22 U.S.C. § 4154

(a) Individuals serving under appointment In the case of any individual in the Foreign Service who, immediately before February 15, 1981 , is serving under an appointment described in section 4152(a) or 4153(a) of this title and who is not converted under section 4152 or section 4153 of this title because such individual does not meet the conditions specified in section 4152(b) or 4153(d) of this title, the Secretary shall, not later than 3 years after February 15, 1981 , provide that— (1) the position such individual holds shall be subject to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5; (2) such individual shall be appointed to such position without competitive examination; and (3) such position shall be considered to be in the competitive service so long as the individual continues to hold that position; except that any such individual who meets the eligibility requirements for the Senior Executive Service and who elects to join that Service shall be converted by the Secretary to the Senior Executive Service in the appropriate rate of basic pay established under section 5382 of title 5 . (b) United States Information Agency individuals In the case of individuals in the Foreign Service in the United States Information Agency who immediately before October 17, 1980 , are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the Agency and the exclusive representative of those individuals, the 3-year period referred to in subsection (a) shall begin on July 1, 1981 . (c) Department of State security officers The three-year period referred to in subsection (a) shall be extended for an additional period not to exceed one year from November 22, 1983 , in the case of Department of State security officers who are members of the Service and who were initially ineligible for conversion under that subsection because they were available for worldwide assignment and there was a need for their services in the Service, but as to whom subsequent events require the services of these members (and of those later employed who are similarly situated) only or primarily for domestic functions.