Closing of consular and diplomatic posts abroad
22 U.S.C. § 2720
in effect(a) Prohibited uses of fundsExcept as provided under subsection (d) 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 notificationNot 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 treatmentAmounts 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) ExceptionsThe 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” definedAs 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.
Source: OLRC USLMURL: https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/95/xml_usc22@119-95.zipFetched: 6/4/2026