U.S. Code > Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse > CHAPTER 38—DEPARTMENT OF STATE (§§ 2651—2734a) > § 2720. Closing of consular and diplomatic posts abroad

§ 2720. Closing of consular and diplomatic posts abroad

(a) Prohibited uses of funds
Except as provided under subsection (d) of this section 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) Post closing notification
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) Reprogramming treatment
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) Exceptions
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) “Consular or diplomatic post” defined
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.