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Bills/119th Congress · Senate

S. 4642

Introduced

Foreign Service Workforce Retention Act

Sponsor
DChris Van Hollen· Maryland
Introduced
May 21, 2026
Policy area
Government Operations and Politics
Latest action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.May 21, 2026

Plain-language analysis

Not yet analyzed.

A plain-language breakdown — including any hidden or off-intent provisions and whether the bill was fast-tracked — is generated separately and reviewed before publishing. It will appear here once ready. Until then, the verbatim text below and the official source are the record.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4642 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4642 To amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 relating to the recall and reappointment of career members. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 21, 2026 Mr. Van Hollen (for himself and Mr. Schatz) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 relating to the recall and reappointment of career members. 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 ``Foreign Service Workforce Retention Act''. SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE FOREIGN SERVICE ACT OF 1980. Section 308 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3948) is amended-- (1) in subsection (a)-- (A) in the first sentence-- (i) by inserting ``or separated'' after ``any retired''; and (ii) by inserting ``or separation'' after ``of retirement''; and (B) in the second sentence-- (i) by inserting ``or separated'' after ``A retired''; (ii) by inserting ``or separated'' after ``a retired''; and (iii) by inserting ``or separation'' after ``of retirement''; (2) in subsection (b)-- (A) by striking ``Former career members'' and inserting the following: ``(1) Former career members''; (B) in paragraph (1), as so designated, by inserting ``, for a period of five years after the date of retirement or separation,'' after ``without regard to section 306''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(2) A member seeking reappointment in the Service under paragraph (1) shall be reappointed not later than 180 days after the date of the approval of such request for reappointment to the Department and shall be incorporated into the next onward assignment application cycle of the Service with full standing.''; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ``(c) Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter, 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 detailing-- ``(1) the number of career members of the Service who were recalled and reappointed under this section during the preceding fiscal year; ``(2) the grade of each such member at the time of their retirement or separation; and ``(3) the grade and position of each such member at the time of their recall or reappointment.''. <all>

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