Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Russians Engaged in Threating Ukraine Refuge Now Act” or the “RETURN Act”.
Russians Engaged in Threating Ukraine Refuge Now Act
A BILL
To prohibit the solicitation of reimbursement of any travel expenses incurred by the Department of State on behalf of any United States citizen or lawful permanent resident evacuated from Ukraine and repatriated to the United States, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Prohibition on solicitation of reimbursement
In general— Notwithstanding subsection (b)(2)(A)(ii) of section 4 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2671), during the period of evacuation related to a Russian invasion of Ukraine and withdrawal of United States Department of State personnel from Ukraine—
the Secretary of State shall waive any repayment of any travel expenses incurred by the Department of State on behalf of any United States citizen or lawful permanent resident evacuated from Ukraine and repatriated to the United States;
any promissory note or other obligation to repay an emergency repatriation loan signed by a United States citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States to reimburse the Department of State for travel expenses described in paragraph (1) shall be null and void; and
no Federal official or employee may solicit or accept any amount from any individual who is a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident of the United States, whether in the form of a reimbursement or as any other condition of using transportation provided by the United States, to repatriate such individual to the United States.
Prohibition of denial of travel— No traveler on any Department of State-sponsored air travel pursuant to subsection (a) shall be denied a flight if such traveler is unable to abide by the requirements the Amended Order: Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID–19 Test Result or Recovery from COVID–19 for All Airline Passengers Arriving into the United States, published on December 2, 2021.
Termination— This Act shall terminate on the date that is six months after the date of the enactment of this Act.