republic-os/legal/us/code/title-22/chapter-52/section-3902.md

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LegalText	22 U.S.C. § 3902	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	22	FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE	52	FOREIGN SERVICE	3902	22 U.S.C. § 3902	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc22@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t22/s3902	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-22/usc22.xml	266471ea79d46f1dff40c1ab229b3907739809d4f9ccb97cceac894cac54c7a8	b9c63ede722f5e0bf8eabfe9029e06e312ab9bcfd95c4d1424ed515baff1df83	a010f8f96d679946b1d3d365acf243baef679e2ce2b92ffafb20c8669e845738	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

22 U.S.C. § 3902 - Definitions

Text

As used in this chapter, the term—

(1) “abroad” means all areas not included within the United States;

(2) “agency” means an agency as defined in section 552(e) 11 See References in Text note below. of title 5;

(3) “chief of mission” means the principal officer in charge of a diplomatic mission of the United States or of a United States office abroad which is designated by the Secretary of State as diplomatic in nature, including any individual assigned under section 3982(c) of this title to be temporarily in charge of such a mission or office;

(4) “Department” means the Department of State, except that with reference to the exercise of functions under this chapter with respect to another agency authorized by law to utilize the Foreign Service personnel system, such term means that other agency;

(5) “employee” (except as provided in section 4102(8) of this title) means, when used with respect to an agency or to the Government generally, an officer or employee (including a member of the Service) or a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

(6) “function” includes any duty, obligation, power, authority, responsibility, right, privilege, discretion, or activity;

(7) “Government” means the Government of the United States;

(8) “merit principles” means the principles set out in section 2301(b) of title 5;

(9) “principal officer” means the officer in charge of a diplomatic mission, consular mission (other than a consular agency), or other Foreign Service post;

(10) “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;

(11) “Service” or “Foreign Service” means the Foreign Service of the United States; and

(12) “United States”, when used in a geographic sense, means the several States and the District of Columbia.

(Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 102, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2075; Pub. L. 98–164, title I, § 130(a), Nov. 22, 1983, 97 Stat. 1027.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextSection 552(e) of title 5, referred to in par. (2), was redesignated section 552(f) of title 5 by section 1802(b) of Pub. L. 99–570.

Amendments1983—Pub. L. 98–164 struck out “(a)” before “As used in this chapter”, and struck out subsec. (b) which provided that references to Foreign Service officers in any provision be deemed to refer to, with respect to the United States Information Agency, Foreign Service Information officers.