§4081a — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

Allows the State Department, USAID, and other U.S. employees under a chief of mission to pay a foreign airline to carry them, their in‑cabin or checked baggage or cargo, and up to 3 pets when no U.S.‑certified airline is willing and able to carry those animals. It covers travel to the U.S., from the U.S., or between two places outside the U.S. The government may not pay more to the foreign carrier than it would have paid a U.S.‑certified carrier. If the foreign flight costs more, the employee may pay the extra. A “domestic animal” means a dog or a cat.

Title 22, §4081a

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(1)Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (c) of section 40118 of title 49, the Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other United States Government employees under chief of mission authority are authorized to pay for the transportation by a foreign air carrier of Department and USAID personnel, and other United States Government employees under chief of mission authority and any in-cabin or accompanying checked baggage or cargo if—

(A)no air carrier holding a certificate under section 41102 of such title is willing and able to transport up to 3 domestic animals accompanying such Federal personnel; and

(B)the transportation is from a place—

(i)outside the United States to a place in the United States;

(ii)in the United States to a place outside the United States; or

(iii)outside the United States to another place outside the United States.

(2)An amount paid pursuant to paragraph (1) for transportation by a foreign carrier may not be greater than the amount that would otherwise have been paid had the transportation been on an air carrier holding a certificate under section 41102 had that carrier been willing and able to provide such transportation. If the amount that would otherwise have been paid to such an air carrier is less than the cost of transportation on the applicable foreign carrier, the Department personnel may pay the difference of such amount.

(3)In this subsection, the term “domestic animal” means a dog or a cat.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This subsection, referred to in par. (3), means subsec. (a) of section 6224 of Pub. L. 118–31, which is classified to this section. Codification Section was enacted as part of the Department of State Authorization Act of 2023, and also as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, and not as part of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

2024—Par. (1). Pub. L. 118–159, in introductory provisions, substituted “the Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other United States Government employees under chief of mission authority are” for “the Department is” and “Department and USAID personnel, and other United States Government employees under chief of mission authority” for “Department personnel”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Definition For definition of “Department” as used in this section, see section 6002 of Pub. L. 118–31, set out as a note under section 2651 of this title.

§4081a Exception for Government-financed Air Transportation; Reducing Hardship for Transportation of Domestic Animals