The Secretary of State may authorize and assist in the establishment, maintenance, and operation by civilian officers and employees of the Government of non-Government-operated services and facilities at posts abroad, including the furnishing of space, utilities, and properties owned or leased by the Government for use by its diplomatic, consular, and other missions and posts abroad. The provisions of the Foreign Service Buildings Act, 1926 (22 U.S.C. 292–300) and section 2684 of this title may be utilized by the Secretary in providing such assistance.

The Secretary may establish and maintain emergency commissary or mess services in places abroad where, in the judgment of the Secretary, such services are necessary temporarily to insure the effective and efficient performance of official duties and responsibilities. Reimbursements incident to the maintenance and operation of commissary or mess service under this subsection shall be at not less than cost as determined by the Secretary and shall be used as working funds, except that an amount equal to the amount expended for such services shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.

Services and facilities established under this section shall be made available, insofar as practicable, to officers and employees of all agencies and their dependents who are stationed in the locality abroad, and, where determined by the Secretary to be appropriate due to exceptional circumstances, to United States citizens hired outside of the host country to serve as teaching staff for such dependents abroad. Such services and facilities shall not be established in localities where another agency operates similar services or facilities unless the Secretary determines that additional services or facilities are necessary. Other agencies shall to the extent practicable avoid duplicating the facilities and services provided or assisted by the Secretary under this section.

Charges at any post abroad for a service or facility provided, authorized or assisted under this section shall be at the same rate for all civilian personnel of the Government serviced thereby, and all charges for supplies furnished to such a service or facility abroad by any agency shall be at the same rate as that charged by the furnishing agency to its comparable civilian services and facilities.

The Secretary of State may make grants to child care facilities, to offset in part the cost of such care, in Moscow and at no more than five other posts abroad where the Secretary determines that due to extraordinary circumstances such facilities are necessary to the efficient operation of the post. In making that determination, the Secretary shall take into account factors such as—

whether Foreign Service spouses are encouraged to work at the post because—

(A) the number of members of the post is subject to a ceiling imposed by the receiving country; and

(B) Foreign Service nationals are not employed at the post; and

(2) whether local child care is available.

(Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 841, title I, § 31, as added Pub. L. 96–465, title II, § 2201(a), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2156; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 97–241, title II, § 202(a), Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 282; amended Pub. L. 101–246, title I, § 147, Feb. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 38; Pub. L. 102–138, title I, §§ 121, 144, Oct. 28, 1991, 105 Stat. 658, 668; Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 124, Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 393.)