FOREIGN SERVICE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.

SEC. 149. FOREIGN SERVICE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. (a) Findings.— The Congress makes the following findings: (1) On September 3, 1986, George Shultz, as Secretary of State, issued a statement containing 32 directives concerning equal opportunity in the Foreign Service. In his statement Secretary Shultz affirmed that it was of “fundamental importance that the Foreign Service truly represent the cultural and ethnic diversity of our own society”, and indicated that the lack of such balanced representation was “a foreign policy problem which affects our image as a nation and as a leader of the free world”. Secretary Shultz stated “that representation of women and minorities in the Foreign Service is still unacceptably low” and declared that he was “particularly concerned at the small number of Blacks in the Senior Foreign Service”. (2) The Secretary approved 32 recommendations included with the statement regarding recruitment, assignments, performance evaluations, and equal employment opportunity procedures within the Foreign Service. The recommendations of Secretary of State Shultz included— 104 STAT. 39 (A) the targeting of historically Black American colleges and universities for special recruitment efforts, including specific information on how to apply for the Foreign Service examination, the testing process, and the mechanics of entry; (B) independent review of the written exam for any cultural bias against African Americans; (C) the inclusion of more African Americans on the board of examiners panels; (D) investigation of methods to increase African American enrollment in university courses which might improve an applicant’s chances of passing the written exam; (E) development of new recruitment strategies; (F) the assignment of more African American officers to senior (and visible) role model positions; and (G) the recruitment of more African American officers into the political and economic cones of the Foreign Service. (3) During the past 7 years, equal opportunity programs to attract women and minorities to the Foreign Service have been most successful in recruiting women and Asian Americans. Such programs have been less than successful in the recruitment of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. In 1982, 188 new recruits were appointed to the Foreign Service, 48 were minority appointments constituting 26 percent. In 1985 the number of new appointments had increased 33 percent to 281, but minorities comprised only 10.3 percent of such appointments, a total of 29. (4) For African Americans and Hispanics the trend of hiring in the Foreign Service is disconcerting. Nineteen African Americans were appointed to the Foreign Service in 1983, in 1987 only 10 African Americans were appointed. Hispanic appointments ranged from 12 in 1983 to 8 in 1985 to 15 in 1987. For Native Americans the Foreign Service statistics are ominous, 5 appointments in 1983,1 in 1984, and no appointments in 1985, 1986, or 1987. (5) The severe underrepresentation in the Foreign Service of individuals from certain cultural and ethnic groups is in large part due to the small pool of applicants from such groups. In each year from 1982 through 1987, minority applicants represented 14 to 17 percent of the total applicants and only 50 percent of such applicants took the written exam. In 1987, 1,769 minority applicants took the written exam, 191 passed, and 36 were actually appointed to the Foreign Service. (6) The absolute and relative decline in the appointment to the Foreign Service of certain minorities who reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States dictates that more aggressive equal opportunity programs be established to facilitate the recruitment and appointment of such individuals. (b) Establishment.— Title I of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended by adding at the end the following new chapter: “Chapter 12— Foreign Service Internship Program “SEC. 1201. STATEMENT OF POLICY; OBJECTIVES. “(a) Statement of Policy.— Consistent with the findings of section 101, the Foreign Service of the United States should be rep-104 STAT. 40resentative of the American people. In order to facilitate and encourage the entry into the Foreign Service of individuals who meet the rigorous requirements of the Service, while ensuring a Foreign Service system which reflects the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States, intensive recruitment efforts are mandated. This is particularly true for Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans, where other affirmative action and equal opportunity efforts have not been successful in attracting the ablest applicants for entry into the Foreign Service. The United States remains committed to equal opportunity and to a Foreign Service system operated on the basis of merit principles. “(b) Objectives.— The objective of this chapter is to strengthen and improve the Foreign Service of the United States through the establishment of a Foreign Service Internship Program. The program shall promote the Foreign Service as a viable and rewarding career opportunity for qualified individuals who reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States through a highly selective internship program for students enrolled in institutions of higher education. “SEC. 1202. FOREIGN SERVICE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. “(a) Establishment.— In consultation with the heads of other agencies utilizing the Foreign Service system, the Secretary of State shall establish a Foreign Service internship program to carry out the objectives of this chapter in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. “(b) Foreign Service Internship Program.— The program shall introduce interns to the practice of diplomacy and the unique rewards of the Foreign Service. The program shall consist of three successive summer internships of not less than eight weeks duration in each year to be completed over the course of not more than four years. Special emphasis shall be given to preparing the intern for the Foreign Service examination process. In each year not less than 10 interns shall enter the program. “(c) Eligibility to Participate.— “(1) Students enrolled full-time in institutions of higher education from groups which are underrepresented in the Foreign Service in terms of the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Foreign Service and for whom equal opportunity and affirmative action recruitment efforts have not been successful in achieving balanced representation in appointments to the Foreign Service shall be eligible to be interns in programs under this chapter. “(2) An intern shall have successfully completed not less than one academic year of study at an institution of higher education to be admitted to the program. In each succeeding year of participation an intern shall have completed an additional year of undergraduate or graduate study and shall maintain an exemplary record of academic achievement. “(3) In selecting interns, the Secretary shall consider only the ablest students of superior ability selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement and exceptional promise whose academic records reflect the requisite standards of performance necessary for the Foreign Service. “(d) Summer Internships.— “(1) The primary focus of the first internship shall be the study of international relations, the functions of the Depart-104 STAT. 41ment of State and other agencies which utilize the Foreign Service system, and the nature of the Foreign Service. The internship shall be held in Washington, District of Columbia, at the Department of State. As appropriate, the Secretary shall utilize the personnel and facilities of the Foreign Service Institute. “(2) The second internship shall be, principally, an assignment to a specific bureau of the Department of State. Emphasis shall be on providing insight into the economic and political functional areas. “(3) The third internship shall be an assignment to a United States mission abroad in the political or economic area. “(4) The first and second internships may include a detail to the Congress. “(e) Administration.— The Secretary of State shall determine the academic requirements, other selection criteria, and standards for successful completion of each internship period. The Secretary shall be responsible for the design, implementation, and operation of the program. “(f) Mentors.— Each intern shall be assigned a career Foreign Service officer as a mentor. The mentor shall act as a counselor and advisor throughout each summer internship and as a personal Foreign Service contact throughout the period of participation in the program. In the assignment of mentors, the Secretary shall give preference to Foreign Service officers who volunteer for such assignment and who may be role models for the interns. “(g) Compensation.— Interns shall be compensated at a rate determined by the Secretary which shall not be less than the compensation of comparable summer interns at the Department of State. As determined by the Secretary, for the purposes of travel, housing, health insurance, and other appropriate benefits, interns shall be considered employees of the Foreign Service during each internship period. “(h) Study of Foreign Service Examination.— The Secretary of State shall study the feasibility of administering the Foreign Service examination in separate segments over several years. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report summarizing the findings of such a study to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. “SEC. 1203. REPORT TO CONGRESS. “Together with the annual submission required under section 105(d)(2), the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Congress concerning the implementation of the program established under this chapter. Such report accompanied by such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate, shall include specific information concerning the completion rates of interns in the program, interns who took the Foreign Service examination, interns who passed the examination, former interns appointed to the Foreign Service, assignments of former interns, and the advancement of former interns through the Foreign Service System. “SEC. 1204. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. “Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by section 101(a)(1) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991, $100,000 for the fiscal year 1990 and $150,000 for the fiscal104 STAT. 42 year 1991 shall be available only to carry out this chapter. Sums appropriated for the purposes of this chapter are authorized to remain available until expended.”. (c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.— The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended by adding after the items relating to chapter 11 the following: “Chapter 12—Foreign Service Internship Program “Sec. 1201. Statement of policy; objectives. “Sec. 1202. Foreign service internship program. “Sec. 1203. Report to Congress. “Sec. 1204. Authorization of appropriations.”. (d) Report to Congress.— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Congress concerning the implementation of the Foreign Service Internship Program.