Department of State Authorization Act of 2019
Latest action · Sep 9, 2019 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJun 19, 2019
- Passed HouseJul 25, 2019
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Department of State Authorization Act of 2019
This bill authorizes, revises, and repeals various provisions related to the Department of State.
The bill provides statutory authority to establish an Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and an Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy and Security and eliminates the position for the Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma (Myanmar).
The bill imposes limitations on special appointments not expressly authorized by Congress.
The State Department may not implement any reduction-in-force actions unless it has provided justification to Congress.
The State Department shall establish and implement a standard parental leave policy applicable to employees across all bureaus and offices.
The State Department may waive various requirements related to hiring (1) certain employees with significant scientific, technological, or engineering expertise; or (2) Global Engagement Center employees.
The State Department shall make certain efforts to promote diversity in its workforce, including expanding anti-harassment and antidiscrimination training and gathering data to devise ways to promote participation from a range of demographic categories in professional development programs.
The State Department shall (1) semiannually consult with other departments and agencies regarding the security of certain information systems and commission independent penetration testing of such systems, (2) establish a process for security researchers to test State Department systems and submit information about discovered vulnerabilities, and (3) create a bug bounty program that provides rewards for information about previously unidentified security flaws in State Department information systems.
The bill directs the State Department to take various actions to update its public diplomacy efforts, including establishing a Director of Research and Evaluation to assess existing programs.
The State Department shall assess each country's capacity to combat public corruption. For countries that do not meet the minimum standards, the State Department shall utilize proper measures to combat corruption.
The State Department shall establish a working group on security assistance, including activities such as peacekeeping and military financing assistance. The bill revises various requirements and limits related to such assistance and transferring defense articles to foreign countries.
The State Department may designate an existing official to coordinate all U.S. government matters relating to the long-term disposition of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) detainees.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jun 19, 2019.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-TX | Michael T. McCaul | Original | Jun 19, 2019 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Foreign Affairs Committee | Referred Jun 19, 2019Markup Jun 26, 2019Reported Jul 24, 2019 |
| Senate | Foreign Relations Committee | Referred Sep 9, 2019 |
Actions 13
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 9, 2019Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Jul 25, 2019Mr. Engel moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 25, 2019Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7412-7436)
- Jul 25, 2019DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3352.
- Jul 25, 2019Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7412-7434)
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H7412–H7436Text printed H7412–H7434 | Abigail Davis Spanberger D-VA, Eliot L. Engel D-NY, Gerald E. Connolly D-VA, Michael T. McCaul R-TX, Ron Wright R-TX, Ted S. Yoho R-FL | Jul 25, 2019 |
| House | Notices H7375Estimated budget effects of H.R. 3352, Dept. of State authoritiesTables H7375Estimated pay-as-you-go effects of H.R. 3352, Dept. of State authorities | John A. Yarmuth D-KY | Jul 24, 2019 |
| House | Lists H4918H.R. 3352–3372 | — | Jun 19, 2019 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Oct 17, 2019H.R. 3352, Department of State Authorization Act of 2019As passed by the House of Representatives on July 25, 2019
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 103, June 19, 2019, page H4918.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 116-52 | MARKUP OF H.R. 3352, H.RES. 220, H.RES. 221, H.RES. 222, H.RES. 358, H.R. 2037, H.R. 3206, and H.R. 3460320 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Jun 26, 2019 |
CRS reports 4
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 4
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| IF10293 | Foreign Relations Reauthorization: Background and Issues | Resource | Oct 28, 2026 |
| R46660 | Faces and Voices of the United States Abroad: Diversity at U.S. Foreign Affairs Agencies Archived | Report | Jan 21, 2021 |
| IF11591 | Diversity in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service: Background and Issues for Congress Archived | Resource | Jul 2, 2020 |
| R46373 | Countering Corruption Through U.S. Foreign Assistance Archived | Report | May 27, 2020 |
Related bills 8
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 193 | Improving Embassy Design and Security Act | Related bill | Jan 3, 2019 |
| HR 328 | Hack Your State Department Act | Related bill | Jan 23, 2019 |
| HR 1677 | To repeal certain foreign affairs reporting requirements. | Related bill | Mar 11, 2019 |
| HR 2024 | Diplomatic Personnel Modernization Act | Related bill | Apr 2, 2019 |
| HR 2046 | Energy Diplomacy Act of 2019 | Related bill | May 22, 2019 |
Titles 10
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To provide for certain authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Passed House for portions of this bill
- International Security Assistance Act of 2019
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Department of State Authorization Act of 2019
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Department of State Authorization Act of 2019
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Department of State Authorization Act of 2019
- Short Title(s) as Introduced for portions of this bill
- Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2019
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House for portions of this bill
- Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2019
- Short Title(s) as Passed House for portions of this bill
- Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2019
- Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- Department of State Authorization Act of 2019
- Short Title(s) for portions of this bill from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2019
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Art, artists, authorship
- Building construction
- Computer security and identity theft
- Congressional oversight
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Department of State
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Employee leave
- Energy storage, supplies, demand
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Federal officials
- Foreign aid and international relief
- Government buildings, facilities, and property
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
- Government information and archives
- Government liability
- Government studies and investigations
- Historic sites and heritage areas
- Human rights
- Intergovernmental relations
- International Affairs
- International organizations and cooperation
- Internet and video services
- Internet, web applications, social media
- Licensing and registrations
- Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
- Marine and inland water transportation
- Military assistance, sales, and agreements
- Military facilities and property
- Minority employment
- Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers
- Performance measurement
- Protection of officials
- Public contracts and procurement
- Sanctions
- Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
- Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
- Student aid and college costs
- Terrorism
- Transportation safety and security
- U.S. and foreign investments
- User charges and fees
- Visas and passports
- War crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity
- Women's rights
- Worker safety and health
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 9, 2019Referred in Senate
- Jul 25, 2019Engrossed in House
- Jul 24, 2019Reported in House
- Jun 19, 2019Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
