1. (a) Authority.— Subject to subsection (d), the Secretary of Defense may provide administrative services and support for the performance of duties by a liaison officer of another nation while the liaison officer is assigned temporarily as follows:

   1. (1) To the headquarters of a combatant command, component command, or subordinate operational command of the United States.
   2. (2) To the Joint Staff.

2. (b) Travel, Subsistence, and Medical Care Expenses.—

   1. (1) The Secretary may pay the expenses specified in paragraph (2) of a liaison officer of a developing country in connection with the assignment of that officer as described in subsection (a), if the assignment is requested by the commander of the combatant command or by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as appropriate.

   2. (2) Expenses of a liaison officer that may be paid under paragraph (1) in connection with an assignment described in that paragraph are the following:

      1. (A) Travel and subsistence expenses.
      2. (B) Personal expenses directly necessary to carry out the duties of that officer in connection with that assignment.

      3. (C) Expenses for medical care at a civilian medical facility if—

         1. (i) adequate medical care is not available to the liaison officer at a local military medical treatment facility;
         2. (ii) the Secretary determines that payment of such medical expenses is necessary and in the best interests of the United States; and
         3. (iii) medical care is not otherwise available to the liaison officer pursuant to any treaty or other international agreement.

   3. (3) The Secretary may pay the mission-related travel expenses of a liaison officer described in subsection (a) if such travel meets each of the following conditions:

      1. (A) The travel is in support of the national interests of the United States.
      2. (B) The commander of the relevant combatant command or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as applicable, directs round-trip travel from the assigned location to one or more travel locations.
3. (c) Reimbursement.— The Secretary may provide the services and support authorized by subsection (a) and the expenses authorized by subsection (b) with or without reimbursement from (or on behalf of) the recipients. The terms of reimbursement shall be specified in the appropriate agreement used to assign the liaison officer to a combatant command or to the Joint Staff.

4. (d) Limitation and Oversight.—

   1. (1) The amount of unreimbursed support for any liaison officer supported under subsection (b)(1) in any fiscal year may not exceed $200,000 (in fiscal year 2014 constant dollars).
   2. (2) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall be responsible for implementing the authority under this section.
5. (e) Secretary of State Coordination.— The authority of the Secretary of Defense to provide administrative services and support under subsection (a) for the performance of duties by a liaison officer of another nation may be exercised only with respect to a liaison officer of another nation whose assignment as described in that subsection is accepted by the Secretary of Defense with the coordination of the Secretary of State.
6. (f) Definition.— In this section, the term “administrative services and support” includes base or installation support services, office space, utilities, copying services, fire and police protection, training programs conducted to familiarize, orient, or certify liaison personnel regarding unique aspects of the assignments of the liaison personnel, and computer support.

(Added Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title XII, § 1201(a)(1), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2662; amended Pub. L. 109–13, div. A, title I, § 1010, May 11, 2005, 119 Stat. 244; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title XII, § 1205, Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3456; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title XII, § 1203(a)–(e)(1), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 364, 365; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title XII, § 1205(a), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2514; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title XII, § 1203, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3530.)

Amendments

2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1203(a)(1), in introductory provisions, substituted “Subject to subsection (d), the Secretary of Defense” for “The Secretary of Defense” and struck out “involved in a military operation with the United States” after “another nation”.

Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1203(a)(2), struck out “in connection with the planning for, or conduct of, a military operation” before period at end.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1203(a)(3), substituted “To the Joint Staff.” for “To the headquarters of the combatant command assigned by the Secretary of Defense the mission of joint warfighting experimentation and joint forces training.”

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1203(b)(1), struck out “to the headquarters of a combatant command” after “that officer” and inserted “or by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as appropriate” before period at end.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1203(b)(2), substituted “if such travel meets each of the following conditions:” for “if such travel is in support of the national interests of the United States and the commander of the headquarters to which the liaison officer is temporarily assigned directs round-trip travel from the assigned headquarters to one or more locations.” and added subpars. (A) and (B).

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1203(c), substituted “The” for “To the extent that the Secretary determines appropriate, the” and inserted at end “The terms of reimbursement shall be specified in the appropriate agreement used to assign the liaison officer to a combatant command or to the Joint Staff.”

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1203(d)(2), added subsec. (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (f).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1203(e), added subsec. (e).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1203(d)(1), (f), redesignated subsec. (d) as (f) and inserted “training programs conducted to familiarize, orient, or certify liaison personnel regarding unique aspects of the assignments of the liaison personnel,” after “police protection,”.

2009—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–84 substituted “assigned temporarily as follows:” for “assigned temporarily”, designated remainder of existing provisions as par. (1) and realigned margins, substituted “To the headquarters” for “to the headquarters”, and added par. (2).

2008—Pub. L. 110–181, § 1203(e)(1), amended section catchline generally, substituting “Liaison officers of certain foreign nations; administrative services and support; travel, subsistence, medical care, and other personal expenses” for “Coalition liaison officers: administrative services and support; travel, subsistence, and other personal expenses”.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–181, § 1203(a), substituted “involved in a military operation” for “involved in a coalition” and “military operation” for “coalition operation”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–181, § 1203(b)(1), substituted “, Subsistence, and Medical Care” for “and Subsistence” in heading.

Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 110–181, § 1203(b)(2), added subpar. (C).

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 110–181, § 1203(b)(3), added par. (3).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–181, § 1203(c), substituted “Definition” for “Definitions” in heading, redesignated par. (1) as subsec. (d), and struck out par. (2) which read as follows: “The term “coalition” means an ad hoc arrangement between or among the United States and one or more other nations for common action.”

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 110–181, § 1203(d), struck out heading and text of subsec. (e). Text read as follows: “The authority under this section shall expire on September 30, 2007.”

2006—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109–163, which directed amendment of subsec. (e) by substituting “September 30, 2007” for “September 30, 2005”, was executed by making the substitution for “December 31, 2005”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the amendment by Pub. L. 109–13. See note below.

2005—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109–13 substituted “December 31, 2005” for “September 30, 2005”.

Effective Date of 2009 Amendment

Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title XII, § 1205(b), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2514, provided that:

“Paragraph (2) of

section 1051a(a) of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), shall take effect on

October 1, 2009, or the date of the enactment of this Act [

Oct. 28, 2009], whichever is later.”

GAO Report

Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title XII, § 1201(b), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2663, directed the Comptroller General to submit to committees of Congress a report providing an assessment of the implementation of this section not later than Mar. 1, 2005.