To provide for extensions of certain authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes.

9/19/2008--Public Law. (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on July 30, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
(Sec. 1) Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to extend for one year the Secretary of State's authority to waive Foreign Service annuitant salary and full-time employment pension restrictions respecting assignment to:
(1) consular posts with a substantial visa application backlog; and
(2) Iraq and Afghanistan.
(Sec. 2) Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to permit rest and recuperation travel for Foreign Service members and family members to U.S. territories, including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Specifies that required leave based upon continuous service abroad may be taken in the United States or its territories, including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (Current law refers to the United States, its territories and possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.)
(Sec. 3) Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to specify that the Secretary may pay the subsistence expenses of Department of State special agents on authorized protective missions at or away from their duty stations.
(Sec. 4) Amends the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to extend grant authority for Radio Free Asia for one year.
(Sec. 5) Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 to extend for one year the International Broadcasting Bureau personal services contracting pilot program under which U.S. citizens or aliens are hired as personal services contractors, without regard to Civil Service and classification laws.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Howard Berman [D, CA-28]
• and 1 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R, FL-18]
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Committees

• Senate Foreign Relations
• 1 more
  • House Foreign Affairs
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Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.6456

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		This Bill Has Become Law
July 10, 2008		July 30, 2008		September 08, 2008		September 19, 2008		September 19, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Signed on Sep 19, 2008.
• Enacted on Sep 19, 2008. Became Public Law No: 110-321.
• Sep 11, 2008. Presented to President.
• Sep 09, 2008: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
• Sep 08, 2008: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
• Sep 08, 2008. Cleared for White House.
• Passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate on Sep 08, 2008. Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
• Aug 01, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
• Jul 31, 2008: Received in the Senate.
• Passed by voice vote in the House on Jul 30, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
• Jul 30, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6456.
• Jul 30, 2008: Considered under suspension of the rules.
• Jul 30, 2008: Mr. Berman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
• Introduced on Jul 10, 2008.
• Jul 10, 2008: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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Related Issue Areas:

• Foreign policy
• Afghanistan
• Alien labor
• American Samoa
• 28 more
• Civil service retirement
• Department of State
• Employee vacations
• Executive departments
• Federal employees
• Foreign service
• Government contractors
• Government employees
• Government travel
• Guam
• Immigration
• International broadcasting
• Iraq
• Labor
• Middle East and North Africa
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Pensions
• Protection of officials
• Public contracts
• Puerto Rico
• Radio broadcasting
• Salaries
• South Asia
• Telecommunication
• Virgin Islands
• Visas
• Iraq compilation
• Leave of absence

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

November 03, 2008 Fresh Talk: I'm all in for McCain

... Exchange Act to require the Commodity Futures Trading... - Sep 30, 2008; Report: Budget Report for H.R. 6456: To provide for extensions of certain authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes. - Sep 30, 2008 ...

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November 02, 2008 Fresh Talk: Honeycrisp has arrived

... Exchange Act to require the Commodity Futures Trading... - Sep 30, 2008; Report: Budget Report for H.R. 6456: To provide for extensions of certain authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes. - Sep 30, 2008 ...

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November 01, 2008 Fresh Talk: Retail Report - Oct. 31

... Exchange Act to require the Commodity Futures Trading... - Sep 30, 2008; Report: Budget Report for H.R. 6456: To provide for extensions of certain authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes. - Sep 30, 2008 ...

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