Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today introduced bipartisan legislation – the American Students Abroad Act – to improve the sharing of information between the Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the deaths of American students that occur while they are studying abroad. Specifically, the bill will require the Department of State to produce quarterly reports from U.S. Embassies and Consulates on the death of any U.S. citizens in a foreign country. These reports will then be shared with the CDC, which will analyze the reports to identify trends that may be helpful in mitigating future harm to U.S. citizens overseas.

 

“While studying abroad can be the experience of a lifetime, students and parents must be as informed as possible about potential risks when deciding where to travel,” said Senator Warren. “This bipartisan bill would allow us to gather better data on U.S. citizen deaths abroad so we can help our students stay safe.”

 

“Every one of the hundreds of thousands of American students that study abroad each year should be safe. However, there is currently too little information available about the dangers they may face overseas,” said Senator Portman. “By increasing the availability of this information, we can ensure that studying abroad continues to be a safe and rewarding experience for American students.”