49 U.S.C. § 40118 — Government-financed air transportation

(a) Transportation by Air Carriers Holding Certificates. A federal department, agency, or arm of government must make sure passengers and cargo travel by air only on an airline holding a certificate under section 41102, when (1)(A) it's paying for the transportation itself (or from government funds) or (B) providing free transportation to a foreign country or international organization; (2) the transportation is allowed by the airline's certificate or by FAA regulation or exemption; and (3) a certificated airline is (A) available for U.S.-to-foreign trips, or (B) reasonably available for trips between two foreign places. (b) Transportation by Foreign Air Carriers. This rule doesn't stop using a foreign airline if a bilateral or multilateral agreement between the U.S. and that country's government allows it, and the agreement (1) matches the international-aviation-policy goals in section 40101(e) and (2) trades roughly equal rights or benefits. (c) Transportation of Certain Domestic Animals by Foreign Air Carriers. (1) This rule also doesn't stop using a foreign airline if (A) the traveler is a member of the Armed Forces or a Defense Department civilian employee, (B) their baggage includes 1 to 3 pet cats or dogs, (C) the trip is U.S.-to-foreign or foreign-to-foreign, and (D) no certificated airline is willing and able to carry them. (2) If this costs more than a certificated airline would have charged, the traveler pays the difference. (3) "Domestic animal" here means a domestic cat or domestic dog. (d) Proof. The Administrator of General Services must write rules letting agencies spend money on transportation that breaks this section's rules only when there's solid proof showing why it was necessary. (e) Certain Transportation by Air Outside the United States. Despite subsections (a) and (d), money appropriated to the Secretary of State or the USAID Administrator can pay a foreign airline to fly a State Department or agency officer or employee, their dependent, and baggage, between two foreign places. (f) Relationship to Other Laws. This section doesn't change how this part's antidiscrimination rules apply. (g) Prohibition of Certification or Contract Clause. (1) No contractor certification or contract clause can be required for a commercial-product transportation contract just to enforce this section. (2) "Commercial product" here has the meaning from section 103 of title 41, but doesn't cover contracts to fly passengers by air. (h) Training Requirements. The Administrator of General Services must make sure any domestic-airline air-transportation contract requires the airline to send an annual report — to GSA, the Transportation Secretary, the TSA Administrator, the Labor Secretary, and Customs and Border Protection — on (1) how many staff got trained to spot and report severe forms of trafficking in persons and sex trafficking, including training required under section 44734(a)(4); (2) how many tips about potential trafficking victims came from staff or passengers; and (3) whether the airline told the National Human Trafficking Hotline or local law enforcement about each such tip, and when.