US Congress Senate Bill 4026 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: Introduced on June 22 2020 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2020-06-22 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Pending: Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Establishes requirements for the Department of State to expand American Citizen Services at U.S. embassies, consulates, and missions worldwide during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. American Citizen Services are the range of services provided by the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, such as emergency passports, consular reports of birth abroad, emergency financial assistance, and repatriation. The State Department must petition the government of any country that closes borders and airspace or establishes travel restrictions due to COVID-19 to make provisions with the appropriate U.S. consular service in that country to ensure U.S. citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents, or the immediate family members of such persons can travel to U.S. government evacuation points or access commercial travel. The State Department must also waive or reimburse certain repatriation travel expenses incurred due to COVID-19. Further, the State Department must provide U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic missions with explicit guidance to protect American lives abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, increase certain consular affairs staffing, develop a comprehensive plan for COVID-19 infection risk mitigation procedures for all persons under chief of mission authority at overseas posts, regularly report on the Bureau of Consular Affairs' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and prioritize regular and continued hiring of Foreign Service officers and specialists.

Expanding Vital American Citizen Services Overseas (EVACS) Act of 2020

Sen. Edward Markey [D-MA]

Sen. Richard Blumenthal [D-CT]

Sen. Robert Casey [D-PA]

Date	Chamber	Action
2020-06-22	Senate	Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

HB6595 (Same As) 2020-04-22 - Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/4026/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s4026/BILLS-116s4026is.pdf