Foreign Service Act Amendments of 1983

Foreign Service Act Amendments of 1983 - Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to declare that for purposes of restrictions on Federal employee involvement in political campaigns, the Inspector General of the Department of State and the Foreign Service shall not be considered to be an employee who determines U.S. policies.

Provides that up to ten members of the Senior Foreign Service who are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce shall be excluded from the calculation of the limit on the number of members of the Senior Foreign Service serving under limited appointments.

Authorizes extending a limited appointment to the Foreign Service beyond five years under specified circumstances.

Directs the Secretary of State to prescribe regulations under which a periodic within-class salary increase may be withheld or deferred for a member of the Service who is on leave without pay or in part time employment status and shall be withheld or deferred for a member whose performance falls below the appropriate standards of performance.

Requires local compensation plans established by the Secretary to include provision for payments by the Government and foreign national employees to a trust or other fund to finance future benefits for foreign national employees.

Directs the Secretary to exclude members of the Service from eligibility for promotion when they remain in the Service after expiration of time-in-class and any limited-career extensions.

Authorizes the Secretary to extend for more than a year the career appointment of a career member of the Service whose maximum time in class or limited career extension has expired if the additional extension is necessary to attain eligibility for an immediate annuity.

Permits judicial review of separations for cause.

Defines former spouse to mean a former spouse of a participant in the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System who was married to a participant for ten years including five years while the participant was contributing to the Retirement Fund.

Permits a participant and former spouse to elect to waive or reduce the survivor annuity for a former spouse if the election is made within 12 months of the divorce or annulment.

Provides that a participant who is being retired for disability or incapacity may not receive service credit exceeding the difference between the participant's age at the time of retirement and age 65. Requires such retirees to be given a physical examination annually until the annuitant is 60. Excludes any extra credit authorized by the Foreign Service Act and any credit for military service from the annuity of a participant retiring under disability.

Directs the Secretary to withhold consent for retirement by any participant who has not been a member of the Service for five years. Provides for the amount of annuity payable to a participant who voluntarily separates from the Service before completing five years in the system.

Changes the day on which the annuity of a former spouse may commence. Permits giving effect to a court order relating to an annuity which is issued more than 12 months after the date of the divorce or annulment involved if it is issued in recognition of a substantial change in the economic circumstances of either party.

Sets forth: (1) the conditions under which a participant is entitled to a lump-sum credit; (2) the amount of and conditions for payment of a lump-sum credit to a spouse of that participant.

Provides that a former spouse shall not be considered as married to a participant for periods assumed to be creditable service.

Provides that extra credit for service at unhealthful posts shall not be used to determine the eligibility of a person to qualify as a former spouse or to compute the pro rata share of such a spouse in a participant's annuity.

Sets forth the formula for calculating the first increase to an annuity.

Directs the Secretary to issue regulations dealing with waiving or reducing annuity payments to missing spouses and former spouses of participants.

Includes within the definition of "management official" individuals who are engaged in investigation, inspection or audit activities in other agencies to which the labor-management relations program of the Foreign Service Act applies. Provides for cost-sharing arrangements in appeals to the Foreign Service Grievance Board.

Extends for an additional three years the period during which Foreign Service Officers who meet specified conditions can convert from the Foreign Service to the Civil Service.

Provides that career appointees who, prior to the Foreign Service Act of 1980, were not subject to selection out procedures under the Foreign Assistance Act or the Foreign Service Act shall not be subject to the provisions of the 1980 Act dealing with retirement based on relative performance until ten years after the effective date of the 1980 Act.

Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act to authorize the Secretary of State to employ experts or consultants on a temporary or intermittent basis.

Makes State Department funds available for international dispute resolution proceedings and for arbitrations arising under contracts for the performance of services or acquisition of property abroad. Authorizes the Director of the United States Information Agency and the Director of the United States International Development Corporation Agency to pay subsistence expenses of security officers and of employees who are required to spend extraordinary amounts of time in travel status.

Provides for payment for an additional 30 day period of temporary lodging for an employee moving from a post in foreign areas.

Provides for payment of prekindergarten education of handicapped children of Government employees serving in foreign areas. Provides for travel allowances for dependents of such employees who are traveling to and from the United States to obtain an American post-secondary education.