22 USC § 2698 - Procurement of legal services

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t22/s2698"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "22 USC § 2698 - Procurement of legal services"
title_number: 22
title_name: "FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE"
section_number: "2698"
section_name: "Procurement of legal services"
chapter_number: 38
chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF STATE"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 841, title I, § 26, as added Pub. L. 96–465, title II, § 2201(a), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2154; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 97–241, title II, § 202(a), Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 282; amended Pub. L. 101–246, title III, § 303, Feb. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 64; Pub. L. 105–277, div. G, subdiv. A, title XIII, § 1335(l)(3), title XIV, § 1422(b)(3)(B), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–789, 2681–792; Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(7) [div. A, title VIII, § 802(a)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–468.)"
---


# § 2698. Procurement of legal services

**(a)** The Secretary of State may, without regard to section 3106 of title 5, authorize a principal officer of the Foreign Service to procure legal services whenever such services are required for the protection of the interests of the Government or to enable a member of the Service to carry on the member’s work efficiently.

**1** The authority available to the Secretary of State under this section shall be available to the Broadcasting Board of Governors,[^1] and the Administrator of the Agency for International Development with respect to the Board and the Agency.

So in original. The comma probably should not appear.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 841, title I, § 26, as added Pub. L. 96–465, title II, § 2201(a), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2154; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 97–241, title II, § 202(a), Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 282; amended Pub. L. 101–246, title III, § 303, Feb. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 64; Pub. L. 105–277, div. G, subdiv. A, title XIII, § 1335(*l*)(3), title XIV, § 1422(b)(3)(B), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–789, 2681–792; Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(7) [div. A, title VIII, § 802(a)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–468.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1999—Subsec. (b).  made technical correction to directory language of . See 1998 Amendment note below.

1998—Subsec. (b). , as amended by , substituted “Administrator of the Agency for International Development” for “Director of the United States International Development Cooperation Agency”.

()(3), substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors,” for “Director of the United States Information Agency, the chairman of the Board for International Broadcasting,” and “with respect to the Board and the Agency” for “with respect to their respective agencies”.

1990—Subsec. (b).  substituted “United States Information Agency, the chairman of the Board for International Broadcasting,” for “International Communication Agency”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Broadcasting Board of Governors renamed United States Agency for Global Media pursuant to . The renaming was effectuated by notice to congressional appropriations committees dated , and became effective .

### Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Amendment by section 1335()(3) of  effective , see , set out as an Effective Date note under .

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as an Effective Date note under .

### Effective Date

Section effective , except as otherwise provided, see , set out as a note under .