H.R. 2410 authorizes $18 billion in Fiscal Year 2010 for State Department programs, the Peace Corps, and international organizations.  The bill includes funding for United Nations peacekeeping dues and other diplomatic programs.  It also authorizes unspecified sums for various programs for Fiscal Year 2011, and authorizes changes to law regarding a number of foreign policy issues.  According to CBO, the legislation would cost $40.6 billion over five years.

H.R. 2410 represents a dramatic increase in State Department spending during an economic downturn, authorizing a 13.2 percent increase in funding over Fiscal Year 2009 levels.  For non-construction items, the legislation increases funding by 22.9 percent over last year's levels.  In addition, the bill would increase State Department's salary accounts by 35 percent over last year. 

The following is a summary of the bill's main provisions:

Department of State Foreign Affairs:  Authorizes $7.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2010 and "such sums as may be necessary" in 2001, to fund the State Department's foreign affairs initiatives.

Public Diplomacy:  Provides $500 million for Fiscal Year 2010, and such sums as necessary in Fiscal Year 2011, to provide for public diplomacy activities.

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor:  Provides $20 million for Fiscal Year 2010, and such sums as necessary in Fiscal Year 2011, to provide for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

Capital Investment Fund:  Provides $160 million for Fiscal Year 2010, and such sums as necessary in Fiscal Year 2011, for the Capital Investment Fund, which is used to modernize and improve information technology and finance construction of buildings overseas.

Embassy Security, Construction, and Maintenance:  Provides $1.8 billion for Fiscal Year 2010, and such sums as necessary in Fiscal Year 2011, for embassy security, construction, and maintenance.

State Department Personnel:  Provides the Secretary of State authority to hire over 1,500 additional entry-level Foreign Service officers.  The bill establishes an equalized global pay scale for Foreign Service personnel in Washington D.C. and overseas.  

Exchange Programs:  Provides $633 million for Fiscal Year 2010, and such sums as necessary in Fiscal Year 2011, for educational and cultural exchange programs.

Stabilization Initiative:  Provides $323 million for Fiscal Year 2010, and such sums as necessary in Fiscal Year 2011, for the Civilian Stabilization Initiative, which is designed to coordinate the assets of multiple government agencies during a stabilization crisis overseas.   The funding represents a seven-fold increase, from $45 million in Fiscal Year 2009.

International Organizations:  The bill authorizes $1.8 billion in Fiscal Year 2010, and such funds as may be necessary 2011, for contributions to international organizations.  International organizations to which the U.S. contributes include the United Nations (U.N.), the Organization of American States (OAS), and other inter-American organizations, as well as other regional, legal, research, scientific, and commodity organizations.  The legislation does not require the U.N. to make any reforms that many Republican Members have proposed. 

United Nations Arrearages:  Requires the U.S. to pay arrears to the U.N., in addition to the payment of Assessed Contributions to International Organizations and Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities.  The bill would authorize such sums as necessary to make the extra payments.

Peacekeeping Operations:  Authorizes $2.3 billion for contributions to the U.N. and to regional organizations for international peacekeeping activities in Fiscal Year 2010.  Additionally, the bill lifts the statutory cap on U.S. payments to the U.N. for assessed dues in support of U.N. peacekeeping operations to 27.1 percent during calendar years 2009, 2010, and 2011.  It also authorizes the payment of all sums as necessary to pay all U.S. arrearages in payments to the U.N.

Peace Corps:  Authorizes $450 million in Fiscal Year 2010 and 32.4 percent more than Fiscal Year 2009, and such sums as may be necessary in Fiscal Year 2011, for the Peace Corps.  The measure authorizes the Peace Corps Director to establish a special program that assigns returned Peace Corps volunteers or other volunteers to provide short term development or other relief assistance.  Finally, the bill increases the readjustment allowance given to volunteers after completion of their service from $125 per month to $225 per month served.

International Commissions:  Provides $73 million in Fiscal Year 2010, and such sums as necessary in 2011, for the U.S. and Mexico's International Boundary Water Commission.  The bill would also provide $51 million in Fiscal Year 2010 and such sums as may be necessary in 2011, for the U.S. and Canada's International Boundary Water Commission.

Refugee Assistance:  Provides $1.6 billion in Fiscal Year 2010, and such sums as may be necessary in 2011, for migration and refugee activities.  The bill also authorizes $25 million and such sums as may be necessary in 2011 for refugees in Israel.

Centers and Foundations: Authorizes $43 million over Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 for the Asia Foundation.  The bill also authorizes $100 million in Fiscal Year 2010 and such sums as may be necessary in 2011 for the National Endowment for Democracy.

Representation Allowances:  Provides $8 million for Fiscal Year 2010 and such sums as necessary in Fiscal Year 2011 for representation allowances, which are used by Foreign Service officers to make expenses to "properly" represent the U.S.

Study Abroad:  Establishes a "Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program" to provide grants for college students to study abroad by soliciting funds from the private sector.  The bill authorizes a foundation to raise funds and to operate a program to award grants to U.S. students for study abroad at non-governmental institutions that provide and promote study abroad opportunities for U.S. students. The measure also authorizes $40 million in Fiscal Year 2010, and $80 million in 2011 for the foundation.

Public Diplomacy Reserve Corps:  Establishes a Public Diplomacy Reserve Corps, consisting of mid-and senior-level former Foreign Service officers who are recruited to provide training to build up the corps of professionals in diplomacy.

Documentary Exchange Films:  Authorizes the Secretary of State to make grants to U.S. nongovernmental organizations that produce documentary films to promote "better understanding of the U.S."

Scholarship Programs:  Authorizes $600,000 annually for 2010 and 2011, for a pilot program to award scholarships for internships in the U.S. to students from Central Asia.  The bill also includes similar amounts in 2010 and 2011, for scholarships for students from the South-Pacific, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean.

International Exchange & Information Programs:  Includes a total of $633 million in Fiscal Year 2010, and such sums as may be necessary in Fiscal Year 2011, for education and cultural exchange programs.

International Broadcasting:  Authorizes a total of $732 million in Fiscal Year 2010, for international broadcasting activities, and such sums as may be necessary in Fiscal Year 2011.

Arms Control & Nonproliferation:  Authorizes $3 million for 25 new positions at the State Department for arms control and nonproliferation functions.  It also establishes an arms control and nonproliferation rotation program for State Department employees, and other federal agencies, which would give participants rotational assignments in other departments and agencies to broaden their knowledge of arms control issues.

Arms Export Control Procedures:  Requires the President to conduct a comprehensive review and assessment of the United States' arms export controls system.  The legislation also requires the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) to establish performance goals.  The bill requires the DDTC to ensure that processing time for export licensing applications for U.S. allies that directly support combat or peacekeeping missions would be no more than seven days, and attempt to ensure that the processing time for certain applications to export goods to security agencies of NATO allies, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel and other appropriate non-NATO allies would be no more than 30 days.

Israel:  Adds Israel to an existing list of countries that receive special treatment regarding the export of U.S. defense items, including an expedited 15-day congressional review period (rather than the 30-day review period that applies to other countries).  The bill also requires an unclassified certification to accompany all U.S. arms sales to Middle Eastern countries that the sale does not constitute a threat to Israel's "Qualitative Military Edge."  The measure also authorizes assistance to Israel for the continued co-development of medium and short-range missile defense systems, and the integration of these weapons systems with U.S. ballistic missile defense systems and force protection efforts.

Merida Initiative:  Establishes a "Merida Coordinator" to track all Merida Initiative-related efforts throughout the U.S. government and requires the President to designate a Merida Coordinator at the State Department.  The bill also requires the President to incorporate Caribbean countries into the Initiative.

Small Arms Trafficking:  Creates an interagency task force to coordinate government efforts to reduce and prevent illegal firearms trafficking from the United States throughout the Western Hemisphere.  The measure also increases fines for such trafficking to between $1 million and $3 million, and potential prison time from 10 years to 20 years.

Religious Freedom in Turkey:  Urges the Turkish government to respect the property and religious rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to grant the Patriarchate appropriate international recognition and ecclesiastic succession, and to allow the Ecumenical Patriarchate the right to train and employ clergy of all nationalities.