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II
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 3786
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.
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 re-
lated to such travel.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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•S 3786 IS
SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ARRANGED TRANS-
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PORTATION FOR UNITED STATES CITIZENS
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EVACUATED FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES DUE
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TO COVID–19 PANDEMIC.
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(a) WAIVER OF TRAVEL EXPENSES.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsections
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(b)(2)(A)(ii) and (d) of section 4 of the State De-
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partment Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C.
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2671), the Secretary of State shall waive the expec-
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tation of repayment of any travel expenses incurred
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by the Department of State on or after January 1,
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2020, on behalf of any United States citizen evacu-
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ated from a foreign country and repatriated to the
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United States in response to the COVID–19 pan-
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demic.
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(2) CANCELLATION OF PROMISSORY NOTES AND
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EMERGENCY
REPATRIATION
LOANS.—Any promis-
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sory note or obligation to repay an emergency repa-
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triation loan signed by a United States citizen to re-
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imburse the Department of State for travel expenses
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described in paragraph (1) shall be null and void.
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(b) REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES.—
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(1) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of the
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Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State
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shall reimburse any United States citizen who was
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evacuated from a foreign country on or after Janu-
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•S 3786 IS
ary 1, 2020, and repatriated to the United States on
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one or more flights chartered or arranged by the De-
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partment of State in response to the COVID–19
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pandemic for any travel expenses directly associated
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with such flights.
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(2) PROCESS.—The Secretary of State shall de-
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velop an online process through which United States
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citizens may submit claims for reimbursement for
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travel expenses described in paragraph (1).
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(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
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are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
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necessary to carry out this section.
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Æ
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