Bill Summary
The Promotion Accessibility Act is a bill that aims to amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980. It specifically focuses on the selection boards responsible for evaluating the performance of Foreign Service officers. Under this bill, officers will now have the option to submit a "gap memo" to the selection board in advance of their evaluation. This memo will explain any gaps in the officer's record, such as leave for personal reasons, and must be submitted in a standard format established by the Director General of the Foreign Service. The selection board is not allowed to consider this gap memo as a negative factor when evaluating the officer's performance. The bill also requires the Director General to consult with the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Relations regarding the development of the gap memo. This bill aims to promote fairness and accessibility in the promotion process for Foreign Service officers.
Possible Impacts
1. Individuals who are members of the Foreign Service or Senior Foreign Service could potentially have the ability to submit a "gap memo" to a selection board explaining any gaps in their performance due to personal circumstances. This could positively affect their evaluations and potentially lead to promotions or career advancements.
2. The Director General of the Foreign Service will need to consult with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate regarding the development of the gap memo. This could involve multiple individuals and could potentially delay the implementation of the legislation.
3. The Promotion Accessibility Act could lead to more transparency and fairness in the selection board process for members of the Foreign Service and Senior Foreign Service, as the gap memo will be considered and cannot be viewed negatively by the selection board. This could create a more equitable and inclusive system for these individuals.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7798 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7798
To amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 relating to selection boards
regarding performance evaluations of Foreign Service officers, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 27, 2020
Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself and Ms. Titus) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 relating to selection boards
regarding performance evaluations of Foreign Service officers, and for
other purposes.
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 ``Promotion Accessibility Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF GAP MEMORANDUM IN SELECTION BOARD PROCESS.
(a) In General.--Section 603 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22
U.S.C. 4003) is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(c)(1) A member of the Service or member of the Senior Foreign
Service whose performance will be evaluated by a selection board may
submit to such selection board a gap memo in advance of such
evaluation.
``(2) Members of a selection board may not consider as negative the
submission of a gap memo by a member described in paragraph (1) when
evaluating the performance of such member.
``(3) In this subsection, the term `gap memo' means a written
record, submitted to a selection board in a standard format established
by the Director General of the Foreign Service, which indicates and
explains a gap in the record of a member of the Service or member of
the Senior Foreign Service whose performance will be evaluated by such
selection board, which gap is due to personal circumstances, including
for health, family, or other reason as determined by the Director
General in consultation with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate.''.
(b) Consultation and Guidance.--
(1) Consultation.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director General of the Foreign
Service shall consult with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate regarding the development of the gap
memo under subsection (c) of section 603 of the Foreign Service
Act of 1980, as added by subsection (a).
(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``gap memo''
has the meaning given such term in subsection (c) of section
603 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.
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