22 U.S.C. § 2708a — Award of Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service

1. (a)Authority to awardThe President, upon the recommendation of the Secretary, may award a Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service to any member of the Foreign Service or any other civilian employee of the Government of the United States who, while employed at, or assigned permanently or temporarily to, an official mission overseas or while traveling abroad on official business, incurred a wound or other injury or an illness (whether or not the wound, other injury, or illness resulted in death)—
   1. (1)as the person was performing official duties;
   2. (2)as the person was on the premises of a United States mission abroad; or
   3. (3)by reason of the person’s status as a United States Government employee.
2. (b)Selection criteriaThe Secretary shall prescribe the procedures for identifying and considering persons eligible for award of a Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service and for selecting the persons to be recommended for the award.
3. (c)Award in the event of deathIf a person selected for award of a Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service dies before being presented the award, the award may be made and the star presented to the person’s family or to the person’s representative, as designated by the President.
4. (d)Form of awardThe Secretary shall prescribe the design of the Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service. The award may not include a stipend or any other cash payment.
5. (e)FundingAny expenses incurred in awarding a person a Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service may be paid out of appropriations available at the time of the award for personnel of the department or agency of the United States Government in which the person was employed when the person incurred the wound, injury, or illness upon which the award is based.