H.R. 8161

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8161 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8161

To encourage the practice of expeditionary diplomacy at the Department 
of State.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 30, 2026

Ms. Jacobs (for herself and Mr. Baumgartner) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To encourage the practice of expeditionary diplomacy at the Department 
of State.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Expeditionary Diplomacy Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION REQUIREMENT.

(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to 
the appropriate congressional committees that includes a definition of 
the term ``expeditionary diplomacy'', and how it relates to diplomacy 
that is not expeditionary, and an overview of how the Department of 
State will apply this definition to enhance its ability to conduct 
expeditionary diplomacy in environments with an elevated security risk, 
including under the Diplomatic Security Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4801 et 
seq.), as amended by section 9302 of the James M. Inhofe National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263).
(b) Consultation.--The Secretary of State shall consult relevant 
external stakeholders on the formulation of the definition required in 
subsection (a), which may include the American Academy of Diplomacy and 
the American Foreign Service Association, as appropriate.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON EXPEDITIONARY DIPLOMACY AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

(a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the submission of 
the report required by section 2, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
report on challenges with respect to expeditionary diplomacy at the 
Department of State and United States embassies and posts and 
recommendations to address such challenges.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by subsection (a) 
shall include the following:
(1) An assessment of the capacity of regional security 
officers within the Department of State, including with respect 
to enabling expeditionary diplomacy, and, if applicable, 
recommendations to address any challenges in capacity.
(2) A description of other challenges, internal and 
external to the Department of State, that prevent increased 
expeditionary diplomacy practiced among Chiefs of Mission and 
members of the Foreign Service.
(3) An assessment of whether existing Department of State 
initiatives, and laws and regulations applicable to the 
Department, including under the Diplomatic Security Act of 1986 
(22 U.S.C. 4801 et seq.), as amended by section 9302 of the 
James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263), further including the 
provisions on promotion precepts, training, and the sense of 
Congress on the establishment of an Expeditionary Diplomacy 
Award, are being utilized to address such other challenges, to 
include analysis describing the effectiveness of such 
initiatives, laws, and regulations in doing so.
(4) An assessment of previous and ongoing efforts to enable 
expeditionary diplomacy, including in environments with an 
elevated security risk, that have been successful, and any 
lessons learned from such efforts, and recommendations as to 
how, if at all, those lessons learned could be applied more 
generally across the Department of State.
(5) An assessment of how personnel policies at diplomatic 
posts and across the Foreign Service more generally impact 
members' of the Foreign Service ability to practice 
expeditionary diplomacy, complete tours longer than one year in 
assignments to environments with an elevated security risk, and 
obtain sufficient country-level expertise (including through 
developing robust contacts with host country officials, 
business leaders, civil society groups, and other key 
stakeholders), and, if applicable, recommendations to improve 
such policies to incentivize members of the Foreign Service to 
carry out such work.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that the President should include in 
the ``President's Letters of Instruction'' the promotion of appropriate 
and effective risk management practices to encourage diplomats to 
regularly and meaningfully engage in expeditionary diplomacy and with 
populations in the country, including in high security and high threat 
environments.

SEC. 5. AMENDMENTS TO CHIEF OF MISSION AUTHORITY.

Section 207(a) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 
3927(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking the ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) shall exercise appropriate and effective risk 
management practices to encourage all relevant Government 
executive branch employees in that country to regularly and 
meaningfully engage in expeditionary diplomacy and with the 
populations in such country.''.

SEC. 6. ESTABLISHMENT OF EXPEDITIONARY DIPLOMACY TIGER TEAM.

(a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish a team 
(commonly known as a ``Tiger Team'' and referred to in this section as 
the ``Tiger Team'') dedicated to producing recommendations to the 
Secretary of State to improve the ability and willingness of Chiefs of 
Mission and Regional Security Officers to approve expeditionary 
diplomacy and of members of the Foreign Service to regularly practice 
expeditionary diplomacy. The Tiger Team shall consist of appropriate 
personnel of the Department of State assigned to the Tiger Team by the 
Secretary for the purposes of this section.
(b) Tiger Team Leader.--One of the persons assigned to the Tiger 
Team under subsection (a) shall be a senior-level officer or employee 
of the Department who shall serve as the lead official of the Tiger 
Team (in this section referred to as the ``Tiger Team Leader'') and who 
shall be accountable for the activities of the Tiger Team under this 
section and not serve concurrently in another assignment or position at 
the Department during the tenure of the Tiger Team.
(c) Report on Composition.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report setting forth the names and titles of the personnel of the 
Department assigned to the Tiger Team pursuant to this subsection, 
including the positions to which assigned, which shall at minimum 
include at least one official that reports to the Under Secretary of 
Political Affairs, an official with international development 
experience and expertise, and at least one official each from the 
Bureaus of Diplomatic Security, Administration, Diplomatic Technology, 
Human Resources, Medical Services, and Overseas Building Operations, 
respectively. The report shall specify the name of the individual 
assigned as Tiger Team Leader.
(d) Duties.--
(1) In general.--The Tiger Team shall produce 
recommendations to the Secretary of State to improve the 
ability and willingness of Chiefs of Mission and Regional 
Security Officers to approve expeditionary diplomacy and of 
members of the Foreign Service to regularly practice 
expeditionary diplomacy.
(2) Collaboration.--In conducting activities under this 
subsection, the Tiger Team Leader shall identify appropriate 
external stakeholders with whom the Tiger Team shall work to 
carry out such activities. Such stakeholders shall include the 
following:
(A) American Academy of Diplomacy.
(B) American Foreign Service Association.
(C) Overseas Security Advisory Council.
(D) Such other stakeholders as the Tiger Team 
Leader considers appropriate.
(3) Initial report.--Not later than 18 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
submit to Congress a plan on the Tiger Team's work, to include 
the following:
(A) A description of the manner in which the 
Secretary, working through the Tiger Team and in 
collaboration with external stakeholders described in 
paragraph (2), shall--
(i) assess the current state of the 
Department's ability and willingness to 
practice expeditionary diplomacy;
(ii) review previous and current Department 
of State efforts and historical recommendation 
reports, external and internal, on 
expeditionary diplomacy;
(iii) assess the current challenges 
experienced by the Department, Chiefs of 
Mission, and members of the Foreign Service in 
practicing expeditionary diplomacy; and
(iv) produce policy, regulations, and 
legislative recommendations to address such 
challenges.
(B) A timeline for the implementation, carrying 
out, and completion of the plan required under this 
paragraph.
(C) A description of the additional funding, 
personnel, or other resources of the Department 
required to carry out the plan required under this 
paragraph, including any modification of applicable 
statutory or administrative authorities.
(4) Implementation of plan.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall implement and 
carry out the plan submitted under paragraph (3) in 
accordance with the timeline submitted under 
subparagraph (B) of that paragraph.
(B) Updates.--Not less frequently than once every 
90 days after the submittal of the report on the plan 
under paragraph (3), the Tiger Team shall submit to 
Congress an update on such plan.
(5) Final report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Tiger Team shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a final report on the 
activities of the Tiger Team under this subsection. The report 
shall set forth the following:
(A) A description of the challenges related to 
expeditionary diplomacy identified pursuant to 
paragraph (3)(A)(ii), including challenges identified 
by the Comptroller General of the United States 
pursuant to the report in section 3.
(B) A description of recommendations to address 
such challenges, including the resources, staffing, 
authorities, and legislative changes required for 
implementation, pursuant to paragraph (3)(A)(iii).
(C) A timeline for the implementation of such 
recommendations.
(D) A designation of an office responsible for 
monitoring the implementation of such recommendations 
following the termination of the Tiger Team pursuant to 
paragraph (6).
(E) Any changes, as appropriate, to the definition 
required by section 2.
(6) Monitoring implementation.--For the period of 90 days 
after the date on which the final report required by paragraph 
(5) is submitted, the Tiger Team shall oversee and monitor the 
implementation of recommendations submitted in such report.
(7) Termination.--On the date that is 90 days after the 
date on which the final report required by paragraph (5) is 
submitted, the Secretary shall terminate the Tiger Team.

SEC. 7. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
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