§ 2737. Department of State paid Student Internship Program

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

1. 2022

   Department of State Authorization Act of 2022

   Pub. L. 117–263 div. I title XCII § 9201 · 136 Stat. 2395

   Enacted · 22 U.S.C. § 2737

   Pub. L. 117–263, div. I, title XCII, § 9201, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3861

   Source evidence

   Code source credit
   Pub. L. 117–263, div. I, title XCII, § 9201, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3861

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   SEC. 9201. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PAID STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. (a) In General.— The Secretary shall establish the Department of State Student Internship Program (referred to in this section as the “Program”) to offer internship opportunities at the Department 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.— (1) In general.— An applicant is eligible to participate in the Program if the applicant is enrolled at— (A) an institution of higher education (as such term is defined in section 102(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(a))); or (B) an institution of higher education based outside the United States, as determined by the Secretary of State. (2) Additional eligibility criteria.— An applicant in the Program should be— (A) enrolled at least half-time in an institution described in paragraph (1); and (B) eligible to receive and hold an appropriate security clearance. (c) Selection.— The Secretary shall establish selection criteria for students to be admitted into the Program that includes a demonstrated interest in a career in foreign affairs. (d) Outreach.— The Secretary shall— (1) widely advertise the Program, including— (A) on the internet; (B) through the Department’s Diplomats in Residence program; and (C) through other outreach and recruiting initiatives targeting undergraduate and graduate students; and (2) conduct targeted outreach to encourage participation in the Program from— (A) individuals belonging to an underrepresented group; and (B) students enrolled at minority-serving institutions (which shall include any institution listed in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)). (e) Compensation.— (1) Housing assistance.— (A) Abroad.— The Secretary 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 may 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. (2) Travel assistance.— The Secretary shall provide a student participating in the Program whose permanent address is within the United States with financial assistance that is sufficient to cover the travel costs of a single round trip by air, train, bus, or other appropriate transportation between the student’s permanent address and the location of the internship in which such student is participating if such location is— (A) more than 50 miles from the student’s permanent address; or (B) outside of the United States. (f) Working With Institutions of Higher Education.— The Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall structure internships to ensure that such internships satisfy criteria for academic credit at the institutions of higher education in which participants in such internships are enrolled. (g) Transition Period.— (1) In general.— Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), beginning not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act— (A) the Secretary shall convert unpaid internship programs of the Department, including the Foreign Service Internship Program, to internship programs that offer compensation; and (B) upon selection as a candidate for entry into an internship program of the Department, a participant in such internship program may refuse 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 to unpaid internship programs of the Department that are part of the Virtual Student Federal Service internship program. (3) Waiver.— (A) In general.— The Secretary may waive the requirement under paragraph (1)(A) with respect to a particular unpaid internship program if the Secretary, not later than 30 days after making a determination that the conversion of such internship program to a compensated internship program would not be consistent with effective management goals, submits a report explaining such determination to— (i) the appropriate congressional committees; (ii) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and (iii) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. (B) Report.— The report required under subparagraph (A) shall— (i) describe the reasons why converting an unpaid internship program of the Department to an internship program that offers compensation would not be consistent with effective management goals; and (ii) (I) provide justification for maintaining such unpaid status indefinitely; or (II) identify any additional authorities or resources that would be necessary to convert such unpaid internship 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 shall submit a report to the committees referred to in subsection (g)(3)(A) that includes— (1) Data. data, to the extent the collection of such information is permissible by law, regarding the number of students who applied to the Program, were offered a position, and participated, respectively, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, institution of higher education, home State, State where each student graduated from high school, and disability status; (2) Data. data regarding the number of security clearance investigations initiated for the students described in paragraph (1), including the timeline for such investigations, whether such investigations were completed, and when an interim security clearance was granted; (3) information on Program expenditures; (4) Compliance. information regarding the Department’s compliance with subsection (g); and (5) the number of internship participants subsequently employed by the Department, if any, following their participation in the Program. (i) Voluntary Participation.— (1) In general.— Nothing in this section may be construed to compel any student who is a participant in an internship program of the Department 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 under 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.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, with respect to the number of interns to be hired each year, may— (1) select, appoint, and employ individuals for up to 1 year through compensated internships in the excepted service; and (2) remove any compensated intern employed pursuant to paragraph (1) without regard to the provisions of law governing appointments in the excepted service.

2. 2024

   Pub. L. 118–159 § 7105(a)(1) · 138 Stat. 2524

   Inserted · 22 U.S.C. § 2737(b)(2)(A)

   Pub. L. 118–159, § 7105(a)(1), inserted “or have graduated from such an institution within the six months preceding application to the Program” after “paragraph (1)”

   Unresolved: Pub. L. 118–159 was not found in the local Statutes at Large index.

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 118–159, § 7105(a)(1), inserted “or have graduated from such an institution within the six months preceding application to the Program” after “paragraph (1)”.

3. 2024

   Pub. L. 118–159 § 7105(a)(2) · 138 Stat. 2524

   Inserted · 22 U.S.C. § 2737(c)

   Pub. L. 118–159, § 7105(a)(2), inserted “and gives preference as appropriate to individuals who have not previously completed internships within the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development” after “career in foreign affairs”

   Unresolved: Pub. L. 118–159 was not found in the local Statutes at Large index.

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 118–159, § 7105(a)(2), inserted “and gives preference as appropriate to individuals who have not previously completed internships within the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development” after “career in foreign affairs”.

4. 2024

   Pub. L. 118–159 § 7105(a)(3) · 138 Stat. 2524

   Added · 22 U.S.C. § 2737(k); 22 U.S.C. § 2737(l)

   Pub. L. 118–159, § 7105(a)(3), added subsecs. (k) and (l)

   Unresolved: Pub. L. 118–159 was not found in the local Statutes at Large index.

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsecs. (k), (l). Pub. L. 118–159, § 7105(a)(3), added subsecs. (k) and (l).

1 of 4 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 3 unresolved