,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ddff  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #cj1    
#bjbf,mr4 ,schatz 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,van ,hollen1 ,ms4 ,rosen1 and ,mr4     
,merkley7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations   
,a ,,bill  ,to provide a ,foreign       
,service officer career pathway for     
former ,united ,states ,agency for      
,international ,development officers4   
#a4 ,short titles ,this ,act may be     
cited as the ,pathways for ,advancement1
 ,transition1 and ,hiring to the        
,foreign ,service or the ,,path to the  
,foreign ,service ,act4  #b4 ,foreign   
,service ,officer career pathway for    
former ,,usaid officers  7a7 ,defined   
term ,in this section1 the term ,,usaid 
means the ,united ,states ,agency for   
,international ,development4  7b7       
,foreign ,service officer career pathway
 ,former ,,usaid ,foreign ,service      
members who are appointed to positions  

within the ,department of ,state shall  
be eligible for appointment into the    
,foreign ,service ,officer career track 
at a grade and tenure status            
commensurate with their prior ,foreign  
,service rank1 time-in-service1 and     
performance1 subject to applicable      
suitability and security requirements4  
7c7 ,foreign ,service officer test      
waiver ,former ,,usaid ,foreign ,service
 members are not required to take the   
,foreign ,service ,entrance ,exam1      
including any written or oral elements1 
as a condition of appointment or        
conversion or any hiring mechanism to   
the ,foreign ,service of the ,department
 of ,state if such officers previously  
met ,foreign ,service entry requirements
 and served in good standing at ,,usaid4
  7d7 ,hiring preference points ,the    
,department of ,state shall award hiring
 preference points or equivalent hiring 
credit to applicants for ,department of 
,state positions who have prior ,,usaid 
service1 whether in the ,foreign        

,service or the ,civil ,service4 ,such  
preference shall be formally            
incorporated into hiring and selection  
processes and applied in a transparent  
and consistent manner4  7e7 ,recognition
 of prior service ,prior ,,usaid service
 shall be fully credited toward a       
,foreign ,service ,officer's seniority1 
time-in-class1 retirement eligibility1  
and other applicable career milestones  
to the maximum extent permitted by law4 
7f7 ,implementation ,not later than #ahj
 days after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in
 coordination with appropriate officials
 of ,,usaid and the ,office of          
,personnel ,management1 shall issue     
guidance for the timely implementation  
of this section to ensure uniform       
application4  7g7 ,sunset ,the          
provisions of this section shall cease  
to be effective beginning on the date   
that is #e years after the date of the  
enactment of this ,act4