§ 5694. — Staff of Foreign Agricultural Service.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC5694]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 87--EXPORT PROMOTION
SUBCHAPTER V--FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
Sec. 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, Sec. 504, as added Pub. L. 101-624, title XV,
Sec. 1531, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3686.)
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those 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, Sec. 101(k) [title IV, Sec. 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, as amended by Pub. L.
104-127, title II, Sec. 281(b), Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 980, 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.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 1748 of this title.
