# AFSA Urges State to Rehire Former Staff

The American Foreign Service Association is urging the State Department to use its Lateral Entry Pilot Program to rehire more than 2,000 qualified former Foreign Service and USAID employees at grades reflecting their experience, without unnecessary entrance exams. The association also points to the PATH to the Foreign Service Act and the Foreign Service Test-Free Reentry Act as related workforce proposals. The signal identifies no solicitation, contract award, or procurement funding, but changes in State’s staffing capacity could affect the agency’s ability to manage programs and its demand for contractor support.

- Contractors serving State or USAID can assess whether changes to agency staffing could affect requirements for their current work; the signal does not identify a specific contract opportunity.
- The Lateral Entry Pilot Program and the two named legislative proposals are the specific workforce mechanisms highlighted for potential changes to staffing capacity.
- The article gives no implementation deadlines or procurement actions, so it does not support a near-term bid or compliance recommendation.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Published:** October 16, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of State (State Department)
- U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

### Sources
- [
        American Foreign Service Association calls on State Dept to rehire fired feds - Federal News Network](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2026/10/american-foreign-service-association-calls-on-state-dept-to-rehire-fired-feds) - Federal News Network