§ 2715b. — Notification of next of kin; reports of death.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 22USC2715b]
TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE
CHAPTER 38--DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Sec. 2715b. Notification of next of kin; reports of death
(a) In general
Whenever a United States citizen or national dies abroad, a consular
officer shall endeavor to notify, or assist the Secretary of State in
notifying, the next of kin or legal guardian as soon as possible, except
that, in the case of death of any Peace Corps volunteer (within the
meaning of section 2504(a) of this title), any member of the Armed
Forces, any dependent of such a volunteer or member, or any Department
of Defense employee, the consular officer shall assist the Peace Corps
or the appropriate military authorities, as the case may be, in making
such notifications.
(b) Reports of death or presumptive death
The consular officer may, for any United States citizen who dies
abroad--
(1) in the case of a finding of death by the appropriate local
authorities, issue a report of death or of presumptive death; or
(2) in the absence of a finding of death by the appropriate
local authorities, issue a report of presumptive death.
(c) Implementing regulations
The Secretary of State shall prescribe such regulations as may be
necessary to carry out this section.
(Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 841, title I, Sec. 43A, as added Pub. L. 106-113,
div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(7) [div. A, title II, Sec. 234(b)], Nov. 29, 1999,
113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-426.)
Effective Date
Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(7) [div. A, title II,
Sec. 234(c)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-429, provided that:
``The repeal and amendment made by this section [enacting this section
and section 2715c of this title and repealing section 4195 of this
title] shall take effect six months after the date of enactment of this
Act [Nov. 29, 1999].''
Administrative Assistance in Arrangements Following Death of United
States Citizen Abroad
Pub. L. 95-426, title I, Sec. 121, Oct. 7, 1978, 92 Stat. 970, as
amended by Pub. L. 97-241, title V, Sec. 505(a)(2), (b)(1), Aug. 24,
1982, 96 Stat. 299, provided that: ``The Congress finds that the
Department of State should, in the performance of its consular duties,
render all reasonable administrative assistance to a United States
citizen who is making necessary arrangements following the death of
another United States citizen abroad.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 2715 of this title.
