S.Amdt. 930

SA 930. Mr. MURPHY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2024 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 appropriate place in subtitle G of title X, insert
the following:

SEC. ___. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE FOR CITY AND STATE DIPLOMACY.

Section 1 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of
1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(n) Office of Special Representative for City and State
Diplomacy.--
``(1) In general.--There is established within the Office
of Global Partnerships of the Department of State an Office
of the Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy
(in this subsection referred to as the `Office').
``(2) Head.--The head of the Office shall be the Special
Representative for City and State Diplomacy, who shall be
responsible for developing strategies to advise and enhance
subnational diplomacy throughout the United States.
``(3) Duties.--
``(A) Principal duty.--The principal duty of the Special
Representative shall be providing the overall strategic
guidance of Department of State support for subnational
engagements by State and municipal governments with foreign
governments. The Special Representative shall be the
principal adviser to the Secretary of State on subnational
engagements, the principal official on such matters within
the senior management of the Department of State, and lead
coordinator on such matters for other relevant Federal
agencies.
``(B) Additional duties.--The additional duties of the
Special Representative shall include the following:
``(i) Providing strategic guidance for overall Department
of State policy and programs in support of subnational
engagements by State and municipal governments with foreign
governments, including with respect to the following:

``(I) Identifying policy, program, and funding
discrepancies among relevant Federal agencies regarding
subnational diplomacy engagement.
``(II) Advising on efforts to better align the Department
of State and other Federal agencies in support of such
engagements.

``(ii) Identifying areas of alignment between United States
foreign policy and State and municipal goals.
``(iii) Facilitating tools for State and municipal
officials to communicate with the United States public
regarding the breadth of international engagement by
subnational actors and the impact of diplomacy across the
United States.
``(iv) Facilitating linkages and networks among State and
municipal governments, and between State and municipal
governments and their foreign counterparts.
``(v) Under the direction of the Secretary, negotiating
agreements and memoranda of understanding with foreign
governments related to subnational engagements and
priorities.
``(vi) Supporting United States economic interests through
subnational engagements, in consultation and coordination
with the Department of Commerce, the Department of the
Treasury, and the Office of the United States Trade
Representative.
``(4) Coordination.--With respect to matters involving
trade promotion and inward investment facilitation, the
Office shall coordinate with and support the International

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Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce as the
lead Federal agency for trade promotion and facilitation of
business investment in the United States.
``(5) Detailees.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary of State, with respect to
employees of the Department of State, is authorized to detail
a member of the civil service or Foreign Service to State and
municipal governments on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable
basis. Such details shall be for a period not to exceed two
years, and shall be without interruption or loss of status or
privilege.
``(B) Responsibilities.--Detailees under subparagraph (A)
should carry out the following responsibilities:
``(i) Supporting the mission and objectives of the host
subnational government office.
``(ii) Advising State and municipal government officials
regarding questions of global affairs, foreign policy,
cooperative agreements, and public diplomacy.
``(iii) Coordinating activities relating to State and
municipal government subnational engagements with the
Department of State, including the Office, Department
leadership, and regional and functional bureaus of the
Department, as appropriate.
``(iv) Engaging Federal agencies regarding security, public
health, trade promotion, and other programs executed at the
State or municipal government level.
``(v) Any other duties requested by State and municipal
governments and approved by the Office.
``(C) Additional personnel support for subnational
engagement.--For the purposes of this subsection, the
Secretary of State--
``(i) is authorized to employ individuals by contract;
``(ii) is encouraged to make use of the re-hired annuitants
authority under section 3323 of title 5, United States Code,
particularly for annuitants who are already residing across
the United States who may have the skills and experience to
support subnational governments; and
``(iii) is encouraged to make use of authorities under the
Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4701 et
seq.) to temporarily assign State and local government
officials to the Department of State or overseas missions to
increase their international experience and add their
perspectives on United States priorities to the Department.
``(6) Report and briefing.--
``(A) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this subsection, the Special Representative
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee
on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives a report that includes information
relating to the following:
``(i) The staffing plan (including permanent and temporary
staff) for the Office and a justification for the location of
the Office within the Department of State's organizational
structure.
``(ii) The funding level provided to the Office for the
Office, together with a justification relating to such level.
``(iii) The rank and title granted to the Special
Representative, together with a justification relating to
such decision and an analysis of whether the rank and title
is required to fulfill the duties of the Office.
``(iv) A strategic plan for the Office, including relating
to--

``(I) supporting subnational engagements to improve United
States foreign policy effectiveness;
``(II) enhancing the awareness, understanding, and
involvement of United States citizens in the foreign policy
process; and
``(III) better engaging with foreign subnational
governments to strengthen diplomacy.

``(v) Any other matters as determined relevant by the
Special Representative.
``(B) Briefings.--Not later than 30 days after the
submission of the report required under subparagraph (A) and
annually thereafter, the Special Representative shall brief
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign
Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives on the work of the Office and any changes
made to the organizational structure or funding of the
Office.
``(7) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may
be construed as precluding--
``(A) the Office from being elevated to a bureau within the
Department of State; or
``(B) the Special Representative from being elevated to an
Assistant Secretary, if such an Assistant Secretary position
does not increase the number of Assistant Secretary positions
at the Department above the number authorized under
subsection (c)(1).
``(8) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Municipal.--The term `municipal' means, with respect
to the government of a municipality in the United States, a
municipality with a population of not fewer than 100,000
people.
``(B) State.--The term `State' means the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the
United States.
``(C) Subnational engagement.--The term `subnational
engagement' means formal meetings or events between elected
officials of State or municipal governments and their foreign
counterparts.''.
______