§4304a Enforcement of Compliance with Liability Insurance Requirements

Summary

Heads of foreign missions must tell the Secretary right away if liability insurance held by a mission member, a family member of a mission member, or a person described in section 19 of the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations (February 13, 1946) ends or lapses. By February 1 each year, the head must also send the Secretary a list of all motor vehicles, vessels, and aircraft registered in the United States by mission members, their families, the persons in that UN convention section, and the mission itself. For each item the list must say where it is registered, who is insured, the insurance company, the policy number and coverage, and any other details the Secretary asks for. If the Secretary finds that a covered person caused injury, death, or property damage while operating a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft in the United States, had no liability insurance, and has not paid a court judgment against them or is not legally liable, the Secretary must charge the mission a fee equal to the unpaid part of the judgment or, if there is no judgment, an estimated amount of the victim’s damages. That money may only be used to compensate the victim or the victim’s estate. Head of a foreign mission = meaning given in Article 1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (April 18, 1961). “Members of a mission” and “family” = meanings in section 254a.