# Air America Act of 2023: Plain Language Summary

This bill provides one-time cash payments to former employees of Air America and related companies who worked for the CIA between 1950 and 1976, as well as to their surviving family members. Air America was a private airline that secretly worked with the CIA during the Cold War and Vietnam War era, conducting dangerous missions including rescue operations and supply runs in Southeast Asia. The bill recognizes that these employees faced significant risks and casualties while supporting U.S. government operations, and it aims to compensate them for their service decades after the fact.

The payment structure is straightforward: anyone who worked for Air America or its affiliated companies for at least five years during that period gets $40,000. If someone worked longer than five years, they receive an additional $8,000 for each extra year of service. If an employee has passed away, their surviving spouse, children, or other dependents can claim the payment instead. For employees who died in Southeast Asia while working for the CIA, their survivors automatically qualify for the $40,000 payment. The total amount Congress is willing to spend on this program is capped at $60 million, though the bill allows the CIA director to request additional funding if more valid claims come in than anticipated.

To receive payment, eligible people must file a claim with the CIA director within two years after the agency publishes its application procedures. The CIA has 90 days to decide whether someone qualifies, and if approved, must pay within 60 days. The payments are one-time lump sums with no ongoing benefits attached. The bill also protects recipients by limiting what lawyers or agents can charge—no more than 25 percent of the award can go to legal fees. Importantly, this payment doesn't entitle anyone to other federal benefits like retirement or disability payments; it's simply a recognition payment for past service.