Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a new group called the Diplomatic Reserve Corps. It would work like the military reserves but for diplomacy. Members would be trained and ready to help the State Department during emergencies, like natural disasters or attacks on U.S. embassies abroad.
• The group will start small with 250 people in 2026 and grow to 1,000 people by 2028. It will include regular citizens and retired government workers who have special skills in foreign languages or international relations. To join, you must be a U.S. citizen at least 21 years old.
• Members will have to train for about 38 days every year to keep their skills sharp. If a crisis happens, the State Department can call them to active duty for up to a year. While serving, they get paid a salary similar to regular foreign service officers and receive health insurance and other benefits.
• The bill protects the jobs of people who join the reserve. Just like military reservists, their employers must let them leave for training or active duty and give them their jobs back when they return. They also get special legal protections for things like rental agreements and cell phone contracts while they are serving.
• This plan helps the United States respond faster to global problems without having to hire thousands of full-time employees. It uses the skills of experts who already have jobs in the private sector but want to serve their country when things get difficult overseas.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.