22 USC 2715b – Notification of next of kin; reports of death
(a) In general
Whenever a United States citizen or national dies abroad, a consular officer shall endeavor to notify, or assist the Secretary of State in notifying, the next of kin or legal guardian as soon as possible, except that, in the case of death of any Peace Corps volunteer (within the meaning of section 2504(a) of this title), any member of the Armed Forces, any dependent of such a volunteer or member, or any Department of Defense employee, the consular officer shall assist the Peace Corps or the appropriate military authorities, as the case may be, in making such notifications.
(b) Reports of death or presumptive death
Terms Used In 22 USC 2715b
- Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
- State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7
The consular officer may, for any United States citizen who dies abroad—
(1) in the case of a finding of death by the appropriate local authorities, issue a report of death or of presumptive death; or
(2) in the absence of a finding of death by the appropriate local authorities, issue a report of presumptive death.
(c) Implementing regulations
The Secretary of State shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section.