1.This Act may be cited as the
Air America Veterans Act of
2009
.
2.In this Act:
(1)The term Air America means Air America,
Incorporated.
(2)The term associated company means any entity
associated with, predecessor to, or subsidiary to Air America, including Air
Asia Company Limited, CAT Incorporated, Civil Air Transport Company Limited,
and the Pacific Division of Southern Air Transport during the period when such
an entity was owned and controlled by the United States Government.
3.Report on
retirement benefits for former employees of Air America
(a)Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall submit to Congress a
report on the advisability of providing Federal retirement benefits to United
States citizens for the service of such citizens prior to 1977 as employees of
Air America or an associated company during a period when Air America or the
associated company was owned or controlled by the United States Government and
operated or managed by the Central Intelligence Agency.
(b)The report required by subsection (a) shall include the
following:
(1)The history of Air
America and the associated companies prior to 1977, including a description
of—
(A)the relationship
between Air America and the associated companies and the Central Intelligence
Agency or any other element of the United States Government;
(B)the workforce of
Air America and the associated companies;
(C)the missions
performed by Air America, the associated companies, and their employees for the
United States; and
(D)the casualties
suffered by employees of Air America and the associated companies in the course
of their employment.
(2)A
description of—
(A)the retirement
benefits contracted for or promised to the employees of Air America and the
associated companies prior to 1977;
(B)the contributions
made by such employees for such benefits;
(C)the retirement
benefits actually paid such employees;
(D)the entitlement of
such employees to the payment of future retirement benefits; and
(E)the likelihood
that such employees will receive any future retirement benefits.
(3)An assessment of
the difference between—
(A)the retirement
benefits that former employees of Air America and the associated companies have
received or will receive by virtue of their employment with Air America and the
associated companies; and
(B)the retirement
benefits that such employees would have received or be eligible to receive if
such employment was deemed to be employment by the United States Government and
their service during such employment was credited as Federal service for the
purpose of Federal retirement benefits.
(4)(A)Any recommendations
regarding the advisability of legislative action to treat such employment as
Federal service for the purpose of Federal retirement benefits in light of the
relationship between Air America and the associated companies and the United
States Government and the services and sacrifices of such employees to and for
the United States.
(B)If legislative action is considered
advisable under subparagraph (A), a proposal for such action and an assessment
of its costs.
(5)The opinions of
the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, if any, on any matters covered
by the report that the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency considers
appropriate.
(c)Assistance of
Comptroller GeneralThe Comptroller General of the United States
shall, upon the request of the Director of National Intelligence and in a
manner consistent with the protection of classified information, assist the
Director in the preparation of the report required by subsection (a).
(d)The
report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but
may include a classified annex.