22 USC 3952 – Diplomatic and consular missions
(a) Recommendations by Secretary of State; appointment by President; vice consul; performance of official functions under commission
The Secretary of State may recommend to the President that a member of the Service who is a citizen of the United States be commissioned as a diplomatic or consular officer or both. The President may, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, commission such member of the Service as a diplomatic or consular officer or both. The Secretary of State may commission as a vice consul a member of the Service who is a citizen of the United States. All official functions performed by a diplomatic or consular officer, including a vice consul, shall be performed under such a commission.
(b) Function of commissioned Service members
Terms Used In 22 USC 3952
- Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
- function: includes any duty, obligation, power, authority, responsibility, right, privilege, discretion, or activity. See 22 USC 3902
- officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
- Secretary: means the Secretary of State, except that (subject to section 3921 of this title) with reference to the exercise of functions under this Act with respect to any agency authorized by law to utilize the Foreign Service personnel system, such term means the head of that agency. See 22 USC 3902
- United States: when used in a geographic sense, means the several States and the District of Columbia. See 22 USC 3902
Members of the Service commissioned under this section may, in accordance with their commissions, perform any function which any category of diplomatic officer (other than a chief of mission) or consular officer is authorized by law to perform.
(c) Limits of consular districts
The Secretary of State shall define the limits of consular districts.