,i #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #baib ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #ah1 #bjbe,mr4 ,grothman 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,washington1 ,mrs4 ,radewagen1 ,mr4 ,gimenez1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,mr4 ,van ,orden1 ,mr4 ,foster1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,mrs4 ,foushee1 ,mr4 ,tran1 ,mr4 ,steil1 ,mr4 ,valadao1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,mr4 ,sorensen1 ,mr4 ,bilirakis1 ,ms4 ,moore of ,wisconsin1 ,mr4 ,van ,drew1 ,mr4 ,ciscomani1 ,ms4 ,brownley1 ,ms4 ,lois ,frankel of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,salazar1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,mr4 ,ruiz1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 ,mr4 ,kennedy of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,tiffany1 ,mr4 ,carter of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,moore of ,alabama1 ,mr4 ,mrvan1 ,mr4 ,bishop1 ,mr4 ,nunn of ,iowa1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 ,ms4 ,chu1 ,mr4 ,timmons1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,nevada1 ,ms4 ,houlahan1 ,mr4 ,meuser1 ,mrs4 ,ramirez1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,california1 ,mr4 ,feenstra1 ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,costa1 ,mr4 ,larsen of ,washington1 ,mr4 ,moolenaar1 ,mr4 ,scott ,franklin of ,florida1 ,mrs4 ,cherfilus-,mc,cormick1 ,mr4 ,westerman1 ,ms4 ,tenney1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mr4 ,davis of ,north ,carolina1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,mr4 ,baird1 ,mr4 ,himes1 ,ms4 ,tokuda1 ,mr4 ,panetta1 ,mr4 ,morelle1 ,ms4 ,snchez1 ,mrs4 ,torres of ,california1 ,ms4 ,williams of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,veasey1 ,mr4 ,castro of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,golden of ,maine1 ,mr4 ,goldman of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,deluzio1 ,ms4 ,pettersen1 ,ms4 ,strickland1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,keating1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,mr4 ,lynch1 ,ms4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,casten1 ,mr4 ,carbajal1 ,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi1 ,mr4 ,frost1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,mrs4 ,mc,bath1 ,mr4 ,pappas1 ,mr4 ,landsman1 ,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mr4 ,suozzi1 ,mr4 ,fallon1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,mr4 ,vicente ,gonzalez of ,texas1 ,ms4 ,davids of ,kansas1 ,mr4 ,hudson1 and ,ms4 ,kaptur7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence ,a ,,bill ,to award payments to employees of ,air ,america who provided support to the ,united ,states from #aiej to #aigf1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,air ,america ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,air ,america and its affiliated companies1 in coordination with the ,central ,intelligence ,agency1 provided direct and indirect support to the ,united ,states ,government from #aiej to #aigf4 7#b7 ,the service and sacrifice of employees of ,air ,america included-- 7,a7 suffering a high rate of casualties in the course of service2 7,b7 saving thousands of lives in search and rescue missions for downed ,united ,states airmen and allied refugee evacuations2 and 7,c7 serving lengthy periods under challenging circumstances abroad4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,affiliated company ,the term affiliated company1 with respect to ,air ,america1 includes ,air ,asia ,company ,limited1 ,,cat ,incorporated1 ,civil ,air ,transport ,company ,limited1 and the ,pacific ,division of ,southern ,air ,transport4 7#b7 ,air ,america ,the term ,air ,america means ,air ,america1 ,incorporated4 7#c7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs1 the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence1 and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,oversight and ,accountability1 the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence1 and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#d7 ,child2 dependent2 widow2 widower ,the terms child1 dependent1 widow1 and widower have the meanings given those terms in section #hcda7;a7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 except that section shall be applied by substituting individual who performed qualifying service for employee or ,member4 7#e7 ,covered decedent ,the term covered decedent means an individual who was killed in ,southeast ,asia while supporting operations of the ,central ,intelligence ,agency during the period beginning on ,january #a1 #aiej1 and ending on ,december #ca1 #aigf1 as a ,united ,states citizen employee of ,air ,america or an affiliated company4 7#f7 ,director ,the term ,director means the ,director of the ,central ,intelligence ,agency4 7#g7 ,qualifying service ,the term qualifying service means service that-- 7,a7 was performed by a ,united ,states citizen as an employee of ,air ,america or an affiliated company during the period beginning on ,january #a1 #aiej1 and ending on ,december #ca1 #aigf2 and 7,b7 is documented in-- 7i7 the corporate records of ,air ,america or an affiliated company2 7ii7 records possessed by the ,united ,states ,government2 or 7iii7 the personal records of a former employee of ,air ,america or an affiliated company that are verified by the ,united ,states ,government4 7#h7 ,survivor ,the term survivormeans-- 7,a7 the widow or widower of-- 7i7 an individual who performed qualifying service2 or 7ii7 a covered decedent2 or 7,b7 an individual who1 at any time during or since the period of qualifying service1 or on the date of death of a covered decedent1 was a dependent or child of-- 7i7 the individual who performed such qualifying service2 or 7ii7 the covered decedent4 #d4 ,award authorized to eligible persons 7a7 ,in general ,subject to the limitation in subsection 7d71 the ,director shall provide an award payment of #dj1jjj under this section-- 7#a7 to an individual who performed qualifying service for a period of greater than or equal to #e years or to a survivor of such individual2 or 7#b7 to the survivor of a covered decedent4 7b7 ,requirements 7#a7 ,in general ,to be eligible for a payment under this subsection1 an individual who performed qualifying service or survivor 7as the case may be7 must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the ,director that the individual whose qualifying service upon which the payment is based meets the criteria of paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7 of subsection 7a74 7#b7 ,reliance on records ,in carrying out this subsection1 in addition to any evidence provided by such an individual or survivor1 the ,director may rely on records possessed by the ,united ,states ,government4 7c7 ,additional payment ,if an individual1 or in the case of a survivor1 the individual whose qualifying service upon which the payment is based1 can demonstrate to the ,director that the qualifying service of the individual exceeded #e years1 the ,director shall pay to such individual or survivor an additional #h1jjj for each full year in excess of #e years 7and a proportionate amount for a partial year74 7d7 ,survivors ,in the case of an award granted to a survivor under this section1 the payment shall be made-- 7#a7 to the surviving widow or widower2 or 7#b7 if there is no surviving widow or widower1 to the surviving dependent or child1 in equal shares4 #e4 ,funding limitation 7a7 ,in general ,the total amount of awards granted under this ,act may not exceed #fj1jjj1jjj4 7b7 ,requests for additional funds ,if1 at the determination of the ,director1 the amount of funds required to satisfy all valid applications for payment under this ,act exceeds the limitation set forth in subsection 7a71 the ,director shall submit to ,congress a request for sufficient funds to fulfill all remaining payments4 7c7 ,awards to employees of ,intermountain ,aviation ,the ,director may determine1 on a case-by-case basis1 to award amounts to individuals who performed service consistent with the definition of qualifying service as employees of ,intermountain ,aviation4 #f4 ,time limitation 7a7 ,in general ,to be eligible for an award payment under this ,act1 a claimant must file a claim for such payment with the ,director not later than #b years after the effective date of the regulations prescribed by the ,director in accordance with section #g4 7b7 ,determination ,not later than #ij days after receiving a claim for an award payment under this section1 the ,director shall determine the eligibility of the claimant for payment4 7c7 ,payment 7#a7 ,in general ,if the ,director determines that the claimant is eligible for the award payment1 the ,director shall pay the award payment not later than #fj days after the date of such determination4 7#b7 ,lump-sum payment ,the ,director shall issue each payment as a one-time lump sum payment contingent upon the timely filing of the claimant under this section4 7#c7 ,notice and delays ,the ,director shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of any delays in making an award payment not later than #cj days after the date such payment is due4 #g4 ,application procedures 7a7 ,in general ,the ,director shall prescribe procedures to carry out this ,act1 which shall include processes under which-- 7#a7 claimants may submit claims for payment under this ,act2 7#b7 the ,director will award the amounts under section #d2 and 7#c7 claimants can obtain redress and appeal determinations under section #f4 7b7 ,other matters ,such procedures-- 7#a7 shall be-- 7,a7 prescribed not later than #fj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act2 and 7,b7 published in the ,code of ,federal ,regulations2 and 7#b7 shall not be subject to chapter #e of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 #h4 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to-- 7#a7 entitle any person to ,federal benefits1 including retirement benefits under chapter #hc or #hd of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 and disability or death benefits under chapter #ha of such title2 7#b7 change the legal status of the former ,air ,america corporation or any affiliated company2 or 7#c7 create any legal rights1 benefits1 or entitlements beyond the one-time award authorized by this ,act4 #i4 ,attorneys' and agents' fees 7a7 ,in general ,it shall be unlawful for more than #be percent of an award paid pursuant to this ,act to be paid to1 or received by1 any agent or attorney for any service rendered to a person who receives an award under section #d1 in connection with the award under this ,act4 7b7 ,violation ,any agent or attorney who violates subsection 7a7 shall be fined under title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code4 #aj4 ,no judicial review ,a determination by the ,director pursuant to this ,act is final and conclusive and shall not be subject to judicial review4 #aa4 ,reports to ,congress ,until the date that all funds available for awards under this ,act are expended1 the ,director shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a semiannual report describing the numbers of award payments made and denied during the #ahj days preceding the submission of the report1 including the rationales for any denials1 and if1 at the determination of the ,director1 the amount of funds provided to carry out this ,act are insufficient to satisfy any remaining or anticipated claims4