,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ceih ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #d1 #bjbj,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,ms4 ,harris1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,heinrich1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 and ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,a ,,bill ,to require commercial airlines to provide cash reimbursements1 and to authorize the ,secretary of ,state to waive or reimburse travel expenses1 for any ,united ,states citizen who is evacuated from a foreign country and repatriated to the ,united ,states due to travel restrictions implemented in response to ,,covid-#ai or any future pandemic or international crisis4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,repatriation ,reimbursement ,act4 #b4 ,findings2 sense of ,congress 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the spread of the novel coronavirus 7#bjai-n,co,v7 and subsequent travel restrictions issued by nations around the world have left many ,united ,states citizens stranded overseas as they sought to return to the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,on ,march #ai1 #bjbj1 the ,department of ,state issued a ,level #d ,health ,advisory that-- 7,a7 advised all ,united ,states citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of ,,covid-#ai2 7,b7 urged ,united ,states citizens overseas to seek commercial departure options to return to the ,united ,states unless they were prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period2 and 7,c7 lead many ,united ,states citizens to seek repatriation to the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,as a result of rapidly changing travel restrictions by the ,united ,states and the closing of borders and airports in numerous countries around the world-- 7,a7 many commercial airlines cancelled flights and failed to reimburse ,united ,states citizens for the costs they had paid for such flights2 and 7,b7 many ,united ,states citizens were left without any return flight options4 7#d7 ,in their efforts to comply with the ,department of ,state travel guidance1 some ,united ,states citizens have been forced-- 7,a7 to pay often exorbitant and unanticipated fees directly to commercial airlines for emergency flights to return to the ,united ,states2 or 7,b7 to sign a promissory note to the ,department of ,state to commit to reimbursement for a flight chartered by the repatriation task force through ,united ,states embassies around the world4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,given the precarious position of ,united ,states citizens who were stranded globally and the difficult economic conditions they may face upon returning to the ,united ,states1 it is the sense of ,congress that the commercial airline industry and the ,department of ,state should fully reimburse or waive all travel costs for ,united ,states citizens who require repatriation to the ,united ,states as a result of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic4 #c4 ,reimbursement of certain travel expenses by commercial airlines 7a7 ,in general ,all travel expenses incurred1 on or after ,december #ca1 #bjai1 and on or before ,september #cj1 #bjbj1 by any ,united ,states citizen as a direct result of any flight on a commercial airline that is cancelled or does not depart within #bd hours of its originally scheduled departure time shall be reimbursed1 in cash1 by the airline with which such flight was initially booked if the citizen was evacuated from a foreign country and repatriated to the ,united ,states due to travel restrictions implemented in response to ,,covid-#ai4 7b7 ,requirement ,to honor original ticket price ,notwithstanding any otherwise applicable contractual provision1 any commercial airline that sold a ticket to a ,united ,states citizen described in subsection 7a7 for a flight from a foreign country to the ,united ,states during the period set forth in such subsection that1 due to travel restrictions referred to in such subsection1 was cancelled 7by the passenger or by the airline7 or was rescheduled to depart more than #bd hours after its originally scheduled departure time-- 7#a7 shall provide the passenger with a cash reimburse of the total costs incurred by the passenger for any cancelled flight2 7#b7 shall waive any change fees associated with replacing such ticket for another flight2 7#c7 may not charge the passenger any more for the replacement ticket than was charged for the original ticket2 and 7#d7 shall provide the passenger with a cash reimbursement for any amount paid by the passenger during the period set forth in subsection 7a7 that is prohibited under paragraph 7#b7 or 7#c74 7c7 ,funding 7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in paragraph 7#b71 a commercial airline may use amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the commercial airline industry in any appropriations ,act enacted on or after ,march #a1 #bjbj1 in response to ,,covid-#ai to pay for the travel expenses described in subsection 7a74 7#b7 ,limitation ,a commercial airline may not use amounts appropriated under section #daab of the ,coronavirus ,economic ,stabilization ,act of #bjbj 7title ,,iv of division ,a of ,public ,law #aaf-acf7 to pay for the travel expenses described in subsection 7a74 #d4 ,emergency transportation for ,united ,states citizens evacuated from foreign countries due to ,,covid-#ai travel restrictions 7a7 ,waiver or reimbursement of travel expenses 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state shall waive any travel expenses paid by the ,department of ,state on or after ,december #ca1 #bjai1 for any ,united ,states citizen who is evacuated from a foreign country and repatriated to the ,united ,states due to travel restrictions implemented in response to ,,covid-#ai or any future pandemic or international crisis1 as determined by the ,secretary4 7#b7 ,promissory notes ,any promissory note signed by a ,united ,states citizen to reimburse the ,department of ,state for travel expenses described in paragraph 7#a7 shall be null and void4 7#c7 ,conforming amendment ,section #d of the ,state ,department ,basic ,authorities ,act of #aief 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bfga7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7e7 ,in the case of a communicable disease for which the ,federal ,government has issued a travel alert or travel warning1 the reimbursement requirements under subsections 7b77#b77;,a77ii7 and 7d7 shall not apply4 4 7#d7 ,reimbursement 7,a7 ,authorization ,the ,secretary of ,state shall reimburse ,united ,states citizens who were evacuated from a foreign country on or after ,december #ca1 #bjai1 and repatriated to the ,united ,states due to travel restrictions described in paragraph 7#a7 for travel expenses associated with such evacuation and repatriation1 including the costs of commercial or charter flights and any ground transportation expenses associated with travel to the foreign airport and from the domestic airport to their homes in the ,united ,states4 7,b7 ,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 subparagraph 7,a74 7b7 ,funding ,the ,secretary of ,state may use amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the ,department of ,state in any appropriations ,act enacted on or after ,march #a1 #bjbj1 in response to ,,covid-#ai or any future pandemic or international crisis to pay for the travel expenses described in subsection 7a74