Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73not60

§4083a Rest and Recuperation Leave

Title 22 › Chapter 52— FOREIGN SERVICE › Subchapter IX— TRAVEL, LEAVE, AND OTHER BENEFITS › § 4083a

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agency heads may allow up to 20 days of paid rest-and-recuperation leave each leave year for an employee serving in a combat zone, a high risk/high threat post, or any place with serious security or mission problems. Giving the leave is entirely the choice of the agency head. When an agency gives this leave, it must record it separately from other kinds of leave. Defined terms (one line each): "Agency" means an Executive agency but not the Government Accountability Office. "Combat zone" means an area the President, Congress, or the Department of Defense has officially treated as a combat area. "Employee" means an officer or other worker appointed to do federal duties and supervised by the appointing official. "High risk, high threat post" is as defined in section 4803. "Leave year" is the period that starts on the first day of the first full pay period in a calendar year and ends the day before that same pay-period start the next year.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §4083a

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section—

(1)the term “agency” means an Executive agency (as that term is defined in section 105 of title 5), but does not include the Government Accountability Office;

(2)the term “combat zone” means a geographic area designated by an Executive order of the President as an area in which the Armed Forces are engaging or have engaged in combat, an area designated by law to be treated as a combat zone, or a location the Department of Defense has certified for combat zone tax benefits due to its direct support of military operations;

(3)the term “employee” means an officer or an individual who is—

(A)appointed in the civil service, the Foreign Service, or any appointment authority other than the uniformed services (as that term is defined in section 101 of title 37), by one of the following acting in an official capacity:

(i)The President.

(ii)A Member or Members of Congress, or Congress.

(iii)An individual who is an employee under this section.

(iv)The head of a Government-controlled corporation;

(B)engaged in the performance of a Federal function under authority of law or an Executive act; and

(C)subject to the supervision of an individual described in subparagraph (A) while engaged in the performance of the duties of his or her position;

(4)the term “high risk, high threat post” has the meaning given that term in section 4803 of this title; and

(5)the term “leave year” means the period beginning on the first day of the first complete pay period in a calendar year and ending on the day immediately before the first day of the first complete pay period in the following calendar year.

(b)The Secretary or other head of an agency may prescribe regulations to grant up to 20 days of paid leave, per leave year, for the purposes of rest and recuperation to an employee of the agency serving in a combat zone, any other high risk, high threat post, or any other location presenting significant security or operational challenges.

(c)Use of the authority under subsection (b) is at the sole and exclusive discretion of the head of the agency concerned.

(d)An agency shall record leave provided under this section separately from leave authorized under any other provision of law.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 4083a

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60