Strengthening Emergency Responses Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10714 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10714

  To expand the reviews and updates of the Emergency Action Plans of 
   diplomatic and consular posts and the information provide during 
 emergency evacuations of such posts and to review commercial airline 
                price gouging during such an emergency.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 1, 2026

 Mr. Subramanyam introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To expand the reviews and updates of the Emergency Action Plans of 
   diplomatic and consular posts and the information provide during 
 emergency evacuations of such posts and to review commercial airline 
                price gouging during such an emergency.

    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 ``Strengthening Emergency Responses 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF REVIEWS AND UPDATES OF EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS OF 
              DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS.

    Section 606(a)(1)(A) of the Secure Embassy Construction and 
Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (22 U.S.C. 4865(a)(1)(A)) is amended by 
striking ``Such plan shall be reviewed and updated annually.'' and 
inserting ``Such plan shall be reviewed and updated not less than 
annually and after the conclusion of each emergency covered by such 
plan and when the relevant Chief of Mission determines that changing 
conditions require a review and update of the plan. A review and update 
conducted after an emergency covered by such plan shall include the 
lessons learned from such emergency.''

SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF INFORMATION PROVIDED DURING EMERGENCY EVACUATION 
              OF DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 103(b) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security 
and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4802(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end; 
        and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) ensure that crisis intake systems and forms are 
        widely available for United States citizens abroad during 
        emergency evacuations and remain fully operational for the 
        duration of such emergency.''.
    (b) Communication With Next-of-Kin.--Section 43(a) of the State 
Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2715(a)) is amended 
by striking ``such individuals.'' and inserting ``such individuals, 
including maintaining regular contact with the next-of-kin to provide 
up-to-date information.''.
    (c) Review and Update.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
the enactment of this section, the Secretary of State shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a review and update of the 
communications procedures used by diplomatic and consular posts during 
emergency evacuations. Such review and update shall--
            (1) ensure that such posts have timely access to evacuation 
        information and that such posts are able to distribute the 
        information as necessary; and
            (2) include a determination of whether such posts need 
        additional staff to ensure access to and distribution of up-to-
        date information.

SEC. 4. REVIEW OF AIRLINE PRICE GOUGING DURING EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a review of instances of commercial airlines engaging in 
price gouging with respect to flights used during the emergency 
evacuation of--
            (1) diplomatic and consular posts; or
            (2) United States citizens abroad.

SEC. 5. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
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