,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #djbf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #bb1 #bjbj,mr4 ,markey 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 and ,mr4 ,casey7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to expedite and expand provision of ,american ,citizen ,services worldwide during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,expanding ,vital ,american ,citizen ,services ,overseas 7,,evacs7 ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,there is an unprecedented need for ,american ,citizen ,services from the ,department of ,state and its posts globally during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic4 7#b7 ,consistent intake of new ,foreign ,service ,officers and ,foreign ,service ,specialists is integral to protecting ,americans worldwide4 7#c7 ,american ,citizen ,services include1 among other services1 emergency passports1 consular reports of birth abroad1 virtual or in-person welfare visits of ,united ,states citizens who are imprisoned or hospitalized1 emergency financial assistance1 and repatriation of ,united ,states citizens1 as well as repatriation of remains when deaths occur abroad4 7#d7 ,consular systems worldwide1 as well as previously established crisis management task force procedures1 are unable to handle the remote workload and requirements for social distancing simultaneously4 7#e7 ,the ,department of ,state has increased need for personal protective equipment for its staff worldwide as they fulfill the mission to provide ,american ,citizen ,services and perform other essential diplomatic duties4 7#f7 ,current ,united ,states laws and regulations are not adequate to meet worldwide needs such as the sudden demand for evacuation of ,united ,states citizens1 combined with reduced or nonexistent private airline capacity1 and the reduced staffing capabilities and remote processing of ,american ,citizen ,services requests4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,the ,secretary of ,state should take steps to ensure the expedited and expanded provision of ,american ,citizen ,services from the ,department of ,state during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic and future global emergencies4 #d4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,,acs2 ,american ,citizen ,services ,the terms ,,acs and ,american ,citizen ,services refer to the range of services provided to ,united ,states nationals by the ,bureau of ,consular ,affairs of the ,department of ,state1 and at the ,department's overseas posts4 7#b7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,covered ,individual ,the term covered individual means a ,united ,states citizen1 ,united ,states national1 lawful permanent resident1 or the immediate family members of a ,united ,states citizen1 a ,united ,states national1 or a lawful permanent resident4 7#d7 ,declared ,,covid-#ai pandemic period ,the term declared ,,covid-#ai pandemic period means the period of the national emergency declared by the ,president under the ,national ,emergencies ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq47 with respect to the ,coronavirus ,disease #bjai 7,,covid-#ai74 #e4 ,assistance for covered individuals overseas 7a7 ,petitioning for intracountry travel for ,united ,states persons in certain countries ,the ,secretary of ,state shall petition the government of any country that closes borders and airspace or places travel restrictions due to ,,covid-#ai to make provisions with the ,united ,states embassy1 consulate1 or other diplomatic mission responsible for consular services in that country to assure covered individuals can travel intracountry to ,united ,states ,government evacuation points or to access commercial travel when possible4 7b7 ,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 covered individual 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 covered individual 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 following new subsection3 7e7 ,exception from reimbursement requirement for certain communicable disease related expenses ,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 covered individuals 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 7c7 ,funding ,the ,secretary of ,state may use amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the ,department of ,state in any appropriations ,act for paying expenses related to overseas evacuations to pay for the travel expenses described in subsection 7b77#a74 #f4 ,consular affairs1 task forces1 and regulations ,the ,secretary of ,state shall direct the ,assistant ,secretary of ,state for ,consular ,affairs to immediately-- 7#a7 provide ,united ,states embassies1 consulates1 and other diplomatic missions worldwide with explicit guidance to protect covered individuals and use innovative means to empower officers1 specialists1 and ,locally ,employed ,staff employees to protect ,american lives during and immediately after the declared ,,covid-#ai pandemic period2 7#b7 increase the staffing of ,consular ,affairs ,task ,force #b in ,washington1 ,,dc1 to ensure adequate consular response and improved guidance from ,washington1 ,,dc1 to embassies1 consulates1 and missions overseas1 including-- 7,a7 augmentation of the ,overseas ,consular ,services 7,,ocs7 call center and activation of the ,national ,passport ,information ,center 7,,npic7 and the ,national ,visa ,center 7,,nvc7 to immediately provide improved consular responses2 and 7,b7 direct public access to ,task ,force #b through the ,,ocs call center2 and 7#c7 notify ,congress of any additional monetary or technical resources needed to carry out the actions described in this subsection4 #g4 ,protecting responders ,not later than #ae days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report with a comprehensive plan for ,,covid-#ai infection risk mitigation procedures for all persons under chief of mission authority at overseas posts1 including an assessment of availability and adequacy of personal protective equipment at ,united ,states embassies1 consulates1 and other diplomatic missions4 #h4 ,progress reports2 yearly remote ,,acs drills worldwide 7a7 ,comprehensive progress report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #fj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and semiannually until the ,global ,health ,advisory of ,level #d3 ,do ,not ,travel is rescinded by the ,secretary of ,state1 the ,secretary shall provide a comprehensive progress report on the ,bureau of ,consular ,affairs response to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic to the appropriate congressional committees1 including issues such as1 but not exclusively1 assessment of consular system failures due to lack of resources--personnel1 technical1 system design1 or capacity--and resources needed to improve current and future performance of ,american ,citizen ,services during this and future global health crises4 7#b7 ,form ,the report required under paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may include a classified annex4 7b7 ,annual worldwide remote ,,acs drills ,the ,secretary of ,state shall direct the ,assistant ,secretary of ,state for ,consular ,affairs to direct an annual worldwide consular test of remote processing 7including a minimum #hj-percent remote consular telework worldwide7 and systems with reporting of outcomes to ,congress within #ij days after each test4 ,the first test shall be held not later than #fj days after the ,secretary of ,state rescinds the ,global ,health ,advisory of ,level #d3 ,do ,not ,travel4 #i4 ,foreign ,service hiring 7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 there are no legal constraints preventing the ,department of ,state and the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development from virtual onboarding of new ,foreign ,service ,officers and ,foreign ,service ,specialists2 7#b7 hiring of ,foreign ,service ,officers 7,,fso7 and ,foreign ,service ,specialists 7,,fss7 must continue1 while taking all necessary steps to ensure personnel safety1 at the same pace as determined prior to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 and 7#c7 in-processing of classes of ,f,s,os1 ,f,s,ss1 and ,department fellows must resume immediately1 remotely as necessary1 with the goal of achieving #bjbj hiring targets and exceeding those targets as authorized under sections #gjfb and #gjfc7;d77#a7 of the ,department of ,state1 ,foreign ,operations1 and ,related ,programs ,appropriations ,act1 #bjbj 7division ,g of ,public ,law #aaf-id74 7b7 ,delayed ,foreign ,service classes ,the ,secretary of ,state shall make immediate efforts to ensure individuals scheduled to enter the ,foreign ,service who have been affected by delays of the swearing-in and onboarding process during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic are given the full opportunity to join the ,foreign ,service4 7c7 ,report ,not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall report to ,congress how the ,department of ,state will1 remotely as necessary1 onboard ,,fso and ,,fss classes that were postponed indefinitely during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic after many were already issued orders and inbound to ,washington1 ,,dc1 or their training locations4 7d7 ,extension of hiring registry time limits ,to ensure a robust ,foreign ,service ,officer and ,foreign ,service ,specialist staffing pipeline during the pandemic and more generally1 the ,secretary of ,state shall immediately extend hiring registry time limits by the entirety of the declared ,,covid-#ai pandemic period4