Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999

Summary

Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 - Establishes within the Treasury an embassy construction and security account for the purpose of constructing, or providing security upgrades to, U.S. diplomatic facilities in order to meet specified security requirements, including that: (1) threat assessments such as the Emergency Action Plan and the Composite Threat List address threats to U.S. missions from large vehicular bombs and transnational terrorism; (2) in the selection of sites for new U.S. diplomatic facilities abroad, that all U.S. Government agencies (except military installations) be located on the same compound; (3) each newly constructed or acquired U.S. diplomatic facility be sited not less than 100 feet from the perimeter of the property on which the facility is situated; (4) appropriate Department of State and U.S. diplomatic personnel undertake crisis management training for mass casualty and mass destruction incidents relating to diplomatic facilities; (5) there is adequate Department of State support for the Foreign Emergency Support Team; (6) the Secretary of State enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Defense setting out rapid response procedures for mobilization of personnel and equipment of their respective departments to provide more effective assistance in times of emergency with respect to U.S. diplomatic facilities; and (7) all U.S. diplomatic missions have emergency equipment and records stored at a secure off-site facility. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress an identification of U.S. diplomatic facilities that are most vulnerable to terrorist attack, setting out, in tiers of 20, those facilities from the most to the least vulnerable to such an attack. Requires account funds allocated for construction of new embassies to be used to rebuild only those embassies in the top three tiers. (Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary to review, and report to Congress on, the findings of the Overseas Presence Advisory Panel with respect to the closure of vulnerable U.S. diplomatic missions overseas. (Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the role and function of each U.S. diplomatic facility through 2010. (Sec. 9) Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to authorize the President to award an overseas service star to any member of the Foreign Service or any other civilian Government employee who while employed at, or assigned permanently or temporarily to, an official mission overseas, or while traveling abroad on official business, incurred a wound or other injury or an illness (whether or not resulting in death): (1) as the person was performing official duties; (2) as the person was on the premises of a U.S. mission abroad; or (3) by reason of the person's status as a U.S. Government employee. Specifies award requirements.

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3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 23 March 1999

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• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 23 March 1999

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 23 March 1999

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