H. R. 5009—760 
(B) not later than 21 days after becoming aware of 
an existing lease or agreement occurring with a covered 
building or covered entity doing covered construction. 
(2) DETERMINATION OF NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST.—The 
notification required under paragraph (1) shall also include, 
to the extent applicable— 
(A) a determination of whether the inconsistent 
acquisition, lease, or agreement is in the national security 
interest of the United States; 
(B) an identification of the interest advanced by such 
inconsistent action; 
(C) a detailed explanation for such determination; and 
(D) any action the Secretary has taken or intends 
to take to mitigate national security vulnerabilities that 
may be posed by such inconsistent action. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED
BUILDING.—The term ‘‘covered building’’ 
means a building that is used or intended to be used by per-
sonnel of a consular or diplomatic post located outside of the 
United States for carrying out their official duties. 
(2) COVERED CONSTRUCTION.—The term ‘‘covered construc-
tion’’— 
(A) means any construction, development, conversion, 
extension, alteration, repair, or maintenance performed 
with respect to a building; and 
(B) includes the installation or maintenance of elec-
trical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, 
communication, fire protection, and energy management 
systems with respect to such building. 
(3) COVERED
ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered entity’’ means 
an entity with respect to which the Government of the People’s 
Republic of China, the Government of the Russian Federation, 
or an agent or instrumentality of the Government of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China or the Government of the Russian 
Federation, directly or indirectly, including through any con-
tract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship— 
(A) owns or controls a significant percent of the owner-
ship interest; or 
(B) otherwise exercises substantial control. 
SEC. 7208. RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF FUNDS FOR SOLAR PANELS. 
The Department may not use Federal funds to procure any 
solar energy products that were manufactured in the Xinjiang 
Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China or 
other regions in the country, which are known to be produced 
with forced labor. 
SEC. 7209. RESPONSIVENESS TO CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE 
INQUIRIES 
AND 
CONGRESSIONAL 
BUDGET 
OFFICE 
INQUIRIES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congressional Research Service and the 
Congressional Budget Office are charged with rendering effective 
and efficient service to Congress and responding expeditiously, effec-
tively, and efficiently to the needs of Congress. 
(b) RESPONSES.—The Secretary and Administrator shall ensure 
that for any inquiry or request from the Congressional Research 
Service or the Congressional Budget Office—
H. R. 5009—761 
(1) an initial substantive response to the request is sent 
within 14 days of receipt of the inquiry; 
(2) a complete answer responsive to the request is sent 
within 90 days of receipt of the inquiry, together with an 
explanation as to why the request was delayed; and 
(3) Congressional Research Service and Congressional 
Budget Office staff shall be treated as congressional staff for 
any briefings or informal discussions. 
(c) REQUIREMENT TO DISCLOSE UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION.— 
The Secretary and the Administrator shall not refuse to provide 
information to the Congressional Research Service or the Congres-
sional Budget Office on the basis that the Secretary or the Adminis-
trator deems such information to be sensitive but unclassified. 
SEC. 7210. EXPEDITED OPENING OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS. 
(a) 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 expan-
sion of our strategic competitors. 
(2) Opening or re-opening diplomatic missions, often in 
small island nations where there is no United States Govern-
ment presence, but one is needed to advance United States 
strategic objectives. 
(3) Diplomatic missions should be resourced and equipped 
for success upon opening to allow diplomats to focus on 
advancing United States national interests in-country. 
(4) The United States can and should move more swiftly 
to open new diplomatic missions and provide United States 
diplomats and locally employed staff with a workplace that 
meets locally appropriate quality, safety, and security stand-
ards. 
(5) To do this, the Department must streamline and support 
the process of opening new posts to identify efficiencies and 
remove obstacles that are unduly complicating the opening 
of new diplomatic missions, particularly in small island states 
and similarly situated locations. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees and the Committee 
on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appro-
priations of the House of Representatives a report on how 
the Department is creating a new framework to provide such 
diplomatic missions the needed resources and authorities to 
quickly and efficiently stand up and operate from the moment 
United States personnel arrive, or even before the opening 
of a new mission, particularly in small island nations. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required under paragraph (1) 
shall include— 
(A) a list of authorities and processes related to the 
opening of new diplomatic missions; 
(B) a list of authorities and processes related to the 
opening of new diplomatic missions that the Department 
can waive to expediently stand up new diplomatic missions;
H. R. 5009—762 
(C) essential functions that each new diplomatic mis-
sion should be able to carry out independently upon 
opening; 
(D) a description of functions that another post or 
support center will need to carry out to support the new 
mission; 
(E) a list of essential equipment and access to facilities, 
including to support secure communications, that should 
be provided to each new diplomatic mission, the approval 
of which should be handled prior to or shortly after the 
opening of the new diplomatic mission, including arrange-
ments for basic office equipment, vehicles, and housing; 
(F) the number of recommended locally engaged staff 
and United States direct hires resident in-country; 
(G) the number of non-resident support staff who are 
assigned to the new diplomatic mission, such as from 
another post or regional support center; 
(H) a description of how medical and consular support 
services could be provided; 
(I) procedures for requesting an expansion or renova-
tion of the post’s functions or physical platform after 
opening, should that be needed; 
(J) any other authorities or processes that may be 
required to successfully and quickly stand up a new diplo-
matic mission, including any new authorities the Depart-
ment may need; 
(K) a list of incentives, in addition to pay differentials, 
being considered for such posts; 
(L) a description of any specialized training, including 
for management and security personnel supporting the 
establishment of such new embassies that may be required; 
and 
(M) a list of what steps the Department is taking 
to expedite embassy construction in Dublin, Ireland, con-
sulate build-out in Nuuk, Greenland, and embassy renova-
tions in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and projected new posts 
in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. 
(c) SENIOR OFFICIAL TO LEAD NEW EMBASSY EXPANSION.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary shall designate an assist-
ant secretary-level senior official to expedite and make rec-
ommendations for the reform of procedures for opening new 
diplomatic missions abroad, particularly in small island states. 
(2) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The senior official designated pursu-
ant to paragraph (1) shall be responsible for proposing policy 
and procedural changes to the Secretary to— 
(A) expediting the resourcing of new diplomatic mis-
sions by waiving or reducing when possible mandatory 
processes required to open new diplomatic missions, taking 
into account the threat environment and circumstances 
in the host country; 
(B) when necessary, quickly adjudicating within the 
Department any decision points that arise during the plan-
ning and execution phases of the establishment of a new 
mission; 
(C) ensuring new missions receive the management 
and operational support needed, including by designating
H. R. 5009—763 
such support be undertaken by another post, regional sup-
port center, or Department entities based in the United 
States; and 
(D) 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 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 diplomatic missions. 
(d) NEW DIPLOMATIC MISSION DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘new diplomatic mission’’ means any bilateral diplomatic mis-
sion 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. 
(e) SUNSET.—The authorities and requirements of this section 
shall terminate 5 years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
SEC. 7211. REPORT ON UNITED STATES CONSULATE IN CHENGDU, PEO-
PLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on the effect of the suspension of operations 
at of the United States Consulate General in Chengdu, People’s 
Republic of China, on July 27, 2020, on diplomatic and consular 
activities of the United States in Southwestern China, including 
the provision of consular services to United States citizens, and 
on relations with the people of Southwestern China, including in 
areas designated by the Government of the People’s Republic of 
China as autonomous. 
SEC. 7212. PERSONNEL REPORTING. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, and at least every 120 days thereafter for 5 years, the 
Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report— 
(1) describing the on-board personnel levels, hiring, and 
attrition of the Civil Service, Foreign Service, eligible family 
members, locally employed staff, and contractor workforce of 
the Department, on an operating unit-by-operating unit basis; 
and 
(2) including a status update on progress toward fiscal 
year hiring plans for Foreign Service and Civil Service. 
SEC. 7213. SUPPORT CO-LOCATION WITH ALLIED PARTNER NATIONS. 
The Secretary, following consultation which occurs a reasonable 
time in advance of the exercise of the authority and includes details 
on costs and purposes with the appropriate congressional commit-
tees, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives may 
alter, repair, and furnish United States Government-owned and 
leased space for use by the government of a foreign country to 
facilitate co-location of such government in such space, on such 
terms and conditions as the Secretary may determine, including 
with respect to reimbursement of all or part of the costs of such 
alteration, repair, or furnishing. Reimbursements or advances of 
funds pursuant to this section may be credited to the currently