,i #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #dcjf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #a1 #bjba ,mr4 ,castro of ,texas 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,fitzpatrick1 ,mr4 ,beyer1 ,mr4 ,carson1 ,ms4 ,wexton1 ,mr4 ,kim of ,new ,jersey1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,ms4 ,spanberger1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,ms4 ,jacobs of ,california1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 and ,ms4 ,bass7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,oversight and ,reform1 and ,education and ,labor1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to expand employment opportunities for spouses of ,foreign ,service officers1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,foreign ,service ,families ,act of #bjba4 #b4 ,telecommuting opportunities 7a7 ,amendment ,subsection 7b7 of section #fejb of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code 7relating to the executive agencies telework requirement71 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#d77;,b71 by striking and after the semicolon2 7#b7 in paragraph #e1 by striking the period at the end2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#f7 enumerate the circumstances under which employees may be permitted to temporarily perform work requirements and duties from approved overseas locations4 4 7b7 ,access to ,,icass system ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall revise chapter #ijj of volume #f of the ,foreign ,affairs ,manual1 the ,international ,cooperative ,administrative ,support ,services ,handbook1 the ,personnel ,operations ,handbook1 and any other relevant regulations to allow each ,federal agency that has enacted a policy pursuant to paragraph 7#f7 of section #fejb7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 as added by subsection 7a71 to have access to the ,international ,cooperative ,administrative ,support ,services 7,,icass7 system4 #c4 ,employment and education programs for eligible family members of members of the foreign service ,section #gjf7;b7 of the ,foreign ,service ,act of #aihj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #djbf7;b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 by striking ,the ,secretary may and inserting ,the ,secretary shall2 and 7,b7 by amending subparagraph 7,c7 to read as follows3 7,c7 establishing a program for assisting eligible family members 7as such term is defined in #c ,,fam #gabj7 in accessing employment and education opportunities1 which shall be modeled after the programs authorized under sections #aghd and #aghd;a of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 and based on regulations modeled after those prescribed pursuant to subsection 7b7 of such section #aghd2 and 2 7#b7 by redesignating paragraph 7#b7 as paragraph 7#i72 and 7#c7 by inserting after paragraph 7#a7 the following new paragraphs3 7#b7 ,the ,secretary shall prescribe regulations-- 7,a7 to carry out paragraph 7#a77;,c72 7,b7 to provide preference to eligible family members in hiring for any civilian position in the ,department of ,state if-- 7i7 the eligible family member is among persons determined to be best qualified for the position2 and 7ii7 the position is located in the country of assignment of the employee to whom they are related2 7,c7 to ensure that notice of any vacant position in the ,department is provided in a manner reasonably designed to reach eligible family members of such employees whose permanent duty stations are in the same country as that in which the position is located2 and 7,d7 to ensure that an eligible family member who applies for a vacant position in the ,department shall1 to the extent practicable1 be considered for any such position located in the same country as the permanent duty station of the employee to whom he or she is related4 7#c7 ,nothing in this section may be construed to provide an eligible family member with preference in hiring over an individual who is preference eligible4 7#d7 ,under regulations prescribed by the ,secretary1 a chief of mission may1 consistent with all applicable laws and regulations pertaining to the ,,icass system1 make available to a non-,department entity space in an embassy or consulate for the purpose of such non-,department entity providing employment-related training for eligible family members4 7#e7 ,the ,secretary may work with the ,director of the ,office of ,personnel ,management and the heads of other ,federal departments and agencies to expand and facilitate the use of existing ,federal programs and resources in support of eligible family member employment4 7#f7 ,the ,secretary may-- 7,a7 develop partnerships with entities in the private sector to enhance employment opportunities for eligible family members and to provide for improved job portability1 especially in the case of an eligible family member accompanying an employee to whom he or she is related to a new geographical area because of a change of permanent duty station of such employee2 and 7,b7 work with the ,united ,states ,chamber of ,commerce and other appropriate private-sector entities to facilitate the formation of such partnerships4 7#g7 ,the ,secretary may prescribe regulations to incorporate hiring preferences for eligible family members of employees to whom they are related into contracts between the ,department and private sector entities4 7#h7 7,a7 ,the ,secretary may enter into a cooperative agreement with the ,council of ,state ,governments to assist with funding of the development of interstate compacts on licensed occupations in order to alleviate the burden associated with relicensing in such an occupation by an eligible family member in connection with a permanent change of duty station of the employee to whom he or she is related4 7,b7 ,the amount provided under subparagraph 7,a7 as assistance for the development of any particular interstate compact may not exceed #a1jjj1jjj4 7,c7 ,the total amount of assistance provided under subparagraph 7,a7 in any fiscal year may not exceed #d1jjj1jjj4 7,d7 ,not later than ,february #bh each year1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives a report on interstate compacts described in subparagraph 7,a7 developed through assistance provided under such subparagraph4 ,each report shall set forth information relating to the following3 7i7 ,an interstate compact developed during the preceding calendar year1 including the occupational licenses covered by such compact and the ,states agreeing to enter into such compact4 7ii7 ,an interstate compact developed during a prior calendar year into which one or more additional ,states agreed to enter during the preceding calendar year4 7,e7 ,the authority to enter into a cooperative agreement under subparagraph 7,a71 and to provide assistance described in such subparagraph pursuant to such cooperative agreement1 expires on ,september #cj1 #bjbd4 4 #d4 ,reporting on ,foreign ,service ,family ,reserve ,corps 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #abj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall brief the appropriate congressional committees on the status of implementation of the ,foreign ,service ,family ,reserve ,corps4 7b7 ,elements ,the briefing required under subsection 7a7 shall include the following elements3 7#a7 ,a description of the status of implementation of the ,foreign ,service ,family ,reserve ,corps 7,,fsfrc74 7#b7 ,an assessment of the extent to which implementation was impacted by the ,department of ,state's hiring freeze and a detailed explanation of the effect of any such impacts4 7#c7 ,a description of the status of implementation of a hiring preference for the ,,fsfrc4 7#d7 ,a detailed accounting of any individuals eligible for membership in the ,,fsfrc who were unable to begin working at a new location as a result of being unable to transfer their security clearance1 including an assessment of whether they would have been able to port their clearance as a member of the ,,fsfrc if the program had been fully implemented4 7#e7 ,an estimate of the number of individuals who are eligible to join the ,,fsfrc worldwide and the categories1 as detailed in the ,under ,secretary for ,management's guidance dated ,may #c1 #bjaf1 under which those individuals would enroll4 7#f7 ,an estimate of the number of individuals who are enrolled in the ,,fsfrc worldwide and the categories1 as detailed in such guidance under which those individuals enrolled4 7#g7 ,an estimate of the number of individuals who were enrolled in each phase of the implementation of the ,,fsfrc1 as detailed in such guidance4 7#h7 ,an estimate of the number of individuals enrolled in the ,,fsfrc who have successfully transferred a security clearance to a new post since implementation of the program began4 7#i7 ,an estimate of the number of individuals enrolled in the ,,fsfrc who have been unable to successfully transfer a security clearance to a new post since implementation of the program began4 7#aj7 ,an estimate of the number of individuals who have declined in writing to apply to the ,,fsfrc4 7c7 ,appropriate congressional committees defined ,in this section1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 #e4 ,treatment of family members of ,foreign ,service officers seeking positions customarily filled by ,foreign ,service officers or foreign national employees ,section #caa of the ,foreign ,service ,act of #aihj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #ciea7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7e7 ,the ,secretary shall hold a family member of a government employee described in subsection 7a7 seeking employment in a position described in such subsection to the same employment standards as those applicable to ,foreign ,service officers1 ,foreign ,service personnel1 or foreign national employees seeking the same or a substantially similar position4 4 #f4 ,in-state tuition rates for members of the ,foreign ,service1 spouses1 and dependent children 7a7 ,in general ,section #ace of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajae;d7 is amended-- 7#a7 in the section heading1 by striking the ,armed ,forces on active duty1 spouses1 and dependent children and inserting a qualifying ,federal service2 7#b7 in subsection 7a71 by striking member of the armed forces who is on active duty for a period of more than #cj days and and inserting member of a qualifying ,federal service2 7#c7 in subsection 7b71 by striking member of the armed forces and inserting member of a qualifying ,federal service2 and 7#d7 by amending subsection 7d7 to read as follows3 7d7 ,definitions ,in this section1 the term member of a qualifying ,federal service means-- 7#a7 a member of the ,armed ,forces 7as such term is defined in section #aja of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code7 who is on active duty for a period of more than #cj days 7as such term is defined in such section #aja72 or 7#b7 a member of the ,foreign ,service 7as such term is defined in section #ajc of the ,foreign ,service ,act of #aihj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #cijc77 who is on active duty for a period of more than #cj days4 4 7b7 ,effective date ,the amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall take effect at each public institution of higher education 7as such term is defined in the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja et seq477 in a ,state that receives assistance under such ,act for the first period of enrollment at such institution that begins after the date of the enactment of this ,act4