22 U.S.C. § 4141a — Foreign Service Internship Program

(a) Establishment In consultation with the heads of other agencies utilizing the Foreign Service system, the Secretary of State must establish a Foreign Service internship program to carry out the objectives of this subchapter in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter. (b) Foreign Service Internship Program The program must introduce interns to the practice of diplomacy and the unique rewards of the Foreign Service. The program must consist of three successive summer internships of not less than eight weeks duration in each year to be completed over the course of not more than four years. Special emphasis must be given to preparing the intern for the Foreign Service examination process. In each year not less than 10 interns must enter the program. (c) Eligibility to participate (1) Students enrolled full-time in institutions of higher education from groups which are underrepresented in the Foreign Service in terms of the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Foreign Service and for whom equal opportunity and affirmative action recruitment efforts have not been successful in achieving balanced representation in appointments to the Foreign Service must be eligible to be interns in programs under this subchapter. (2) An intern must have successfully completed not less than one academic year of study at an institution of higher education to be admitted to the program. In each succeeding year of participation an intern must have completed an additional year of undergraduate or graduate study and must maintain an exemplary record of academic achievement. (3) In selecting interns, the Secretary must consider only the ablest students of superior ability selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement and exceptional promise whose academic records reflect the requisite standards of performance necessary for the Foreign Service. (d) Summer internships (1) The primary focus of the first internship must be the study of international relations, the functions of the Department of State and other agencies which utilize the Foreign Service system, and the nature of the Foreign Service. The internship must be held in Washington, District of Columbia, at the Department of State. As appropriate, the Secretary must utilize the personnel and facilities of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center. (2) The second internship must be, principally, an assignment to a specific bureau of the Department of State. Emphasis must be on providing insight into the economic and political functional areas. (3) The third internship must be an assignment to a United States mission abroad in the political or economic area. (4) The first and second internships may include a detail to the Congress. (e) Administration The Secretary of State must determine the academic requirements, other selection criteria, and standards for successful completion of each internship period. The Secretary must be responsible for the design, implementation, and operation of the program. (f) Mentors Each intern must be assigned a career Foreign Service officer as a mentor. The mentor must act as a counselor and advisor throughout each summer internship and as a personal Foreign Service contact throughout the period of participation in the program. In the assignment of mentors, the Secretary must give preference to Foreign Service officers who volunteer for such assignment and who may be role models for the interns. (g) Compensation Interns must be compensated at a rate determined by the Secretary which must not be less than the compensation of comparable summer interns at the Department of State. As determined by the Secretary, for the purposes of travel, housing, health insurance, and other appropriate benefits, interns must be considered employees of the Foreign Service during each internship period. (h) Study of Foreign Service examination The Secretary of State must study the feasibility of administering the Foreign Service examination in separate segments over several years. by 180 days after February 16, 1990 , the Secretary must submit a report summarizing the findings of such a study to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.