Secure American Foreign Evacuation Act
Bill: H.R.5387 | Sponsor: Rep. Sherman, Brad (D-CA)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Secure American Foreign Evacuation Act
This bill requires U.S. citizens and permanent residents who visit or reside in highly dangerous foreign countries to register with the Department of State.
The President must submit to Congress within 30 days a list of highly dangerous foreign countries. These are countries (1) whose government has repeatedly provided support for international terrorism, (2) where U.S. armed forces have engaged in hostilities, or (3) where there is a high probability that U.S. citizens or permanent residents visiting or residing in the country will need to be evacuated. The President must periodically update this list.
Within five days of departing the United States or another foreign country to visit or reside in a highly dangerous foreign country, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident must register with the Department of State. Failure to comply with the registration requirement results in a financial penalty, which the State Department may waive in extraordinary circumstances.
When evacuating U.S. citizens and permanent residents from highly dangerous foreign countries, the United States shall give priority to those who have complied with the registration requirements.
The State Department must report on the implementation of the registration system and give recommendations for its improvement.

To require United States persons visiting or residing in highly 
 dangerous foreign countries to register with the Department of State, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Secure American Foreign Evacuation 
Act''.

SEC. 2. LIST OF HIGHLY DANGEROUS FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress a list of 
foreign countries or parts thereof that meet one or more of the 
following conditions:
            (1) The foreign country is a country the government of 
        which the Secretary of State determines has repeatedly provided 
        support for international terrorism pursuant to--
                    (A) section 1754(c)(1)(A) of the Export Control 
                Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4318(c)(1)(A));
                    (B) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
                1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371);
                    (C) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 
                U.S.C. 2780); or
                    (D) any other provision of law.
            (2) The foreign country is a country in which the United 
        States has deployed armed forces that are engaged in 
        hostilities as defined by the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 
        1541 et seq.).
            (3) The President has made determination that the foreign 
        country or any part thereof is very hazardous, based on the 
        potential for violence and armed conflict in the country or 
        part thereof, and there is a high probability that United 
        States persons visiting or residing in such country or part 
        thereof will need to be evacuated.
    (b) Reference.--A foreign country or part thereof included on the 
list required by subsection (a) shall be designated as a ``Highly 
Dangerous Foreign Country'' for purposes of this Act.
    (c) Updates.--The President shall submit to Congress an updated 
list under subsection (a)--
            (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act and every 180 days thereafter; and
            (2) as new information becomes available.

SEC. 3. REGISTRATION SYSTEM FOR UNITED STATES PERSONS VISITING OR 
              RESIDING IN HIGHLY DANGEROUS FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall require a United 
States person intending to visit or reside in a Highly Dangerous 
Foreign Country to register with the Department of State under existing 
protocols and to meet the requirements described in subsection (b).
    (b) Requirements Described.--A United States person intending to 
visit or reside in a Highly Dangerous Foreign Country shall meet the 
following requirements:
            (1) The person shall notify the Department of State of the 
        proposed visit or residence not later than 5 days after the 
        person's departure from the United States or another foreign 
        country for purposes of undertaking the visit or residence.
            (2) If the person violates the requirement of paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary of State shall impose and collect a fee of 
        $500 from the person--
                    (A) as soon as practicable after the violation 
                occurs; or
                    (B) at the time of renewal of the person's United 
                States passport.
    (c) Waiver.--The Secretary of State may adopt regulations to waive 
the fee required under subsection (b)(2) in extraordinary 
circumstances.
    (d) Effective Date; Transition Provisions.--
            (1) Effective date.--This section takes effect on the date 
        of the enactment of this Act and applies with respect to any 
        United States person intending to visit or reside in a Highly 
        Dangerous Foreign Country after the date that is 60 days after 
        such date of enactment.
            (2) Transition provisions.--Any United States person--
                    (A) visiting or residing in a Highly Dangerous 
                Foreign Country before the date described in paragraph 
                (1) shall register with the Department of State under 
                existing protocols and meet the requirements of 
                subsection (b) not later than 180 days after the date 
                of the enactment of this Act; and
                    (B) visiting or residing in a Highly Dangerous 
                Foreign Country that is included on the list required 
                by section 2(a) after the date described in paragraph 
                (1) shall register with the Department of State under 
                existing protocols and meet the requirements of 
                subsection (b) not later than 6 days after the date on 
                which the Country is included on the list.

SEC. 4. PRIORITY IN EVACUATING UNITED STATES PERSONS FROM HIGHLY 
              DANGEROUS FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

    The United States Government shall, when evacuating United States 
persons from a Highly Dangerous Foreign Country, give priority to those 
United States persons who have complied with the requirements of 
section 3.

SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report on the 
registration system for United States persons visiting or residing in 
highly dangerous foreign countries described in section 3 and how to 
improve the system in the future.

SEC. 6. UNITED STATES PERSON DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``United States person'' means a United 
States citizen or alien admitted for permanent residence to the United 
States.
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