; and (2) inserting after paragraph (4) the following new paragraph: (5) diversity includes characteristics such as national origin, language, race, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, and family structure. . III Promotion Accessibility 301. Implementation of gap memorandum in selection board process (a) In general Section 603 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 ( 22 U.S.C. 4003 ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (c) (1) A member of the Service or member of the Senior Foreign Service whose performance will be evaluated by a selection board may submit to such selection board a gap memo in advance of such evaluation. (2) Members of a selection board may not consider as negative the submission of a gap memo by a member described in paragraph (1) when evaluating the performance of such member. (3) In this subsection, the term gap memo means a written record, submitted to a selection board in a standard format established by the Director General of the Foreign Service, which indicates and explains a gap in the record of a member of the Service or member of the Senior Foreign Service whose performance will be evaluated by such selection board, which gap is due to personal circumstances, including for health, family, or other reason as determined by the Director General in consultation with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. . (b) Consultation and guidance (1) Consultation Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director General of the Foreign Service shall consult with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate regarding the development of the gap memo under subsection (c) of section 603 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as added by subsection (a). (2) Definition In this subsection, the term gap memo has the meaning given such