A bill to reimburse United States citizens for costs incurred for commercial flights arranged by the Department of State to evacuate them from foreign countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to waive promissory notes and the obligation to repay emergency repatriation loans related to such travel.

Bill: 116-s-3786
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2020-05-20
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Aviation and airports

Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Emergency planning and evacuation

Government lending and loan guarantees

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Transportation costs
Latest action: action_date: 2020-05-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-05-20
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This bill makes the Department of State responsible, directly or through reimbursement, for evacuation and repatriation expenses incurred by a U.S. citizen during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.</p> <p> Under current law, U.S. citizens must reimburse the State Department for evacuation and repatriation expenses incurred on their behalf. The bill requires the State Department to waive the repayment expectation for travel expenses incurred by the State Department to evacuate and repatriate a U.S. citizen in response to COVID-19. Further, it makes null and void any obligation to repay an emergency repatriation loan for such expenses.</p> <p>The State Department must develop an online reimbursement claim process, and the Department of the Treasury must reimburse a U.S. citizen for any travel expenses directly associated with evacuation and repatriation on flights chartered or arranged by the State Department in response to COVID-19.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3786 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 20, 2020 Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mr. Wyden ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations A BILL To reimburse United States citizens for costs incurred for commercial flights arranged by the Department of State to evacuate them from foreign countries due to the COVID–19 pandemic and to waive promissory notes and the obligation to repay emergency repatriation loans related to such travel.

1. Department of State arranged transportation for United States citizens evacuated from foreign countries due to COVID–19 pandemic (a) Waiver of travel expenses (1) In general Notwithstanding subsections (b)(2)(A)(ii) and (d) of section 4 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 ( 22 U.S.C. 2671 ), the Secretary of State shall waive the expectation of repayment of any travel expenses incurred by the Department of State on or after January 1, 2020, on behalf of any United States citizen evacuated from a foreign country and repatriated to the United States in response to the COVID–19 pandemic. (2) Cancellation of promissory notes and emergency repatriation loans Any promissory note or obligation to repay an emergency repatriation loan signed by a United States citizen to reimburse the Department of State for travel expenses described in paragraph (1) shall be null and void. (b) Reimbursement of travel expenses (1) Authorization The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State shall reimburse any United States citizen who was evacuated from a foreign country on or after January 1, 2020, and repatriated to the United States on one or more flights chartered or arranged by the Department of State in response to the COVID–19 pandemic for any travel expenses directly associated with such flights. (2) Process The Secretary of State shall develop an online process through which United States citizens may submit claims for reimbursement for travel expenses described in paragraph (1). (c) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.