WASHINGTON – This week Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) introduced the Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026. This legislation would authorize the State Department to establish a 1,000-member ready reserve to carry out U.S. diplomatic efforts during times of heightened demand. This bill is co-led by Congressman Michael Baumgartner (WA-05) and supported by the American Academy of Diplomacy.

“While our armed forces are equipped to handle surges in demand with a ready reserve corps, the State Department, often called our first line of defense, is not,” said Congresswoman Dina Titus. “A Diplomatic Reserve Corps would ensure that the United States continues to put forth well-trained and experienced diplomatic professionals during times of international crisis. This is essential to maintain our relationships around the world, protect U.S. citizens abroad, mitigate conflict, and advance our national security interests.”

“Strengthening America’s ability to respond to global crises requires more than good intentions – it requires a trained, ready, and rapidly deployable diplomatic workforce. A Diplomatic Reserve Corps would give the State Department the surge capacity it has long lacked, ensuring we can protect Americans, support our partners, and advance our interests without pulling personnel away from essential missions. This is a practical reform that brings our civilian crisis response capabilities closer to the standard long set by our military reserves. It’s a smart investment in American leadership and preparedness,” said Congressman Michael Baumgartner.

“The American Academy of Diplomacy strongly endorses HR 8167, the Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026. This Bill will greatly increase the Department of State's ability to react efficiently and effectively to protect American citizens in crises such as mass evacuations, wars, and disasters.  It will ensure that the appropriate personnel with the right skills can be sent quickly to a crisis. The Academy urges the rapid passage of this bipartisan effort to improve the effectiveness of American diplomacy,” said Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann, President of the American Academy of Diplomacy.

A robust and agile diplomatic service is essential to protect national security. Quickly unfolding crises such as the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation underscore the need for a modernized Diplomatic Corps. When they occur, the State Department cobbles together volunteers such as short-term hires, willing retired professionals, and contractors, all of whom leave behind important roles, creating a cycle of vacant positions. These solutions are also costly and unsustainable in a complex and demanding global environment. Instead of struggling with patchwork solutions, we need a longer-term solution. The Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026 is tailored to meet these complex challenges.

This bill would amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to establish a Diplomatic Reserve Corps under the State Department. This group of 1,000 trained, on-call professionals would become available to supplement, when the need arises, the Civil Service, Foreign Service, Personal Service Contractors, and Locally Engaged Staff who now carry out U.S. diplomatic efforts both day-to-day and in times of crisis.

The Corps would consist of four components:

• “Senior Diplomatic Retiree Reserve” composed of retired senior State Department professionals, just as the U.S. military reserves include retired professionals from all the armed services.
• “Diplomatic Retiree Reserve” composed of retired State Department professionals at lower grade levels.
• “Senior Diplomatic Reserve” composed of members of the public drawn, for example, from academia; think tanks; experts in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, cyber, and biotechnology; retirees from other federal, state, or local agencies; and the private sector with the experience to provide senior-level expertise in Washington and in the field.
• “Diplomatic Reserve” composed of members of the public, also drawn, for example, from academia; think tanks; experts in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, cyber, and biotechnology; other federal, state, or local agencies; and the private sector who have relevant experience to assist in executing required tasks.

The Corps would be fully formed over a five-year period. In “Year Zero,” the fiscal year of enactment of the Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026, the State Department would create the infrastructure needed to recruit, support, and manage the Corps and develop the training modules. Induction into the Corps would then commence during the following fiscal year.

Full text of the Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026 is available here.

###