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Today, Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and Jim McGovern (MA-2) introduced legislation to ease the financial burden on American citizens who need to be evacuated from foreign countries during extreme situations such as natural disaster or outbreak of war.

Currently, State Department policy requires American citizens who are being evacuated from a foreign country to sign a promissory note obligating them to repay the US government the equivalent price of a commercial flight from the area from which they are being evacuated. These evacuation fees typically cost hundreds of dollars, and the federal government will put a hold on an evacuee’s passport until this amount is repaid.

“In times of crisis, we have an obligation to assist our fellow Americans seeking safety, and individuals facing emergencies abroad should not have to worry about being hit with a bill after their evacuation,” said Dingell. “People from Michigan contacted me asking to do something about the outrageous prices charged of citizens during a traumatic time. Further, these evacuation fees provide a minimal amount of revenue while placing significant burdens on travelers.”

Dingell and McGovern introduced the Leave No Americans Behind Act of 2018, which eliminates the federal government’s practice of charging evacuees a fee.

“It is unconscionable that Americans, who have lost everything in a natural disaster or whose lives are in grave peril, are then hit with a bill from the U.S. government because they were evacuated,” said McGovern. “I thank Congresswoman Dingell for championing this issue and I’m proud to support her efforts.”

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