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Title IV — Reporting on the implementation of the accountability review board recommendations

S. 980 · 113th Congress · May 16, 2013 · Lineage

IV Reporting on the implementation of the accountability review board recommendations

Sec. 401 Department of State implementation of the recommendations provided by the Accountability Review Board convened after the September 11–12, 2012, attacks on United States Government personnel in Benghazi, Libya

(a)
Report required— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an unclassified report, with a classified annex, on the implementation by the Department of State of the recommendations of the Accountability Review Board convened pursuant to title III of the Omnibus Diplomatic and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4831) to examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the September 11–12, 2012, killings of four United States Government personnel in Benghazi, Libya.
(b)
Content— The report required under subsection (a) shall include the following elements:
(1)
An assessment of the overall state of the Department of State’s diplomatic security to respond to the evolving global threat environment, and the broader steps the Department of State is taking to improve the security of United States diplomatic personnel in the aftermath of the Accountability Review Board Report.
(2)
A description of the specific steps taken by the Department of State to address each of the 29 recommendations contained in the Accountability Review Board Report, including—
(A)
an assessment of whether implementation of each recommendation is “complete” or is still “in progress”; and
(B)
if the Secretary of State determines not to fully implement any of the 29 recommendations in the Accountability Review Board Report, a thorough explanation as to why such a decision was made.
(3)
An enumeration and assessment of any significant challenges that have slowed or interfered with the Department of State’s implementation of the Accountability Review Board recommendations, including—
(A)
a lack of funding or resources made available to the Department of State;
(B)
restrictions imposed by current law that in the Secretary of State’s judgment should be amended; and
(C)
difficulties caused by a lack of coordination between the Department of State and other United States Government agencies.

Sec. 402 Designation and reporting for high-risk, high-threat posts

(a)
Report required— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a classified report, with an unclassified summary, evaluating Department of State overseas posts that the Secretary of State determines to be “high risk, high threat” in accordance with subsection (c).
(b)
Content— For each post determined to be “high risk, high threat” pursuant to subsection (a), the report submitted under such subsection shall also include—
(1)
an assessment of the overall threat level to United States personnel under chief of mission authority;
(2)
the number of diplomatic security personnel, Marine Corps security guards, and other Department of State personnel dedicated to providing security for United States personnel, information, and facilities;
(3)
an assessment of host nation willingness and capability to provide protection in the event of a security threat or incident, pursuant to the obligations of the United States under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, done at Vienna, April 24, 1963, and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, done at Vienna, April 18, 1961;
(4)
an enumeration of the assignment duration and length of government experience for each of the United States senior security personnel assigned;
(5)
the number of Foreign Service Officers who have received Foreign Affairs Counter Threat training;
(6)
a summary of the requests made during the previous calendar year for additional resources, equipment, or personnel related to the security of the post and the status of such requests;
(7)
an evaluation of the quality of surveillance cameras;
(8)
an assessment of the ability of United States personnel to respond to and survive a fire attack, including:
(A)
whether the post has adequate fire safety and security equipment for safehavens and safe areas; and
(B)
whether United States Government employees and their dependents have been adequately trained on the equipment available;
(9)
for each new post that is opened, a detailed description of the steps taken to provide security for the new post, including whether a dedicated support cell was established in the Department of State to ensure proper and timely resourcing of security; and
(10)
a listing of any “high-risk, high-threat” posts where the Department of State and other government agencies’ facilities are not collocated including—
(A)
a rationale for the lack of collocation; and
(B)
a description of what steps, if any, are being taken to mitigate potential security vulnerabilities associated with the lack of collocation.
(c)
Determination of high-Risk, high-Threat post— In determining “high-risk, high-threat posts” under this section, the Secretary shall take into account with respect to each country those posts featuring—
(1)
high to critical levels of political violence or terrorism;
(2)
governments with inadequate capacity or political will to provide appropriate protection; and
(3)
mission physical security platforms that fall well below the Department of State’s established standards.