[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5700 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5700
To amend titles 5 and 37, United States Code, and the Foreign Service
Act of 1980 to authorize the payment of certain travel expenses for
Federal employees, members of the uniformed services, and members of
the Foreign Service involved in disasters or other catastrophic events,
as well as the travel of their family representatives and agency
representatives.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 24, 2002
Mrs. Morella introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on
Armed Services and International Relations, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend titles 5 and 37, United States Code, and the Foreign Service
Act of 1980 to authorize the payment of certain travel expenses for
Federal employees, members of the uniformed services, and members of
the Foreign Service involved in disasters or other catastrophic events,
as well as the travel of their family representatives and agency
representatives.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Employees, Uniformed Service
and Foreign Service Members Humanitarian Travel Act of 2002''.
SEC. 2. PAYMENT OF HUMANITARIAN TRAVEL EXPENSES INVOLVING CIVILIAN
EMPLOYEES.
Section 5702 of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Under regulations prescribed pursuant to section 5707 of this
title, the head of an agency may pay the travel expenses of family
representatives and agency representatives to support the needs of an
employee described in paragraph (1)(A) or (3) of this subsection.'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Under regulations prescribed pursuant to section 5707 of this
title, the head of an agency may pay the travel expenses of an employee
involved in a disaster or other catastrophic event, family
representatives of the employee, and agency representatives to, from,
and at--
``(1) the site of such disaster or other catastrophic
event;
``(2) the site of a memorial service related to such
disaster or other catastrophic event; and
``(3) any other location as determined by the head of the
agency concerned or his designee.''.
SEC. 3. TRANSPORTATION INCIDENT TO DISASTER OR OTHER CATASTROPHIC
EVENTS INVOLVING MEMBERS OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES.
(a) In General.--(1) Chapter 7 of title 37, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after section 411i the following new section:
``Sec. 411j. Travel and transportation allowances: transportation
incident to disaster or other catastrophic event
``(a) Allowance Authorized.--In connection with a disaster or other
catastrophic event, the Secretary concerned may provide travel and
transportation allowances to the following persons:
``(1) A member of the uniformed services who is involved in
the disaster or other catastrophic event.
``(2) Family members (as defined in section 411h(b) of this
title) of the member.
``(3) Representatives of the Secretary concerned.
``(b) Covered Travel.--Travel and transportation allowances may be
provided under subsection (a) for travel to, from, and at--
``(1) the site of the disaster or other catastrophic event;
``(2) the site of a memorial service related to the
disaster or other catastrophic event; or
``(3) any other location as determined by the Secretary
concerned.
``(c) Regulations.--The Secretaries concerned shall prescribe
uniform regulations to carry out this section.''.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 411i the
following new item:
``411j. Travel and transportation allowances: transportation incident
to disaster or other catastrophic event.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 411h(a)(1) of such title is
amended by striking ``transportation described in subsection (c)'' and
inserting ``travel and transportation allowances''.
SEC. 4. TRAVEL INCIDENT TO DISASTER OR OTHER CATASTROPHIC EVENTS
INVOLVING MEMBERS OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE.
Section 901 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081) is
amended--
(1) at the end of paragraph (14) by striking ``and'';
(2) at the end of paragraph (15) by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following paragraph:
``(16) travel by a member of the Service who is involved in
a disaster or other catastrophic event while assigned abroad or
in travel status, by family members of the member of the
Service, representatives of the family of the member of the
Service, and by agency representatives to, from, and at--
``(A) the site of such disaster or other
catastrophic event;
``(B) the site of a memorial service related to
such disaster or other catastrophic event; and
``(C) any other location as determined by the
Secretary.''.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 180 days after
the date of enactment of this Act.
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