For the first time in five years, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a State Department authorization bill, Sen. John Kerry’s website reports. The bill was passed by voice vote on Tuesday and, as previously reported by the Alliance, would work to accomplish a number of goals: modernizing the State Department and building U.S. diplomatic capacity (including the hiring of 1,500 additional Foreign Service Officers in 2010 and 2011, as well as 700 additional USAID development workers); increasing the accountability of diplomatic and development programs; strengthening U.S. public diplomacy, including the (re)opening of publicly accessible American Centers; reforming visa and passport processing; and renewing U.S. commitment to international organizations.

Unlike the House Foreign Affairs Committee State Department authorization bill, the Senate legislation does not include authorizing language for a Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation, or any other version of a Simon program.