Title: Consular and Administrative Support Act of 2020
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Consular and Administrative Support Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions in responding to an outbreak of an infectious disease such as COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), authorizes additional paid leave for certain agency employees involved in foreign affairs, and extends certain special immigrant visas.
The State Department, in responding to an outbreak of an infectious disease, must establish a Repatriation Task Force. The duties of this task force shall include (1) protecting and safeguarding the needs of U.S. nationals, including repatriation and other health and medical needs; (2) managing all communication and coordination with U.S. nationals regarding their needs; and (3) supporting American Citizen Services with repatriation and other health and medical needs. Additionally, in responding to such an outbreak, the State Department must activate a single, comprehensive approach to incident management for the National Passport Center and the National Visa Center.
The State Department must also extend the period of validity and the application period for certain special immigrant visas that have been affected by current travel restrictions and health concerns due to COVID-19.
Further, specified independent agencies involved in the conduct of foreign affairs (e.g., the Peace Corps) may provide additional paid leave to address employee hardships resulting from COVID-19.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3667 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3667

To require the establishment of a repatriation task force during major 
 infectious disease outbreaks, to authorize additional paid leave for 
 employees of certain independent agencies involved in the conduct of 
   foreign affairs, and to extend the application period and use of 
                    certain special immigrant visas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 7, 2020

 Mr. Menendez introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the establishment of a repatriation task force during major 
 infectious disease outbreaks, to authorize additional paid leave for 
 employees of certain independent agencies involved in the conduct of 
   foreign affairs, and to extend the application period and use of 
                    certain special immigrant visas.

    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 ``Consular and Administrative Support 
Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. CONSULAR AFFAIRS AND REPATRIATION RESOURCES OF THE DEPARTMENT 
              OF STATE.

    Section 1 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 
U.S.C. 2651a) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Responding to Epidemics or Pandemics.--
            ``(1) Statement of policy.--It shall be the policy of the 
        United States, during any public health emergency caused by an 
        epidemic or pandemic--
                    ``(A) to not leave any United States national 
                involuntarily stranded in a foreign country; and
                    ``(B) to provide all appropriate and available 
                assistance to United States nationals to facilitate 
                their return to the United States, when requested, for 
                the duration of the public health emergency.
            ``(2) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    ``(A) the term `tier two response' means a single, 
                comprehensive approach to incident management for the 
                National Passport Center and the National Visa Center 
                during a national emergency caused by an epidemic or 
                pandemic, including--
                            ``(i) the promulgation of protocols for 
                        communication, information and planning, 
                        emergency assistance, logistics management and 
                        support, staffing, and financial management; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) the identification of roles and 
                        responsibilities for response and staffing, 
                        critical infrastructure, and international and 
                        interagency coordination; and
                    ``(B) the term `United States national' means an 
                individual who is--
                            ``(i) a United States citizen; or
                            ``(ii) an alien lawfully admitted for 
                        permanent residence to the United States.
            ``(3) Establishment of repatriation task force.--In 
        responding to an infectious disease outbreak that is sustained, 
        severe, and spreading, including a determination by the 
        Director-General of the World Health Organization of a public 
        health emergency of international concern under Article 12 of 
        the International Health Regulations, done at Geneva May 23, 
        2005, the Secretary shall establish, under the direction of the 
        Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, a Repatriation Task 
        Force, which shall--
                    ``(A) formulate and implement policies that protect 
                and advance United States interests in protecting and 
                safeguarding the needs of United States nationals, 
                including repatriation and other health and medical 
                needs;
                    ``(B) manage, in coordination with relevant 
                diplomatic posts, all communication and coordination 
                with United States nationals regarding their needs, 
                including repatriation and health and medical matters;
                    ``(C) ensure that procedures implemented by 
                American Citizen Services are integrated into, and 
                reflected in, the decision-making process within the 
                Department of State;
                    ``(D) coordinate the functions of American Citizen 
                Services, including repatriation, responding to health 
                and medical needs, and other relevant functions, within 
                the Department of State;
                    ``(E) incorporate the functions of American Citizen 
                Services, including repatriation and other health and 
                medical needs priorities, into the activities of the 
                Department of State;
                    ``(F) coordinate efforts of the Department of State 
                with relevant Federal departments and agencies to meet 
                the needs of American Citizen Services, including 
                repatriation and other health and medical needs; and
                    ``(G) support American Citizen Services with 
                repatriation and other health and medical needs, 
                including coordinating and providing resources to meet 
                all repatriation needs.
            ``(4) Personnel.--The Secretary shall ensure that there are 
        sufficient personnel serving in the Office of American Citizen 
        Services and Crisis Management and the Bureau of Consular 
        Affairs or other Department of State personnel in the countries 
        affected by the epidemic or pandemic, to carry out the 
        responsibilities set forth in paragraph (3), including 
        repatriation matters.
            ``(5) National passport center and national visa center.--
        In responding to an infectious disease outbreak described in 
        paragraph (3), the Secretary should activate a tier two 
        response by the National Passport Information Center and the 
        National Visa Center.
            ``(6) Notification requirement.--Not later than 15 days 
        before the Department of State intends to discontinue the 
        repatriation services described in paragraph (3) in any region, 
        country, or part thereof during a public health emergency 
        caused by an epidemic or pandemic affecting such region, 
        country, or part, the Secretary shall notify, by all 
        appropriate means, all United States nationals affected by this 
        service interruption, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives of the date after which the Department of State 
        will no longer provide such services to United States nationals 
        seeking repatriation to the United States.''.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL PAID LEAVE FOR EMPLOYEES OF CERTAIN INDEPENDENT 
              AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE CONDUCT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

    Section 21007 of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``, the Director of the Peace Corps, the 
        Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge 
        Corporation, the Chief Executive Officer of the International 
        Development Finance Corporation, the President and Chief 
        Executive Officer of the United States African Development 
        Foundation, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the 
        Inter-American Foundation,'' after ``the Secretary of State''; 
        and
            (2) by striking ``the Secretary and the Administrator'' and 
        inserting ``each of the agency heads authorized to provide 
        additional paid leave under this section''.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF APPLICATION PERIOD AND USE OF CERTAIN SPECIAL 
              IMMIGRANT VISAS.

    (a) Covered Visa Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered 
visa'' means a special immigrant visa that--
            (1) is authorized under--
                    (A) section 1059 of the National Defense 
                Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (Public Law 109-
                163; 8 U.S.C. 1101 note);
                    (B) section 1244 of the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act 
                of 2007 (Public Law 110-181; 8 U.S.C. 1157 note); or
                    (C) section 602 of the Afghan Allies Protection Act 
                of 2009 (Public Law 111-8; 8 U.S.C. 1101 note);
            (2) was issued during fiscal year 2020; and
            (3) was not used for travel to the United States.
    (b) Extension of Validity Period.--
            (1) In general.--Given the current travel restrictions and 
        health concerns related to international travel due to the 
        coronavirus pandemic, not later than 60 days after the date on 
        which the International Organization for Migration resumes 
        flights for refugee resettlement to the United States, the 
        Secretary of State, in cooperation with the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security, shall extend the period of validity of a 
        covered visa until a date that is not earlier than 6 months 
        after such extension date.
            (2) No effect on numerical limitation.--Any extension under 
        paragraph (1) may not be counted against any numerical 
        limitation on the number of visas available under any law 
        referred to in subsection (a)(1).
    (c) Extension of Application Period.--If the application period for 
any covered visa is scheduled to expire between February 1, 2020, and 
60 days after the date on which the International Organization for 
Migration resumes flights for refugee resettlement to the United 
States, the Secretary of State shall extend such application period so 
that eligible applicants may apply for a covered visa until the date 
that is 6 months after such flight resumption date.
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