Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§4352 Responsibility for preparation of FRUS series

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 53B— - FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES HISTORICAL SERIES › § 4352

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Historian at the State Department must prepare the FRUS book series and pick the records to include, following the chapter’s rules. An Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation reviews records and advises the Historian on preparing and publishing the series, including choosing records under the procedures in section 4353. Other parts of the U.S. government must help the Office of the Historian by giving access to relevant records and copies under the section 4353 procedures, except they do not have to share records created less than 20 years before the Office asks. The National Archives’ duties to provide records or copies are governed by chapter 21 of title 44, any agreement with State, and, for Presidential records, by section 2204 of title 44.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §4352

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)(A)The Historian of the Department of State shall be responsible for the preparation of the FRUS series, including the selection of records, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(B)The Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation shall review records, and shall advise and make recommendations to the Historian concerning all aspects of preparation and publication of the FRUS series, including, in accordance with the procedures contained in section 4353 of this title, the review and selection of records for inclusion in volumes of the series.
(2)Other departments, agencies, and other entities of the United States Government shall cooperate with the Office of the Historian by providing full and complete access to the records pertinent to United States foreign policy decisions and actions and by providing copies of selected records in accordance with the procedures developed under section 4353 of this title, except that no access to any record, and no provision of any copy of a record, shall be required in the case of any record that was prepared less than 20 years before the date of a request for such access or copy made by the Office of the Historian.
(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the requirement for the National Archives and Records Administration to provide access to, and copies of, records to the Department of State for the FRUS series shall be governed by chapter 21 of title 44, by any agreement concluded between the Department of State and the National Archives and Records Administration, and, in the case of Presidential records, by section 2204 of such title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 117–81 substituted “20” for “26”.

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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 4352

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73