The Secretary of State may use funds appropriated or otherwise available to the Secretary to—

(a) provide for printing and binding outside the States of the United States and the District of Columbia without regard to section 501 of title 44;

(b) for the purpose of promoting and maintaining friendly relations with foreign countries through the prompt settlement of certain claims, settle and pay any meritorious claim against the United States which is presented by a government of a foreign country for damage to or loss of real or personal property of, or personal injury to or death of, any national of such foreign country: Provided, That such claim is not cognizable under any other statute or international agreement of the United States and can be settled for not more than $15,000 or the foreign currency equivalent thereof;

(c) employ individuals or organizations, by contract, for services abroad, and individuals employed by contract to perform such services shall not by virtue of such employment be considered to be employees of the United States Government for purposes of any law administered by the Office of Personnel Management (except that the Secretary may determine the applicability to such individuals of subsection (f) and of any other law administered by the Secretary concerning the employment of such individuals abroad); and such contracts are authorized to be negotiated, the terms of the contracts to be prescribed, and the work to be performed, where necessary, without regard to such statutory provisions as relate to the negotiation, making, and performance of contracts and performance of work in the United States;

(d) provide for official functions and courtesies;

(e) purchase uniforms;

(f) pay tort claims, in the manner authorized in the first paragraph of section 2672, as amended, of title 28, when such claims arise in foreign countries in connection with Department of State operations abroad;

(g) obtain services as authorized by section 3109 of title 5 at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate payable for GS-18 under section 5332 of such title 5;

(h) directly procure goods and services in the United States or abroad, solely for use by United States Foreign Service posts abroad when the Secretary of State, in accordance with guidelines established in consultation with the Administrator of General Services, determines that use of the Federal Acquisition Service or otherwise applicable Federal goods and services acquisition authority would not meet emergency overseas security requirements determined necessary by the Secretary, taking into account overseas delivery, installation, maintenance, or replacement requirements, except that the authority granted by this paragraph shall cease to be effective when the amendment made by section 2711 of the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 takes effect and thereafter procurement by the Secretary of State for the purposes described in this paragraph shall be in accordance with section 3304(a)(2) of title 41;

(i) pay obligations assumed in Germany on or after June 5, 1945;

(j) provide telecommunications services;

(k) provide maximum physical security in Government-owned and leased properties and vehicles abroad;

(l) purchase special purpose passenger motor vehicles without regard to any price limitation otherwise established by law;

(m) pay obligations arising under international agreements, conventions, and binational contracts to the extent otherwise authorized by law;

(n) exercise the authority provided in subsection (c), upon the request of the Secretary of Defense or the head of any other department or agency of the United States, to enter into personal service contracts with individuals to perform services in support of the Department of Defense or such other department or agency, as the case may be; and

(o) make administrative corrections or adjustments to an employee’s pay, allowances, or differentials, resulting from mistakes or retroactive personnel actions, as well as provide back pay and other categories of payments under section 5596 of title 5, as part of the settlement or compromise of administrative claims or grievances filed against the Department.