[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4202 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4202
To require the Department of State to create and implement a process
for better supporting new diplomatic missions.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 23, 2024
Mr. Risch introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Department of State to create and implement a process
for better supporting new diplomatic missions.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Embassy in a Box Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to equip the Department of State with
the tools necessary to stand up new diplomatic missions efficiently and
effectively in advance of United States strategic interests around the
world. An ``embassy in a box'' approach establishes expedited processes
to provide the physical resources new diplomatic missions needed,
particularly in austere locations.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Increasing the United States global diplomatic
footprint is imperative to advance United States' national
security interests, particularly in the face of a massive
diplomatic expansion of the People's Republic of China.
(2) Adding more diplomatic missions, often in small island
nations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans as well as the
Caribbean Sea, will lay down the diplomatic infrastructure
needed to compete with the People's Republic of China.
(3) Diplomatic missions should be resourced and equipped
for success as soon as, or even before, they open in order to
allow diplomats to focus on advancing United States national
interests in-country, instead of navigating bureaucratic
processes.
(4) Successfully opening new missions is not simply a
choice between expediency and quality. The United States can
move more swiftly to open new missions while still putting
United States diplomats in a positions to get to work
immediately.
(5) To avoid this binary, the Department of State has to
reduce the bureaucratic obstacles inhibiting current and future
diplomats at new missions, while positively identifying ways
that the Department can best support them.
SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to
appropriate congressional committees a report on how the Department of
State is creating an ``embassy in a box'' concept to provide new
missions the needed resources and authorities to successfully and
quickly stand up and operate a mission from the moment United States
personnel arrive, or even before the opening of a new mission, to
immediately begin advancing United States national interests.
(b) Elements.--The report required under subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) a list of authorities and processes related to the
opening of new missions;
(2) a list of authorities and processes related to the
opening of new missions that the Department has waived or moved
away from in order to expediently stand up new missions,
particularly in small island nations;
(3) a list of equipment that should be provided to each new
mission, the approval of which will be handled prior to or
shortly after the opening of the mission and will not be the
responsibility of the mission, including--
(A) an authorization of one vehicle per Department
of State direct hire; or
(B) enough vehicles in motor pool to adequately
serve fully all Department of State direct hires;
(4) required support staff who are assigned to a new
mission, including those who may not be resident at a new
mission;
(5) processes or traditional requirements for an embassy
that are being eliminated or reimagined;
(6) the cost of paying a 20-percent differential rate
specifically for United States direct hires who are accredited
to any new United States mission with a hardship differential
of 20 percent or more for the first ten years of its existence;
and
(7) any other authorities or processes that may be required
to successfully and quickly stand up a new United States
mission, including any new authorities the Department may need.
SEC. 5. DELEGATING AUTHORITIES TO SENIOR OFFICIAL TO LEAD NEW EMBASSY
EXPANSION.
(a) Delegation.--The Secretary of State and the Under Secretary of
State for Management shall delegate all needed authorities to expedite
the creation of new missions abroad, as well as their continued
management and operational support, to the Director of the Office of
Management Strategy and Solutions.
(b) Responsibilities.--The Director of the Office of Management
Strategy and Solutions shall be responsible for--
(1) expediting the resourcing of new diplomatic missions by
temporarily waiving or reducing processes needed to open new
missions, as conditions within the host country may require;
(2) when necessary, quickly adjudicating within the
Department any obstacles that arise during the planning and
execution phases of the establishment of a new mission;
(3) ensuring new missions receive the management and
operational support needed so that personnel can focus on
diplomacy and not administrative challenges; and
(4) ensuring that the authorities provided in the Secure
Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (title VI
of division A of appendix G of Public Law 106-113), as amended
by the the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act
of 2022 (section 9301 of Public Law 117-263; 136 Stat. 3879),
are fully utilized in the planning for all new United States
missions.
SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTING THE SECURE EMBASSY CONSTRUCTION AND
COUNTERTERRORISM ACT OF 2022.
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary shall--
(1) promulgate new policies and procedures consistent with
the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of
1999 (title VI of division A of appendix G of Public Law 106-
113), as amended by the the Secure Embassy Construction and
Counterterrorism Act of 2022 (section 9301 of Public Law 117-
263; 136 Stat. 3879); and
(2) submit a report to the appropriate congressional
committees detailing such policies and procedures and the
impact of implementation on overseas facilities and out-year
embassy construction projects.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(2) New diplomatic mission.--The term ``new diplomatic
mission'' means any bilateral diplomatic mission opened since
January 1, 2020, in a country where there had not been a
bilateral diplomatic mission since the date that is 20 years
before the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 8. SUNSET.
The authorities and requirements of this Act shall terminate ten
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
<all>