§2720 — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

State Department funds cannot be used to pay to close any U.S. consular or diplomatic post abroad. They also cannot pay Bureau of Administration costs when any such post is closed, unless the required steps or exceptions are followed. The Secretary of State must tell the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at least 45 days before a post is closed. Any money for closing must be handled as a reprogramming under section 2706 and follow those rules. The rule does not apply if a post closes because diplomatic relations were broken or downgraded, or because of a real and present threat with a State Department travel warning. A consular or diplomatic post does not include places staffed only by non‑State Department agencies.

Title 22, §2720

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided under subsection (d) or in accordance with the procedures under subsections (b) and (c) of this section—

(1)no funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of State shall be available to pay any expense related to the closing of any United States consular or diplomatic post abroad; and

(2)no funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of State may be used to pay for any expense related to the Bureau of Administration of the Department of State (or to carrying out any of its functions) if any United States consular or diplomatic post is closed.

(b)Not less than 45 days before the closing of any United States consular or diplomatic post abroad, the Secretary of State shall notify the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

(c)Amounts made available to pay any expense related to the closing of a consular or diplomatic post abroad shall be treated as a reprogramming of funds under section 2706 of this title and shall not be available for obligation or expenditure except in compliance with the procedures applicable to such reprogramming.

(d)The provisions of this section do not apply with respect to—

(1)any post closed because of a break or downgrading of diplomatic relations between the United States and the country in which the post is located; or

(2)any post closed because there is a real and present threat to United States diplomatic or consular personnel in the city where the post is located, and a travel advisory warning against travel by United States citizens to that city has been issued by the Department of State.

(e)As used in this section, the term “consular or diplomatic post” does not include a post to which only personnel of agencies other than the Department of State are assigned.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 48 of act Aug. 1, 1956, was set out as a

Short Title

of 1956 Amendment note under section 2651 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–138, title I, § 111(1), Oct. 28, 1991, 105 Stat. 654. Provisions similar to this section were contained in Pub. L. 100–204, title I, § 122, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1339, and set out as a note under section 2656 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–138, title I, § 112(b), Oct. 28, 1991, 105 Stat. 655.

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.

§2720 Closing of Consular and Diplomatic Posts Abroad