§5694. Staff of Foreign Agricultural Service

(a) Personnel of Service

To ensure that the agricultural export programs of the United States are carried out in an effective manner, the authorized number of personnel for the Service shall not be less than 900 staff years each fiscal year.

(b) Rank of Foreign Agricultural Service officers in foreign missions

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of State shall, on the request of the Secretary of Agriculture, accord the diplomatic title of Minister-Counselor to the senior Service officer assigned to any United States mission abroad. The number of Service officers holding such diplomatic title at any time may not exceed twelve.

(Pub. L. 95 501, title V, §504, as added Pub. L. 101 624, title XV, §1531, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3686.)

Similar Provisions

Provisions similar to those appearing in subsec. (b) of this section appear in the following appropriation acts:

Pub. L. 101 506, title IV, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1343.

Pub. L. 100 202, §101(k) [title IV, §401], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329 322, 1329 350.

Language Proficiency and Evaluation of Foreign Agricultural Service Officers

Section 1556 of title XV of Pub. L. 101 624 provided that:

"(a) Assessment of Foreign Language Competence.-The Foreign Agricultural Service shall revise its evaluation reports for its Foreign Service officers so as to require in a separate entry an assessment of the officer's effectiveness in using, in his or her work, a foreign language or foreign languages tested at the General Professional Speaking Proficiency level or above, in cases where the supervisor is capable of making such an assessment.

"(b) Precedence in Promotion.-The Director of Personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service shall instruct promotion panels to take account of language ability and, all criteria for promotion otherwise being equal, to give precedence in promotions to officers who have achieved at least the General Professional Speaking Proficiency level in 1 or more foreign languages over officers who lack that level of proficiency.

"(c) Report to Congress.-Within 6 months after the effective date of this title [Nov. 28, 1990], the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Agriculture, and the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, which-

"(1) details the extent to which, in the 3 years before the effective date of this title [Nov. 28, 1990], Foreign Service officers of the Foreign Agricultural Service achieved General Professional Speaking Proficiency level in a primary foreign language of the host countries in which they served before arriving in such countries or within 1 year after such arrival; and

"(2) makes specific, new proposals to the Congress on how to ensure that at least 75 percent of Foreign Service officers of the Foreign Agricultural Service have achieved General Professional Speaking Proficiency level in a primary foreign language of the host countries in which they serve before arriving in such countries or within 1 year after such arrival."

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 1748 of this title.