S.Amdt. 1826

SA 1826. Mr. BOOKER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 1502 proposed by Mr. Schumer to the bill S. 1260, to
establish a new Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the
National Science Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub
program, to require a strategy and report on economic security,
science, research, innovation, manufacturing, and job creation, to
establish a critical supply chain resiliency program, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall establish the
Department of State Student Internship Program (referred to
in this section as the ``Program'') to offer internship
opportunities at the Department of State to eligible students
to raise awareness of the essential role of diplomacy in the
conduct of United States foreign policy and the realization
of United States foreign policy objectives.
(b) Eligibility.--An applicant is eligible to participate
in the Program if the applicant--
(1) is enrolled (not less than half-time) at--
(A) an institution of higher education (as defined section
102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)); or
(B) an institution of higher education based outside of the
United States, as determined by the Secretary of State;
(2) is able to receive and hold an appropriate security
clearance; and
(3) satisfies such other criteria as the Secretary may
establish pursuant to subsection (c).
(c) Selection.--The Secretary of State shall establish
selection criteria for students to be admitted into the
Program, including--
(1) a demonstrable interest in a career in foreign affairs;
(2) strong academic performance; and
(3) such other criteria as the Secretary may establish.
(d) Outreach.--The Secretary of State shall--
(1) widely advertise the Program, including on the
internet, through--

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(A) the Department of State's Diplomats in Residence
Program; and
(B) other outreach and recruiting initiatives targeting
undergraduate and graduate students; and
(C) actively encourage people belonging to traditionally
under-represented groups in terms of racial, ethnic,
geographic, and gender diversity, and disability status to
apply to the Program, including by conducting targeted
outreach at minority serving institutions (as described in
section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1067q(a))).
(e) Compensation.--
(1) In general.--Students participating in the Program
shall be paid not less than the greater of--
(A) the amount specified in section 6(a)(1) of the Fair
Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)); or
(B) the minimum wage of the jurisdiction in which the
internship is located.
(2) Housing assistance.--
(A) Abroad.--The Secretary of State shall provide housing
assistance to any student participating in the Program whose
permanent address is within the United States if the location
of the internship in which such student is participating is
outside of the United States.
(B) Domestic.--The Secretary of State is authorized to
provide housing assistance to a student participating in the
Program whose permanent address is within the United States
if the location of the internship in which such student is
participating is more than 50 miles away from such student's
permanent address.
(3) Travel assistance.--The Secretary of State shall
provide financial assistance to any student participating in
the Program whose permanent address is within the United
States that covers the round trip costs of traveling from the
location of the internship in which such student is
participating (including travel by air, train, bus, or other
appropriate transit), if the location of such internship is--
(A) more than 50 miles from such student's permanent
address; or
(B) outside of the United States.
(f) Working With Institutions of Higher Education.--The
Secretary of State is authorized to enter into agreements
with institutions of higher education to structure
internships to ensure such internships satisfy criteria for
academic programs in which participants in such internships
are enrolled.
(g) Transition Period.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
transition all unpaid internship programs of the Department
of State, including the Foreign Service Internship Program,
to internship programs that offer compensation. Upon
selection as a candidate for entry into an internship program
of the Department of State after such date, a participant in
such internship program shall be afforded the opportunity to
forgo compensation, including if doing so allows such
participant to receive college or university curricular
credit.
(2) Exception.--The transition required under paragraph (1)
shall not apply in the case of unpaid internship programs of
the Department of State that are part of the Virtual Student
Federal Service Internship Program.
(3) Waiver.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary of State may waive the
requirement under paragraph (1) to transition an unpaid
internship program of the Department to an internship program
that offers compensation if the Secretary determines and, not
later than 30 days after any such determination, submits a
report to the appropriate congressional committees that
explains why such transition would not be consistent with
effective management goals.
(B) Report.--The report required under subparagraph (A)
shall describe the reason why transitioning an unpaid
internship program of the Department of State to an
internship program that offers compensation would not be
consistent with effective management goals, including any
justification for maintaining such unpaid status
indefinitely, or any additional authorities or resources
necessary to transition such unpaid program to offer
compensation in the future.
(h) Reports.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives that includes--
(1) data, to the extent collection of such information is
permissible by law, regarding the number of students
(disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, institution of
higher learning, home State, State where each student
graduated from high school, and disability status) who
applied to the Program, were offered a position, and
participated;
(2) data regarding--
(A) the number of security clearance investigations started
for such students; and
(B) the timeline for such investigations, including--
(i) whether such investigations were completed; and
(ii) when an interim security clearance was granted;
(3) information on Program expenditures; and
(4) information regarding the Department of State's
compliance with subsection (g).
(i) Data Collection Policies.--
(1) Voluntary participation.--Nothing in this section may
be construed to compel any student who is a participant in an
internship program of the Department of State to participate
in the collection of the data or divulge any personal
information. Such students shall be informed that their
participation in the data collection contemplated by this
section is voluntary.
(2) Privacy protection.--Any data collected under this
section shall be subject to the relevant privacy protection
statutes and regulations applicable to Federal employees.
(j) Special Hiring Authority.--The Department of State
may--
(1) offer compensated internships that last up to 52 weeks;
and
(2) select, appoint, employ, and remove individuals in such
compensated internships without regard to the provisions of
law governing appointments in the competitive service.
______