Esther Coopersmith Award Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4790
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- International Affairs
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-16: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-02T22:26:13Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation establishes the Esther Coopersmith Award at the Department of State to honor diplomats who advance sustainable peace and security, with emphasis on increasing women's participation in conflict prevention, resolution, and related decision-making processes.
Key Provisions
- Findings: Congress notes high numbers of women and girls near conflict zones, the value of women's involvement in peace processes, and references prior laws and executive actions on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS).
- Amendment to existing law: Adds "and the rights of women and girls" to Section 614 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.
- Award creation: Creates an annual award for Civil Service or Foreign Service members whose work supports the 2017 WPS Act or 2018 Women's Entrepreneurship Act by preventing or resolving conflict. One honorable mention is awarded yearly; recipients meet with the Secretary of State.
- Recognized efforts: Include integrating women's views into conflict prevention, encouraging partner governments to boost women's roles in peace processes, protecting women's safety and economic security, ensuring equal access to aid, and improving data collection for early warning systems.
- Administration and support: The Office of Global Women's Issues manages the award with input from an Assistant Secretaries and Chiefs of Mission panel. Recipients receive support for travel to a major global security conference.
- Training requirement: Recipients and honorable mentions must present their work to the Chiefs of Mission Conference and at least one entry-level Foreign Service training course.
- Reporting: The Secretary must submit a report to Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees within 90 days of selecting recipients, covering U.S. interests, actions taken, outcomes, lessons learned, and follow-up steps.
- Sunset: The Act and its amendment expire five years after enactment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill adds language on women's and girls' rights to an existing Foreign Service Act provision. It creates a new performance award program with mandatory training, travel support, and congressional reporting requirements tied to the WPS framework. A five-year sunset clause limits its duration.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Requires the Department of State to administer the award, form review panels, provide training opportunities, and prepare annual reports, adding administrative duties primarily to the Office of Global Women's Issues.
- Citizens and diplomats: Offers recognition and professional development (including conference travel) to eligible State Department employees.
- International relations: Aims to strengthen U.S. efforts to promote women's inclusion in global peace and security work, potentially influencing partnerships with foreign governments on conflict prevention.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Department of State personnel (Foreign Service and Civil Service members eligible for the award).
- Office of Global Women's Issues and senior State Department officials involved in administration.
- Congressional committees on foreign affairs for oversight and reporting.
- Women and girls in conflict-affected areas, through the policies and programs recognized by the award.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure operates within Congress's authority over foreign affairs and executive branch operations. It builds on existing bipartisan statutes and executive orders without creating new regulatory mandates or altering constitutional balances. The sunset provision ensures automatic review after five years.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-16: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- 2026-06-16: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Esther Coopersmith Award Act — issued 2026-06-16 — PDF (7 pages)