S.Amdt. 2763

SA 2763. Mr. CARDIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle F of title XII, add the following:

SEC. 1291. DIVERSITY IN NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS MATTERS.

(a) Transparency and Accountability in National Security
and International Affairs Workforce Policies and Practices.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that it
is in the strategic interest of the United States to recruit
and retain talent from across the United States to support
the national security and foreign policy goals of the United
States.
(2) Establishment.--There shall be established within the
front office of the Department of State, the United States
Agency for International Development, and other international
affairs and national security agencies (as applicable), a
Diversity and Inclusion Office (in this section referred to
as the ``Office'') to advance transparency, accountability,
and meritocracy in the recruitment and retention of a diverse
workforce.
(3) Head of office.--Each Office shall be led by a Chief
Diversity Officer or Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
(in this subsection referred to as the ``Officer''), who
shall--
(A) report directly to the Secretary, the Administrator, or
other agency head, as applicable;
(B) develop and promote strategies in support of the policy
expressed in paragraph (1), including--
(i) serving as a permanent voting member of any agency
committee or panel responsible for the selection of senior
leadership positions within the agency; and
(ii) developing a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and
Accessibility Strategic Plan or another comprehensive
strategic plan that supports a diverse workforce and advances
fair, transparent, and safe human resources policies and
practices; and
(C) be supported by expert senior, mid-career, and other
personnel to assist in the development and implementation of
diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated for each Office such sums as may be
necessary to establish and maintain the work described in
paragraph (3).
(b) Office of Race and Ethnic Relations and Affairs.--
(1) Establishment.--The Secretary may establish within the
front office of the Under Secretary of State for Civilian
Security, Democracy, and Human Rights an Office of Race and
Ethnic Relations and Affairs (in this subsection referred to
as the ``Office'') to assist in addressing national security
and human rights concerns stemming from racial and ethnic
divisions and conflicts.
(2) Head of office and functions.--The head of the Office
shall--
(A) be a recognized expert in race and ethnic relations,
hold the rank and status of ambassador or equivalent
position, and report directly to the Secretary; and
(B) direct and coordinate activities, policies, programs,
action plans, public diplomacy, and funding relating to the
human rights, protection, and empowerment of members of
marginalized and underserved racial, ethnic, and indigenous
populations, including individuals of African descent and
Roma populations;
(C) work to improve race and ethnic relations and address
racial and ethnic violence;
(D) represent the United States in contacts with foreign
governments, international organizations, and specialized
agencies relating to race and ethnicity, and lead the
coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of United States
international race and ethnic policies and programs; and
(E) establish a program to support international research
and education on race and ethnicity in national and regional
conflicts.
(c) Centers of Excellence in Foreign Affairs and
Assistance.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, in coordination with
the Secretary of State, may designate Centers of Excellence
in Foreign Affairs and Assistance

[[Page S5032]]

at historically Black colleges and universities and other
institutions to receive grants to develop research, training,
fellowship, internships, degree programs, educational
exchange programs, and other partnership opportunities that
advance United States national security through foreign
policy and international development efforts.
(2) Historically black college and university defined.--In
this section, the term ``historically Black college and
university'' has the meaning given the term ``part B
institution'' in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
______