Title: Examine Overseas Diplomatic Footprint Act of 2018
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Examine Overseas Diplomatic Footprint Act of 2018
This bill directs the Department of State, before initiating site selection for a diplomatic or consular post that is expected to employ 10 or fewer direct hire U.S. government employees for at least three years, to analyze options, including consolidation with other nearby posts.
The State Department shall complete a cost-benefit analysis for maintaining each such post for the prior three years.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5589 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5589

  To consolidate certain small diplomatic and consular posts, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2018

  Mr. McCaul introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To consolidate certain small diplomatic and consular posts, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Examine Overseas Diplomatic 
Footprint Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. CONSOLIDATION OF SMALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS.

    (a) New Embassies and Consulates.--Prior to initiating site 
selection for a diplomatic or consular post that is expected to employ 
ten or fewer direct hire United States Government employees on average 
for at least three years after opening, the Secretary of State shall 
conduct an analysis of options, including consolidating such proposed 
post with other nearby diplomatic or consular posts.
    (b) Notification.--Not later than 30 days after conducting an 
analysis of options pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of State 
shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of the results of 
such analysis.
    (c) Existing Small Diplomatic and Consular Posts.--The Secretary of 
State shall complete a cost-benefit analysis for maintaining each 
diplomatic and consular post that has employed ten or fewer direct hire 
United States Government employees on average over the three years 
prior to the date of the enactment of this Act. Each such analysis 
shall include, at minimum, the following:
            (1) The full cost of maintaining each such post.
            (2) Any policy value or other value that United States 
        Government tenants derive from each such post.
            (3) Whether regular consular services, including United 
        States citizen services, are provided at each such post.
            (4) The nearest alternative location at which regular 
        consular services, including United States citizen services, 
        are available with respect to each such post.
            (5) Input from each such post regarding any unique 
        operational or policy value such post provides.
    (d) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on the results of the 
analyses under subsections (a) and (c).
    (e) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) in the House of Representatives--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs; and
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations; and
            (2) in the Senate--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations; and
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations.
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