22 U.S.C. § 4001 — Promotions

(a) Method. Career Senior Foreign Service members are promoted by appointment under section 3942(a) to a higher Senior Foreign Service class. Career-candidate and noncareer members are promoted under section 3943. Foreign Service officers and personnel assigned to a Foreign Service Schedule class are promoted by appointment as career Senior Foreign Service members under section 3942(a), or by assignment under section 3964 to a higher Schedule class.

(b) Recommendations and rankings. Unless section 4006(a) provides otherwise, promotions of Senior Foreign Service members and Service members assigned to a Schedule class, including promotions into the Senior Foreign Service, must be based on section 4002 selection-board recommendations and rankings. The Secretary may by regulation allow satisfactory-performance promotions for specified career members, career candidates, and other Schedule members.

(c) Eligibility and decision rules. (1) Boards may recommend promotion into the Senior Foreign Service only from class-1 career Service members who ask to be considered. The Secretary sets the consideration period within any applicable time-in-class limit. A member may withdraw the request, but then may never again request consideration under this subsection. (2) The Secretary’s decisions about how many people to promote into and retain in the Senior Foreign Service must use long-term personnel-flow and need projections designed to provide regular predictable recruitment, effective career development, and regular predictable movement of talent upward. (3) The affidavit requirements of 5 U.S.C. §§ 3332 and 3333(a) do not apply to a member who already complied and is promoted by appointment to any Senior Foreign Service class without a service break. (4), (5) Repealed. (6) (A) On or after January 1, 2017, promotion to the Senior Foreign Service of a Foreign Service officer appointed under section 3942(a)(1) who has general responsibility for Service functions requires at least one tour in a global affairs bureau or position. (B) The requirement does not apply if the Secretary certifies that the person met all other requirements and lacked a reasonable opportunity for such a tour. (C) “Global affairs bureau” means a Department bureau under the listed Under Secretaries or Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs. “Global affairs position” means a position funded under the Department appropriation heading “Diplomatic Policy and Support.”