S4466Referred to Committee

PATH to the Foreign Service Act

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2026-04-30
Introduced
3
Cosponsors
S
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Brian Schatz
Brian Schatz
Democrat · HI · Senator
Votes with party: 84.3% (848 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/S001194

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (3)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

2026-04-30

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

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Plain-English Summary

The bill would create a way for former USAID workers to become Foreign Service officers, which are diplomats who represent the U.S. abroad. This would allow experienced international development professionals to transition into diplomatic careers without having to start from scratch, potentially making it easier to fill Foreign Service positions with people who already understand how U.S. government works overseas.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

Subjects

International Affairs

Full Bill Text

Verbatim text published on Congress.gov via GovInfo. Use Cmd+F / Ctrl+F to search within this excerpt.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4466 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4466 To provide a Foreign Service officer career pathway for former United States Agency for International Development officers. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 30, 2026 Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Rosen, and Mr. Merkley) introduced the following bill; 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 officers. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLES. This Act may be cited as the ``Pathways for Advancement, Transition, and Hiring to the Foreign Service'' or the ``PATH to the Foreign Service Act''. SEC. 2. FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER CAREER PATHWAY FOR FORMER USAID OFFICERS. (a) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``USAID'' means the United States Agency for International Development. (b) 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 rank, time-in-service, and performance, subject to applicable suitability and security requirements. (c) Foreign Service Officer Test Waiver.--Former USAID Foreign Service members are not required to take the Foreign Service Entrance Exam, including any written or oral elements, 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 USAID. (d) 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 service, whether in the Foreign Service or the Civil Service. Such preference shall be formally incorporated into hiring and selection processes and applied in a transparent and consistent manner. (e) Recognition of Prior Service.--Prior USAID service shall be fully credited toward a Foreign Service Officer's seniority, time-in- class, retirement eligibility, and other applicable career milestones to the maximum extent permitted by law. (f) Implementation.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with appropriate officials of USAID and the Office of Personnel Management, shall issue guidance for the timely implementation of this section to ensure uniform application. (g) Sunset.--The provisions of this section shall cease to be effective beginning on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. <all>
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