The Foreign Service Language Readiness Act aims to strengthen the foreign language capabilities within the Foreign Service by amending the Foreign Service Act of 1980. It mandates the Secretary of State to designate a list of critical foreign languages every three years, making it available to relevant Congressional committees. This list must include minimum proficiency levels for Foreign Service members and criteria for determining positions where such language capability is mission essential . The Secretary is also required to coordinate with other federal departments to ensure interoperability and cost savings. The bill directs the Secretary to incorporate critical foreign language capability planning into career development, training, and assignment processes, including utilizing the National Foreign Affairs Training Center. It also allows for the use of limited noncareer appointments and the development of a surge reserve of individuals with critical language skills for rapid activation during crises. A critical foreign language is defined as one essential to U.S. national security, economic prosperity, and citizen protection, where proficiency is limited relative to strategic needs, and corresponds to difficult or super hard languages. Furthermore, the legislation requires the Secretary to ensure that all foreign language instruction, testing, and usage policies explicitly support the preservation of critical foreign language capabilities. By December 31, 2027, the Secretary of State must submit a comprehensive report to Congress on the Department of State's critical language capabilities. This report will assess staffing requirements, current proficiency levels, the impact of workforce shortages, planned actions to strengthen capabilities, and a review of language-designated positions abroad.