Us Code § 4003 - Recommendations and rankings
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 4003 — Recommendations and rankings, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 4003. Recommendations and rankings
(a) Recommendations and rankings by selection boards shall be based upon records of the character, ability, conduct, quality of work, industry, experience, dependability, usefulness, and general performance of members of the Service. Such records may include reports prepared by or on behalf of the Inspector General of the Department of State and the Foreign Service, performance evaluation reports of supervisors, records of commendations, reports of language test scores from the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, awards, reprimands, and other disciplinary actions, and (with respect to members of the Senior Foreign Service) records of current and prospective assignments.
(b) Precepts for selection boards shall include a description of the needs of the Service for performance requirements, skills, and qualities, which are to be considered in recommendations for promotion. The precepts for selection boards responsible for recommending promotions into and within the Senior Foreign Service shall emphasize performance which demonstrates the strong policy formulation capabilities, executive leadership qualities, and highly developed functional and area expertise, which are required for the Senior Foreign Service. The precepts for selection boards shall include, whether the member of the Service or the member of the Senior Foreign Service, as the case may be, and when occupying positions for which the following is, to any degree, an element of the member's duties, has demonstrated—
(1) a willingness and ability to explain United States policies in person and through the media;
(2) experience serving at an international organization, multilateral institution, or engaging in multinational negotiations;
(3) willingness to serve in hardship posts overseas where applicable and across geographically distinct regions;
(4) experience advancing policies or developing expertise that enhance the United States' competitiveness with regard to critical and emerging technologies;
(5) willingness to participate in appropriate and relevant professional development opportunities offered by the Foreign Service Institute or other educational institutions associated with the Department;
(6) willingness to enable and encourage subordinates at various levels to avail themselves of appropriate and relevant professional development opportunities offered by the Foreign Service Institute or other educational institutions associated with the Department;
(7) a willingness and ability to regularly and meaningfully engage with civil society and other local actors in country;
(8) other demonstrated experience in public diplomacy; or
(9) the ability to effectively manage and assess risk associated with the conduct of diplomatic operations.
(c)(1) A member of the Service or member of the Senior Foreign Service whose performance will be evaluated by a selection board may submit to such selection board a gap memo in advance of such evaluation.
(2) Members of a selection board may not consider as negative the submission of a gap memo by a member described in paragraph (1) when evaluating the performance of such member.
(3) In this subsection, the term "gap memo" means a written record, submitted to a selection board in a standard format established by the Director General of the Foreign Service, which indicates and explains a gap in the record of a member of the Service or member of the Senior Foreign Service whose performance will be evaluated by such selection board, which gap is due to personal circumstances, including for health, family, or other reason as determined by the Director General in consultation with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
(Pub. L. 96–465, title I, §603, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2095; Pub. L. 107–132, §1(b), Jan. 16, 2002, 115 Stat. 2412; Pub. L. 108–458, title VII, §7110(c), Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3794; Pub. L. 117–81, div. E, title LIII, §5325(a), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2370; Pub. L. 117–263, div. I, title XCIII, §9302(k), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3889; Pub. L. 118–31, div. F, title LXII, §6201, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 971.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2023—Subsec. (b)(2) to (9). Pub. L. 118–31 added pars. (2) to (6) and redesignated former pars. (2) to (4) as (7) to (9), respectively.
2022—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117–263, §9302(k)(1), inserted "and when occupying positions for which the following is, to any degree, an element of the member's duties," after "as the case may be," in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 117–263, §9302(k)(2), substituted semicolon at end for "when occupying positions for which such willingness and ability is, to any degree, an element of the member's duties, or".
Subsec. (b)(2), (3). Pub. L. 117–263, §9302(k)(3), (4), added pars. (2) and (3) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: "other experience in public diplomacy."
Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 117–263, §9302(k)(5), which directed that par. (4) be added after par. (3) "as redesignated", was executed by adding par. (4) after par. (3) as added by Pub. L. 117–263, §9302(k)(3), to reflect the probable intent of Congress. See above.
2021—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–81 added subsec. (c).
2004—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 108–458 inserted at end "The precepts for selection boards shall include, whether the member of the Service or the member of the Senior Foreign Service, as the case may be, has demonstrated—" and pars. (1) and (2).
2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–132 substituted "George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center" for "Foreign Service Institute".
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Consultation and Guidance
Pub. L. 117–81, div. E, title LIII, §5325(b), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2370, provided that:
"(1)
"(2)
About This Section
22 U.S.C. § 4003 is part of Title 22 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 22 U.S.C. § 4003. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.