Chapter 250. For the acquisition of buildings and grounds in foreign countries for the use of the Government of the United States of America
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CHAP. 250.— An Act For the acquisition of buildings and grounds in foreign countries for the use of the Government of the United States of America.May 7, 1926.[[H. R. 10200](/us/bill/69/hr/10200).][[Public, No. 186](/us/pl/69/186).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Foreign Service Buildings Act, 1926.Acquisition of buildings, etc., in foreign countries authorized for use of the Government. That the Secretary of State is empowered, subject to the direction of the commission hereinafter established, to acquire by purchase or construction in the manner hereinafter provided, within the limits of appropriations made pursuant to this Act, in foreign capitals and in other foreign cities, sites and buildings, and to alter, repair, and furnish such buildings, for the use of the diplomatic and consular establishments of the United States, or for the purpose of consolidating, to the extent deemed advisable by the commission, within one or more buildings, the embassies, legations, consulates, and other agencies of the United States Government there maintained, which buildings shall be appropriately designated by the commission, and the spaceAllotment of space in buildings. in which snail be allotted by the Secretary of State under the direction of the commission among the several agencies of the United States Government. 404 Sec. 2.
(a)There is hereby established a joint commission, to beForeign Service Buildings Commissioners Wished.Composition. known as the Foreign Service Buildings Commission, and to be composed of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce) the chairman and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, and the chairman and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. A member of the commission may continue to serve as a member thereof until his successor has qualified.
(b)It shall be the duty of the commission to consider, formulate,Duties of Commission. and approve plans and proposals for the acquisition and utilization of the sites and buildings authorized by section 1, and of sites and buildings heretofore acquired or authorized for the use of the diplomatic and consular establishments in foreign countries, including the initial furnishings of such buildings and the initial alteration and repair of purchased buildings and grounds. The commission establishedFormer commission abolished.Vol. 41, p. 1214. by the Act entitled “An Act making appropriations for the Diplomatic and Consular Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1922,” approved March 2, 1921, is hereby abolished.
(c)The commission shall prescribe rules and regulations forRules to be prescribed.Annual report. carrying into effect the provisions of this Act, and shall make an annual report to the Congress. Sec. 3. Buildings and grounds acquired under this Act or heretoforeUse for offices, residences, etc. acquired or authorized for the use of the diplomatic and consular establishments in foreign countries may, subject to the direction of the commission, be used, in the case of buildings and grounds for the diplomatic establishment, as Government offices or residences or as such offices and residences; or, in the case of other buildings and grounds, as such offices or such offices and residences. The contracts for all work of construction, alteration, and repairContracts for construction repair, etc., authorized. under this Act are authorized to be negotiated, the terms of the contracts to be prescribed, and the work to be performed, where necessary, in the judgment of the commission, without regard to such statutory provisions as relate to the negotiation, making, and performance of contracts and performance of work in the United States. Sec. 4. For the purpose of carrying into effect the provisionsForeign Service Building Fund.Total authorized for.*Post*, p. 866. of this Act there is hereby authorized to be appropriated an amount not exceeding $10,000,000, and the appropriations made pursuant to this authorization shall constitute a fund to be known as the Foreign Service Building Fund, to remain available until expended. Under this authorization not more than $2,000,000 shall be appropriatedAnnual limitation. for any one year, but within the total authorization provided in this Act the Secretary of State, subject to the direction of the commission, may enter into contracts for the acquisition of the buildings and grounds authorized by this Act. In the case of theFund not available after completion of initial alterations, etc. buildings and grounds authorized by this Act, after the initial alterations, repairs, and furnishing have been completed, subsequent expenditures for such purposes shall not be made out of the appropriations authorized by this Act. Sec. 5. The Secretary of State is empowered, subject to thePlans to be formulated for use of Commission. direction of the commission, to collect information and to formulate plans for the use of the commission and to supervise and preserve the diplomatic and consular properties of the United States in foreign countries and the properties acquired under this Act. InEmployment of special architectural and technical services.Compensation. the collection of such information and in the formulation of such plans he may, subject to the direction of the commission, obtain such special architectural or other expert technical services as may be necessary and pay therefor, not exceeding in any case 5 per centum of the cost of construction or remodeling of the properties in respect to which said special services are rendered, 405 from such appropriations as Congress may make under this Act, without regard to civil service laws or regulations and the provisions of the Classification Act of 1923. Sec. 6. The authority granted to acquire sites and buildingsLeases authorized if titles not obtainable. by purchase shall, in cases where it is impossible to acquire the, be construed as authority to acquire the property by lease for a term sufficiently long, in the judgment of the commission, to be practically equivalent to the acquisition of title. Sec. 7. The Act entitled “An Act providing for the purchase orFormer authorization for buildings repealed. erection, within certain limits of cost, of embassy, legation, andVol. 36, p. 917, repealed. consular buildings abroad,” approved February 17, 1911, is repealed, but such repeal shall not invalidate appropriations already made under the authority of such Act. Sec. 8. This Act may be cited as the “Foreign Service BuildingsTitle of Act. Act, 1926.” Approved, May 7, 1926.