Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§1313 Assistance for United States citizens returned from foreign countries
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - SOCIAL SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XI— - GENERAL PROVISIONS, PEER REVIEW, AND ADMINISTRATIVE SIMPLIFICATION › Part Part A— - General Provisions › § 1313
Summary
The Secretary can give short-term help to U.S. citizens and their dependents who come back to the United States from another country because they were destitute, sick, or forced to leave by war, threat of war, invasion, or a similar crisis, and who have no resources. Recipients generally must pay back the cost of the help unless the Secretary’s rules say otherwise. The Secretary may give help directly or use public or private agencies under payment agreements. The Secretary must create plans for how help will be given and consult with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Defense, and the help should follow those plans when possible. “Temporary assistance” means money, medical care, short-term housing, transportation, and other needed goods and services provided after arrival for up to 90 days, unless the Secretary finds a case needs more time. Total aid cannot exceed $1,000,000 in any fiscal year after September 30, 2009, except for fiscal years 2021 and 2022 when the limit is $10,000,000 each. The Secretary may accept cash or in-kind gifts for the program; cash gifts go to the program’s appropriation and stay available until spent, but gifts can be used only as allowed by appropriation laws.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §1313
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)The Secretary is authorized to provide temporary assistance to citizens of the United States and to dependents of citizens of the United States, if they (A) are identified by the Department of State as having returned, or been brought, from a foreign country to the United States because of the destitution of the citizen of the United States or the illness of such citizen or any of his dependents or because of war, threat of war, invasion, or similar crisis, and (B) are without available resources.
(2)Except in such cases or classes of cases as are set forth in regulations of the Secretary, provision shall be made for reimbursement to the United States by the recipients of the temporary assistance to cover the cost thereof.
(3)The Secretary may provide assistance under paragraph (1) directly or through utilization of the services and facilities of appropriate public or private agencies and organizations, in accordance with agreements providing for payment, in advance or by way of reimbursement, as may be determined by the Secretary, of the cost thereof. Such cost shall be determined by such statistical, sampling, or other method as may be provided in the agreement.
(b)The Secretary is authorized to develop plans and make arrangements for provision of temporary assistance within the United States to individuals specified in subsection (a)(1). Such plans shall be developed and such arrangements shall be made after consultation with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Defense. To the extent feasible, assistance provided under subsection (a) shall be provided in accordance with the plans developed pursuant to this subsection, as modified from time to time by the Secretary.
(c)For purposes of this section, the term “temporary assistance” means money payments, medical care, temporary billeting, transportation, and other goods and services necessary for the health or welfare of individuals (including guidance, counseling, and other welfare services) furnished to them within the United States upon their arrival in the United States and for such period after their arrival, not exceeding ninety days, as may be provided in regulations of the Secretary; except that assistance under this section may be furnished beyond such ninety-day period in the case of any citizen or dependent upon a finding by the Secretary that the circumstances involved necessitate or justify the furnishing of assistance beyond such period in that particular case.
(d)The total amount of temporary assistance provided under this section shall not exceed $1,000,000 during any fiscal year beginning after September 30, 2009, except that, in the case of fiscal years 2021 and 2022, the total amount of such assistance provided during each such fiscal year shall not exceed $10,000,000.
(e)(1)The Secretary may accept on behalf of the United States gifts, in cash or in kind, for use in carrying out the program established under this section. Gifts in the form of cash shall be credited to the appropriation account from which this program is funded, in addition to amounts otherwise appropriated, and shall remain available until expended.
(2)Gifts accepted under paragraph (1) shall be available for obligation or other use by the United States only to the extent and in the amounts provided in appropriation Acts.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2021—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–39 substituted “fiscal years 2021 and 2022, the total amount of such assistance provided during each such fiscal year shall not exceed $10,000,000” for “fiscal year 2020, the total amount of such assistance provided during such fiscal year shall not exceed $10,000,000”. 2020—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–148 substituted “fiscal year 2020, the total amount of such assistance provided during such fiscal year shall not exceed $10,000,000.” for “fiscal years 2017 and 2018, the total amount of such assistance provided during each such fiscal year shall not exceed $25,000,000.” 2017—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–57 substituted “fiscal years 2017 and 2018” for “fiscal year 2010” and “each such fiscal year” for “that fiscal year”. 2010—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 111–127, which directed substitution of “
September 30, 2009, except that, in the case of fiscal year 2010, the total amount of such assistance provided during that fiscal year shall not exceed $25,000,000.” for “September, 30, 2003” and all that follows through the end of subsec. (d), was executed by making the substitution for “
September 30, 2003, except that, in the case of fiscal year 2006, the total amount of such assistance provided during that fiscal year shall not exceed $6,000,000.”, which did not contain a comma after “September”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. 2006—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–250 inserted “, except that, in the case of fiscal year 2006, the total amount of such assistance provided during that fiscal year shall not exceed $6,000,000” after “2003”. 2003—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 108–11 substituted “2003” for “1991”. 1990—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 101–508, § 5056(a)(1), substituted “after
September 30, 1991” for “on or after
October 1, 1989”. Pub. L. 101–382 amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) read as follows: “The total amount of temporary assistance provided under this section shall not exceed— “(1) $8,000,000 during the fiscal years ending
June 30, 1975, and
June 30, 1976, and the succeeding calendar quarter, or “(2) $300,000 during any fiscal year beginning on or after
October 1, 1976.” Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 101–508, § 5056(a)(2), added subsec. (e). 1975—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–44, § 2, set a 90-day limit for assistance following arrival in the United States with provision for furnishing of assistance beyond the 90-day limit upon a finding by the Secretary that the circumstances involved necessitate or justify the furnishing of assistance in that particular case. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 94–44, § 1, substituted provisions setting the maximum total amount of temporary assistance provided under this section for provisions prohibiting temporary assistance after
June 30, 1973. 1971—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 92–40 extended termination date from
June 30, 1971, to
June 30, 1973. 1969—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 91–41 extended termination date from
June 30, 1969, to
June 30, 1971. 1968—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 90–248 extended termination date from
June 30, 1968, to
June 30, 1969. 1967—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 90–36 extended termination date from
June 30, 1967, to
June 30, 1968. 1964—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 88–347 extended termination date from
June 30, 1964, to
June 30, 1967. 1962—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 87–543 extended termination date from
June 30, 1962, to
June 30, 1964.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1990 Amendment Pub. L. 101–508, title V, § 5056(b), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–230, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall be effective for fiscal years beginning after
September 30, 1989.” Limit on Direct Contact With Repatriated Individuals During COVID–19 Emergency Period Pub. L. 116–148, § 3,
July 13, 2020, 134 Stat. 661, provided that: “During the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B)), in providing temporary assistance under section 1113 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1313), no employee of the Administration for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services shall have direct, in-person contact with an individual specified in section 1113(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1313(a)(1)), except in the case of a uniformed member of the Regular Corps or the Ready Reserve Corps of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (as described in section 203 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 204)) in an active duty status who, as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, has— “(1) received appropriate training on infection prevention and control; and “(2) access to appropriate personal protective equipment.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 1313
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73