I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2723 
To enhance security for facilities and personnel at United States diplomatic 
and consular posts abroad, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 18, 2013 
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. MEEKS, 
Mr. SIRES, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. HIGGINS, Ms. BASS, Mr. 
KEATING, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. GRAYSON, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. SCHNEIDER, 
Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. BERA of California, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. MENG, 
Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. GABBARD, and Mr. CASTRO of Texas) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on For-
eign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Govern-
ment Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To enhance security for facilities and personnel at United 
States diplomatic and consular posts abroad, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Embassy Security and Enhancement Act of 2013’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
TITLE I—REVIEW AND PLANNING REQUIREMENTS 
Sec. 101. Designation of high risk, high threat posts and working groups. 
Sec. 102. Contingency plans for high risk, high threat posts. 
Sec. 103. Sense of Congress regarding strategic review of Bureau of Diplomatic 
Security. 
TITLE II—PHYSICAL SECURITY AND PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS 
Sec. 201. Capital Security Cost Sharing Program. 
Sec. 202. Local guard contracts abroad under diplomatic security program. 
Sec. 203. Transfer authority. 
Sec. 204. Physical security of certain soft targets. 
Sec. 205. Reemployment of annuitants. 
Sec. 206. Exemptions from certain protest procedures for non-compete con-
tracting in exigent circumstances. 
Sec. 207. Sense of Congress on minimum security standards for temporary 
United States diplomatic and consular posts. 
Sec. 208. Sense of Congress on assignment of personnel at high risk, high 
threat posts. 
TITLE III—SECURITY TRAINING 
Sec. 301. Security training for personnel assigned to high risk, high threat 
posts. 
Sec. 302. Report to Congress. 
TITLE IV—DEATH GRATUITY 
Sec. 401. Death gratuity. 
Sec. 402. Increased group life insurance and survivors’ educational benefits ap-
plicable to those killed in terrorist attacks. 
Sec. 403. Retroactive payment. 
Sec. 404. Authorization of appropriations. 
Sec. 405. Conforming amendment. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) On September 11 and 12, 2012, terrorists 
attacked the United States Special Mission com-
pound and Annex in Benghazi, Libya. 
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(2) The attacks resulted in the deaths of Am-
bassador John Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, 
Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty, in addition to se-
verely wounding other United States personnel and 
Libyan guards. 
(3) The United States personnel in Benghazi 
performed bravely in protecting their colleagues de-
spite the scale and intensity of the attacks. 
(4) An Accountability Review Board chaired 
ably by Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering and vice- 
chaired by Admiral Michael Mullen, former Chair-
man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was subsequently 
convened to examine security failures leading to the 
attacks. 
(5) The Board found, in particular, the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Systemic failures in leadership and 
management at the Department of State led to 
inadequate security and unclear lines of respon-
sibility for security considerations in Benghazi. 
(B) Physical security at the site was inad-
equate and local Libyan responders failed to 
adequately respond to the sudden penetration of 
the mission. 
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(C) There were no immediate, specific tac-
tical warnings of an attack although officials 
were aware of intelligence gaps on militia activ-
ity in Libya and the threat such activity posed 
to United States interests. 
(6) The Board made 29 recommendations for 
the Department of State, including— 
(A) enhancing security in high risk, high 
threat posts and reviewing the balance between 
the risk and benefits of a particular post; 
(B) reexamining organization and manage-
ment with a focus on security planning in the 
Bureau of Diplomatic Security; 
(C) establishing minimum security stand-
ards for temporary facilities, such as Benghazi, 
in high risk, high threat environments; and 
(D) improving training for personnel serv-
ing in high risk, high threat posts. 
(7) Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 
accepted all of the Board’s recommendations and di-
rected that they be implemented. 
(8) United States public servants work in dan-
gerous places around the world to advance United 
States interests and values, and it is not possible to 
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conduct robust diplomatic and development efforts 
without inherent risk. 
(9) The dedicated men and women of the for-
eign and civil service are worthy of a serious and 
sustained commitment to enhancing security and 
better protecting them when they serve in hostile en-
vironments. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate. 
(2) HIGH RISK, HIGH THREAT POST.—The term 
‘‘high risk, high threat post’’ means a United States 
diplomatic or consular post, as determined by the 
Secretary of State, that, among other factors, is— 
(A) located in a country— 
(i) with high to critical levels of polit-
ical violence and terrorism; and 
(ii) the government of which lacks the 
capacity or willingness to provide adequate 
security; and 
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(B) with mission physical security plat-
forms that fall below the Department of State’s 
established standards. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of State. 
TITLE I—REVIEW AND 
PLANNING REQUIREMENTS 
SEC. 101. DESIGNATION OF HIGH RISK, HIGH THREAT 
POSTS AND WORKING GROUPS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title I of the Omnibus Diplomatic 
Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4801 
et seq.; relating to diplomatic security) is amended by in-
serting after section 103 the following new sections: 
‘‘SEC. 104. DESIGNATION OF HIGH RISK, HIGH THREAT 
POSTS. 
‘‘(a) INITIAL DESIGNATION.—Not later than 30 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report, in classified form, that contains an initial 
list of diplomatic and consular posts designated as high 
risk, high threat posts. 
‘‘(b) DESIGNATIONS BEFORE OPENING OR REOPEN-
ING POSTS.—Before opening or reopening a diplomatic or 
consular post, the Secretary shall determine if such post 
should be designated as a high risk, high threat post. 
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‘‘(c) DESIGNATING EXISTING POSTS.—The Secretary 
shall regularly review existing diplomatic and consular 
posts to determine if any such post should be designated 
as a high risk, high threat post if conditions at such post 
or the surrounding security environment require such a 
designation. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section and section 105: 
‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’ means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate. 
‘‘(2) HIGH
RISK, HIGH
THREAT
POST.—The 
term ‘high risk, high threat post’ means a United 
States diplomatic or consular post, as determined by 
the Secretary, that, among other factors, is— 
‘‘(A) located in a country— 
‘‘(i) with high to critical levels of po-
litical violence and terrorism; and 
‘‘(ii) the government of which lacks 
the ability or willingness to provide ade-
quate security; and 
‘‘(B) with mission physical security plat-
forms that fall below the Department of State’s 
established standards. 
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‘‘SEC. 105. WORKING GROUPS FOR HIGH RISK, HIGH 
THREAT POSTS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Before opening or reopening 
a high risk, high threat post, the Secretary shall establish 
a working group that is responsible for the geographic 
area in which such post is to be opened or reopened. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The duties of the working group es-
tablished in accordance with subsection (a) shall include— 
‘‘(1) evaluating the importance of the objectives 
of the proposed post to the national security of the 
United States, and the type and level of security 
threats such post could encounter; 
‘‘(2) completing working plans to expedite the 
approval and funding for establishing and operating 
such post, implementing physical security measures, 
providing necessary security and management per-
sonnel, and the provision of necessary equipment; 
and 
‘‘(3) establishing security benchmarks that 
would determine specific action, including enhanced 
security measures or evacuation of such post, based 
on the improvement or deterioration of the local se-
curity environment. 
‘‘(c) COMPOSITION.—The working group may be 
composed of representatives of the— 
‘‘(1) appropriate regional bureau; 
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