Collapse to view only § 3950. Reemployment rights following limited appointment
- § 3941. General provisions
- § 3942. Appointments by the President
- § 3943. Appointments by the Secretary
- § 3944. Chiefs of Mission
- § 3945. Senior Foreign Service
- § 3946. Career appointments
- § 3947. Entry levels for Foreign Service officer candidates
- § 3948. Recall and reappointment of career members
- § 3949. Limited appointments
- § 3950. Reemployment rights following limited appointment
- § 3951. United States citizens hired abroad
- § 3952. Diplomatic and consular missions
Only citizens of the United States may be appointed to the Service, other than for service abroad as a consular agent or as a foreign national employee.
The fact that an applicant for appointment as a Foreign Service officer candidate is a veteran or disabled veteran shall be considered an affirmative factor in making such appointments. As used in this subsection, the term “veteran or disabled veteran” means an individual who is a preference eligible under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 2108(3) of title 5.
The Secretary may appoint the members of the Service (other than the members of the Service who are in the personnel categories specified in section 3942(a) of this title) in accordance with this chapter and such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe.
Appointment to the Senior Foreign Service shall be to a salary class established under section 3962 of this title, and not to a position.
An individual may not be given a limited appointment in the Senior Foreign Service if that appointment would cause the number of members of the Senior Foreign Service serving under limited appointments to exceed 5 percent of the total number of members of the Senior Foreign Service, except that (1) members of the Senior Foreign Service assigned to the Peace Corps shall be excluded in the calculation and application of this limitation, and (2) members of the Senior Foreign Service serving under limited appointments with reemployment rights under section 3950 of this title as career appointees in the Senior Executive Service shall be considered to be career members of the Senior Foreign Service for purposes of this subsection.
The Secretary shall by regulation establish a recertification process for members of the Senior Foreign Service that is equivalent to the recertification process for the Senior Executive Service under section 3393a of title 5.1
Decisions by the Secretary under subsection (a) shall be based upon the recommendations of boards, established by the Secretary and composed entirely or primarily of career members of the Service, which shall evaluate the fitness and aptitude of career candidates for the work of the Service.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary or the Foreign Service Grievance Board under section 4137 of this title.
Whenever the Secretary determines that the needs of the Service so require, the Secretary may recall any retired career member of the Service for active duty in the same personnel category as that member was serving at the time of retirement. A retired career member may be recalled under this section to any appropriate salary class or rate, except that a retired career member of the Senior Foreign Service may not be recalled to a salary class higher than the one in which the member was serving at the time of retirement unless appointed to such higher class by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Former career members of the Service may be reappointed under section 3942(a)(1) or 3943 of this title, without regard to section 3946 of this title, in a salary class which is appropriate in light of the qualifications and experience of the individual being reappointed.
Any employee of an agency who accepts a limited appointment in the Service with the consent of the head of the agency in which the employee is employed shall be entitled, upon the termination of such limited appointment, to be reemployed in accordance with section 3597 of title 5.
The Secretary, under section 3943 of this title, may appoint United States citizens, who are family members of government employees assigned abroad or are hired for service at their post of residence, for employment in positions customarily filled by Foreign Service officers, Foreign Service personnel, and foreign national employees.
The fact that an applicant for employment in a position referred to in subsection (a) is a family member of a Government employee assigned abroad shall be considered an affirmative factor in employing such person.
Nonfamily member United States citizens employed under this section shall not be eligible by reason of such employment for benefits under subchapter VIII of this chapter, or under chapters 1
The Secretary shall hold a family member of a government employee described in subsection (a) seeking employment in a position described in that subsection to the same employment standards as those applicable to Foreign Service officers, Foreign Service personnel, or foreign national employees seeking the same or a substantially similar position.
The Secretary of State may recommend to the President that a member of the Service who is a citizen of the United States be commissioned as a diplomatic or consular officer or both. The President may, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, commission such member of the Service as a diplomatic or consular officer or both. The Secretary of State may commission as a vice consul a member of the Service who is a citizen of the United States. All official functions performed by a diplomatic or consular officer, including a vice consul, shall be performed under such a commission.
Members of the Service commissioned under this section may, in accordance with their commissions, perform any function which any category of diplomatic officer (other than a chief of mission) or consular officer is authorized by law to perform.
The Secretary of State shall define the limits of consular districts.