Short title
This Act may be cited as the Embassy in a Box Act of 2024
.
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.
Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Report to Congress
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.
Elements
The report required under subsection (a) shall include—
a list of authorities and processes related to the opening of new missions;
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;
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—
an authorization of one vehicle per Department of State direct hire; or
enough vehicles in motor pool to adequately serve fully all Department of State direct hires;
required support staff who are assigned to a new mission, including those who may not be resident at a new mission;
processes or traditional requirements for an embassy that are being eliminated or reimagined;
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
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.
Delegating authorities to senior official to lead new embassy expansion
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.
Responsibilities
The Director of the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions shall be responsible for—
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;
when necessary, quickly adjudicating within the Department any obstacles that arise during the planning and execution phases of the establishment of a new mission;
ensuring new missions receive the management and operational support needed so that personnel can focus on diplomacy and not administrative challenges; and
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.
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—
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
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.
Definitions
In this Act:
Appropriate congressional committees
The term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
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.
Sunset
The authorities and requirements of this Act shall terminate ten years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
