Department of State February 28, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of State is issuing a final rule to update and amend its regulations on deaths and estates in 22 CFR Part 72, after review of one public comment received in response to the Department's October 24, 2006, issuance of a proposed rule. The existing regulations were originally issued in 1957. They needed to be redrafted in plain language and changed to reflect changes in State Department statutory authority and current practice. Sections 234 and 235 of the James W. Nance and Meg Donovan Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 made some changes to consular officer and State Department responsibilities with respect to the deaths and personal estates of United States citizens and non-citizen nationals abroad that must be reflected in the regulations.