§301 — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of State must approve any lease or rental abroad that lasts less than ten years and costs more than $100,000 a year for Foreign Service offices, buildings, grounds, or housing. The Secretary can only give that approval power to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration or the Director of the Office of Foreign Buildings. The Secretary must keep Congress fully and promptly informed about such leases. If money is available, the Secretary may make advance payments for long-term leases or lease-purchase deals when the Secretary or a designee decides those payments are in the U.S. Government’s interest.

Title 22, §301

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter or any other Act, no lease or other rental arrangement for a period of less than ten years, and requiring an annual payment in excess of $100,000 shall be entered into by the Secretary of State for the purpose of renting or leasing offices, buildings, grounds, or living quarters for the use of the Foreign Service abroad, unless such lease or other rental arrangement is approved by the Secretary. The Secretary may delegate his authority under this section only to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration or to the Director of the Office of Foreign Buildings. The Secretary shall keep the Congress fully and currently informed with respect to leases or other rental arrangements approved under this section.

(b)The Secretary may, subject to the availability of appropriations, make advance payments for long-term leases and lease-purchase agreements, if the Secretary or his designee determines, in each case, that such payments are in the interest of the United States Government in carrying out the purposes of this chapter.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–263 substituted “$100,000” for “$50,000”. 1991—Pub. L. 102–138 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, substituted “$50,000” for “$25,000,”, and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Authority of Secretary of State Except as otherwise provided, Secretary of State to have and exercise any authority vested by law in any official or office of Department of State and references to such officials or offices deemed to refer to Secretary of State or Department of State, as appropriate, see section 2651a of this title and section 161(d) of Pub. L. 103–236, set out as a note under section 2651a of this title.

§301 Lease or rental arrangements of not less than ten years; approval by Secretary; delegation of authority; information to Congress