[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 22, Volume 1] [Revised as of April 1, 2003] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 22CFR72.1] [Page 348-349] TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE PART 72--DEATHS AND ESTATES--Table of Contents Sec. 72.1 Consular responsibility. (a) A consular officer (or in his absence a diplomatic officer) is responsible for reporting to the Department, to the legal representative, and to the closest known relative the deaths of all United States citizens occurring in his consular district except as otherwise provided in Sec. 72.2. In order that he may be informed of such deaths, the consular officer should enlist the cooperation and assistance of the local authorities and the members of the American community. (b) A consular agent is not authorized to report the deaths of United States citizens to the Department, to the legal representative and to the closest known relative. The consular agent should, however, immediately report the circumstances of the death to [[Page 349]] his principal consular officer, who then has the responsibility for reporting in the manner prescribed in this section through Sec. 72.8.