program requirements ,the ,secretary of ,state shall carry out the following with respect to the ,program3 7,a7 ,establish and publish on the ,department's website eligibility criteria for candidates to participate in the program4 7,b7 ,carry out countrywide recruitment efforts to attract highly qualified1 mid-career professionals from minority groups1 such as the following3 7i7 ,community agencies and organizations4 7ii7 ,faith-based organizations4 7iii7 ,community events4 7iv7 ,professional associations4 7v7 ,colleges and universities1 including historically ,black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions such as ,hispanic-serving institutions1 ,asian ,american and ,native ,american ,pacific ,islander-serving institutions1 ,american ,indian ,tribally controlled colleges and universities1 ,alaska ,native and ,native ,hawaiian-serving institutions1 ,tribal colleges and universities1 ,predominantly ,black ,institutions1 and ,native ,american-serving1 ,nontribal institutions4 7vi7 ,diplomats in residence4 7vii7 ,job fairs4 7viii7 ,newspaper_/magazines_/journals4 7ix7 ,radio stations and programs4 7x7 ,websites1 webcasts1 podcasts1 and other online channels4 7,c7 ,recruit eligible candidates for the ,program4 7,d7 ,develop a structured program that includes as part of the initial training1 a class or module that specifically prepares participants for life in the ,foreign ,service1 including conveying to such participants essential elements of the practical knowledge that is normally acquired during a ,foreign ,service ,officer's initial assignments4 7,e7 ,include appropriate mentorship and other career development opportunities1 such as leadership training1 for ,program participants4 7#b7 ,overall qualifications ,in recruiting1 training1 and assigning members of the ,program1 the ,secretary of ,state should seek highly qualified minority individuals who are mid-career professionals-- 7,a7 with diverse work experience who have capabilities1 insights1 techniques1 and experiences that would serve to enrich the ,foreign ,service workforce and empower it to perform more effectively2 7,b7 with demonstrated knowledge of1 experience with1 and interest in ,united ,states foreign policy and national security and international affairs1 including knowledge of the affairs1 cultures1 and languages of other countries2 7,c7 with demonstrable leadership skills and the potential for further growth2 7,d7 that demonstrate a track record of collaboration1 team-building1 and stakeholder management skills2 7,e7 with demonstrated capacity for critical thinking and analytical skills1 including the ability to synthesize information into clear and concise recommendations2 7,f7 with strategic thinking1 and ability to solve complex problems2 7,g7 with flexibility1 adaptability1 and determination2 and 7,h7 who are ,united ,states citizens with worldwide service availability and who are able to obtain appropriate security and medical clearances4 7c7 ,advancement from ,program ,candidates who are accepted into the ,program in accordance with the qualifications and requirements of this section shall have the opportunity to advance to the ,foreign ,service oral assessment for potential entry as the appropriate class of mid-level ,foreign ,service officer in accordance with the candidate's professional qualifications4 7d7 ,mid-,career professional defined ,for purposes of the ,program1 the term mid-career professional means an individual who has the skills and experience to serve as a mid-level ,foreign ,service officer 7class #c1 #b1 or #a7 and who meets any of the following criteria1 consistent with the merit-based principles and core precepts set forth in the ,foreign ,affairs ,manual and ,handbook and in accordance with applicable requirements of the ,foreign ,service ,act of #aihj3 7#a7 ,an individual with #h years of professional experience and a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in selected fields of study representing the needs of the ,department of ,state1 including public policy1 public administration1 international law1 international relations1 political science1 foreign languages1 business administration1 economics1 history1 sociology1 geography1 social or cultural anthropology1 statistics1 or the humanities4 7#b7 ,an individual with #g years of professional experience and a master's degree from an accredited college or university in selected fields of study representing the needs of the ,department of ,state1 including any field listed in paragraph 7#a74 7#c7 ,an individual with #e years of professional experience and doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in selected fields of study representing the needs of the ,department of ,state1 including any field listed in paragraph 7#a74 #e4 ,reports 7a7 ,initial report ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate a report on a plan to establish the ,represent ,america ,mid-,career ,foreign ,service ,entry ,program4 7b7 ,annual update ,annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate a report on the status of the ,represent ,america ,mid-,career ,foreign ,service ,entry ,program4 ,each such report shall include the following information with respect to the previous year3 7#a7 ,the number of candidates approved for the program4 7#b7 ,the number of candidates who began participating1 including anonymized information on such candidates' backgrounds with respect to education and prior work experience and grade level at which the candidate entered the ,foreign ,service4 7#c7 ,a breakdown of the number of participants recruited into and advancing from the program by ethnicity and sex4 7#d7 ,a disaggregation by ,foreign ,service cone and post 7including identifying whether the post is hard-to-fill7 assigned to each participant advancing from the program4 7#e7 ,program attrition rates and retention data1 including information on how such data compares to the data reported in the most recent prior submission of such report4 7#f7 ,information on the ,department's recruiting efforts for the program1 including an outreach strategy detailing resources allocated to outreach1 as well as where1 how1 and when outreach will be carried out4 7#g7 ,information on the ,department's efforts to improve the efficacy of the program and promote retention of program participants4