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Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§4004 Records

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 52— - FOREIGN SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VI— - PROMOTION AND RETENTION › § 4004

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Keep the records listed in section 4003(a) under rules the Secretary makes. Except for records about receiving, spending, and tracking public money, the records are private. Only the President, the Secretary, government employees allowed by law or assigned to work on them, the Congressional committees that handle the Service’s laws and funding and their authorized reps, may inspect them. A member can get their own record if they ask in writing. Any disciplinary record that includes a suspension of more than five days, including any correction under section 4137(b)(1), stays in the member’s personnel file until the member is tenured as a career member of the Service or is next promoted.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §4004

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The records described in section 4003(a) of this title shall be maintained in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary. Except to the extent that they pertain to the receipt, disbursement, and accounting for public funds, such records shall be confidential and subject to inspection only by the President, the Secretary, such employees of the Government as may be authorized by law or assigned by the Secretary to work on such records, the legislative and appropriations committees of the Congress charged with considering legislation and appropriations for the Service, and representatives duly authorized by such committees. Access to such records relating to a member of the Service shall be granted to such member, upon written request.
(b)Notwithstanding subsection (a), any record of disciplinary action that includes a suspension of more than five days taken against a member of the Service, including any correction of that record under section 4137(b)(1) of this title, shall remain a part of the personnel records until the member is tenured as a career member of the Service or next promoted.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1999—Pub. L. 106–113, in section catchline, substituted “Records” for “Confidentiality of records”, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1999 Amendment Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(7) [div. A, title III, § 327(b)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–438, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section] apply to all disciplinary actions initiated on or after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 29, 1999].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 4004

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73