Department of State Authorization Act of 2021
Latest action · May 19, 2021 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.
- IntroducedFeb 18, 2021
- Passed HouseMay 18, 2021
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Department of State Authorization Act of 2021
This bill modifies the management and operations of the Department of State through various measures. These include requiring actions to recruit and retain a diverse workforce, establishing offices and roles to carry out designated functions, and providing for certain public diplomacy and anti-corruption measures.
Specifically, the bill addresses personnel matters within the State Department by, for example, requiring the State Department to submit a comprehensive five-year strategic staffing plan and otherwise modifying provisions related to home leave travel, employee assignment restrictions and preclusions, and the recall and reemployment of career members of the Foreign and civil service. Further, the bill establishes recruitment, retention, and promotion requirements to further the goal of achieving a more diverse workforce at the State Department.
In addition, the bill modifies the organization and operations of the State Department by, among other things, (1) providing statutory authority for the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration; and (2) authorizing the establishment of an Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources to handle global energy-related issues.
The bill also establishes measures to address State Department information and data security, revises procedures and requirements related to the overseas construction of embassies and consulates, and requires the State Department to report on the efforts of the Coronavirus Repatriation Task Force.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Feb 18, 2021.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-TX | Michael T. McCaul | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
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 Feb 18, 2021Markup Feb 25, 2021Reported May 13, 2021 |
| Senate | Foreign Relations Committee | Referred May 19, 2021 |
Actions 13
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 19, 2021Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- May 18, 2021Mr. Meeks moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- May 18, 2021Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2432-2450; text: CR H2432-2448)
- May 18, 2021DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1157.
- May 18, 2021At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
In the Congressional Record 1
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 H2432–H2450, H2482Text printed H2432–H2448, H2490–H2506Notices H2537Estimated budget effects of H.R. 1157, provide for certain Dept. of State authorities | Gregory W. Meeks D-NY, John A. Yarmuth D-KY, Michael T. McCaul R-TX, Steny H. Hoyer D-MD, Young Kim R-CA | May 18, 2021 |
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
- Apr 26, 2021H.R. 1157, Department of State Authorization Act of 2021As ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on February 25, 2021
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 31, February 18, 2021, page H538.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 117-221 | TRAINING THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S WORKFORCE FOR 21ST CENTURY DIPLOMACY45 pages | Foreign Relations Committee | Nov 2, 2021 |
CRS reports 3
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 3
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47061 | Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 117th Congress | Report | Oct 21, 2022 |
| R46947 | U.S. Climate Change Policy Archived | Report | Oct 28, 2021 |
| R45203 | State Department Personnel: Background and Selected Issues for the 117th Congress Archived | Report | Jul 7, 2021 |
Related bills 11
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HRES 403 | Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1629) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of orphan drugs, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 275) condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, 2021, and reaffirming the House of Representative's commitment to combating hate, bigotry, and violence against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community; and for other purposes. | Related bill | May 18, 2021 |
| S 599 | Department of State Student Internship Program Act | Related bill | Mar 4, 2021 |
| HR 1109 | Department of State Student Internship Program Act | Related bill | Feb 18, 2021 |
| HR 1199 | STEM Diplomacy Act | Related bill | Jul 29, 2021 |
| HR 1232 | Diplomatic Personnel Modernization Act | Related bill | Feb 23, 2021 |
Titles 9
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 Title(s) as Introduced
- Department of State Authorization Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Department of State Authorization Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Department of State Authorization Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Introduced for portions of this bill
- Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House for portions of this bill
- Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Passed House for portions of this bill
- Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2021
- Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- Department of State Authorization Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) for portions of this bill from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2021
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Administrative remedies
- Advisory bodies
- Africa
- Art, artists, authorship
- Assault and harassment offenses
- Building construction
- Cardiovascular and respiratory health
- Child safety and welfare
- Computer security and identity theft
- Computers and information technology
- Conflicts and wars
- Congressional oversight
- Crime prevention
- Crime victims
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Cultural exchanges and relations
- Department of State
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Disability and paralysis
- Disaster relief and insurance
- Drug trafficking and controlled substances
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Employee hiring
- Employee leave
- Employment and training programs
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Energy storage, supplies, demand
- Europe
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Federal officials
- Foreign aid and international relief
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
- Government information and archives
- Government liability
- Government studies and investigations
- Higher education
- Historic sites and heritage areas
- HIV/AIDS
- Human rights
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
- International Affairs
- International exchange and broadcasting
- International law and treaties
- International organizations and cooperation
- Internet and video services
- Internet, web applications, social media
- Libraries and archives
- Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
- Middle East
- Minority education
- Minority employment
- Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers
- Performance measurement
- Public contracts and procurement
- Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
- Rule of law and government transparency
- Separation, divorce, custody, support
- Sex offenses
- Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
- Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
- Student aid and college costs
- Terrorism
- Transportation costs
- Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
- War crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity
- Women's education
- Women's employment
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 19, 2021Referred in Senate
- May 18, 2021Engrossed in House
- May 13, 2021Reported in House
- Feb 18, 2021Introduced 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.
