II 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Embassy in a Box Act 

5 of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

7 The purpose of this Act is to equip the Department 

8 of State with the tools necessary to stand up new diplo9 matic missions efficiently and effectively in advance of 

10 United States strategic interests around the world. An 


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1 ‘‘embassy in a box’’ approach establishes expedited proc2 esses to provide the physical resources new diplomatic mis3 sions needed, particularly in austere locations. 

4 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress makes the following findings: 

6 (1) Increasing the United States global diplo7 matic footprint is imperative to advance United 

8 States’ national security interests, particularly in the 

9 face of a massive diplomatic expansion of the Peo10 ple’s Republic of China. 

11 (2) Adding more diplomatic missions, often in 

12 small island nations in the Pacific and Indian 

13 Oceans as well as the Caribbean Sea, will lay down 

14 the diplomatic infrastructure needed to compete with 

15 the People’s Republic of China. 

16 (3) Diplomatic missions should be resourced 

17 and equipped for success as soon as, or even before, 

18 they open in order to allow diplomats to focus on ad19 vancing United States national interests in-country, 

20 instead of navigating bureaucratic processes. 

21 (4) Successfully opening new missions is not 

22 simply a choice between expediency and quality. The 

23 United States can move more swiftly to open new 

24 missions while still putting United States diplomats 

25 in a positions to get to work immediately. 


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1 (5) To avoid this binary, the Department of 

2 State has to reduce the bureaucratic obstacles inhib3 iting current and future diplomats at new missions, 

4 while positively identifying ways that the Depart5 ment can best support them. 

6 SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 

9 shall submit to appropriate congressional committees a re10 port on how the Department of State is creating an ‘‘em11 bassy in a box’’ concept to provide new missions the need12 ed resources and authorities to successfully and quickly 

13 stand up and operate a mission from the moment United 

14 States personnel arrive, or even before the opening of a 

15 new mission, to immediately begin advancing United 

16 States national interests. 

17 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required under sub18 section (a) shall include— 

19 (1) a list of authorities and processes related to 

20 the opening of new missions; 

21 (2) a list of authorities and processes related to 

22 the opening of new missions that the Department 

23 has waived or moved away from in order to expedi24 ently stand up new missions, particularly in small is25 land nations; 


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1 (3) a list of equipment that should be provided 

2 to each new mission, the approval of which will be 

3 handled prior to or shortly after the opening of the 

4 mission and will not be the responsibility of the mis5 sion, including— 

6 (A) an authorization of one vehicle per De7 partment of State direct hire; or 

8 (B) enough vehicles in motor pool to ade9 quately serve fully all Department of State di10 rect hires; 

11 (4) required support staff who are assigned to 

12 a new mission, including those who may not be resi13 dent at a new mission; 

14 (5) processes or traditional requirements for an 

15 embassy that are being eliminated or reimagined; 

16 (6) the cost of paying a 20-percent differential 

17 rate specifically for United States direct hires who 

18 are accredited to any new United States mission 

19 with a hardship differential of 20 percent or more 

20 for the first ten years of its existence; and 

21 (7) any other authorities or processes that may 

22 be required to successfully and quickly stand up a 

23 new United States mission, including any new au24 thorities the Department may need. 


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1 SEC. 5. DELEGATING AUTHORITIES TO SENIOR OFFICIAL 

2 TO LEAD NEW EMBASSY EXPANSION. 

3 (a) DELEGATION.—The Secretary of State and the 

4 Under Secretary of State for Management shall delegate 

5 all needed authorities to expedite the creation of new mis6 sions abroad, as well as their continued management and 

7 operational support, to the Director of the Office of Man8 agement Strategy and Solutions. 

9 (b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Director of the Office 

10 of Management Strategy and Solutions shall be respon11 sible for— 

12 (1) expediting the resourcing of new diplomatic 

13 missions by temporarily waiving or reducing proc14 esses needed to open new missions, as conditions 

15 within the host country may require; 

16 (2) when necessary, quickly adjudicating within 

17 the Department any obstacles that arise during the 

18 planning and execution phases of the establishment 

19 of a new mission; 

20 (3) ensuring new missions receive the manage21 ment and operational support needed so that per22 sonnel can focus on diplomacy and not administra23 tive challenges; and 

24 (4) ensuring that the authorities provided in the 

25 Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism 

26 Act of 1999 (title VI of division A of appendix G of 


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1 Public Law 106–113), as amended by the the Secure 

2 Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 

3 2022 (section 9301 of Public Law 117–263; 136 

4 Stat. 3879), are fully utilized in the planning for all 

5 new United States missions. 

6 SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTING THE SECURE EMBASSY CONSTRUC7 TION AND COUNTERTERRORISM ACT OF 2022. 

8 Not later than 60 days after the date of the enact9 ment of this Act, the Secretary shall— 

10 (1) promulgate new policies and procedures 

11 consistent with the Secure Embassy Construction 

12 and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (title VI of divi13 sion A of appendix G of Public Law 106–113), as 

14 amended by the the Secure Embassy Construction 

15 and Counterterrorism Act of 2022 (section 9301 of 

16 Public Law 117–263; 136 Stat. 3879); and 

17 (2) submit a report to the appropriate congres18 sional committees detailing such policies and proce19 dures and the impact of implementation on overseas 

20 facilities and out-year embassy construction projects. 

21 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

22 In this Act: 

23 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT24 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com25 mittees’’ means— 


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1 (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

2 and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

3 Senate; and 

4 (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

5 and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

6 House of Representatives. 

7 (2) NEW DIPLOMATIC MISSION.—The term 

8 ‘‘new diplomatic mission’’ means any bilateral diplo9 matic mission opened since January 1, 2020, in a 

10 country where there had not been a bilateral diplo11 matic mission since the date that is 20 years before 

12 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

13 SEC. 8. SUNSET. 

14 The authorities and requirements of this Act shall 

15 terminate ten years after the date of the enactment of this 

16 Act. 

Æ 


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