PATH to the Foreign Service Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a new way for former employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development to join the State Department. It helps these workers move into Foreign Service careers more easily by recognizing the skills they already have from their previous government work.
• Experienced workers from the international development agency would not have to take the difficult Foreign Service entrance exam. As long as they were in good standing at their old jobs, they can skip the written and oral tests that most other applicants must pass.
• The State Department would be required to give extra credit to job applicants who have worked for the development agency before. This hiring preference makes it more likely that the government keeps experienced people in important international roles.
• When these workers move to the State Department, they get to keep their rank and benefits. Their past work years will count toward their retirement and promotions, so they do not have to start their careers over from scratch.
• If this bill passes, the government has 180 days to start the new hiring process. The program is designed to last for five years before it expires, giving officials time to see if the new pathway works well for the agencies involved.

Impact Analysis

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