[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6669 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6669
To provide resources for United States nationals unlawfully or
wrongfully detained abroad.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 7, 2023
Mr. Hill (for himself and Ms. Stevens) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide resources for United States nationals unlawfully or
wrongfully detained abroad.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Americans Wrongfully or
Unlawfully Detained Abroad Act''.
SEC. 2. RESOURCES FOR UNITED STATES NATIONALS UNLAWFULLY OR WRONGFULLY
DETAINED ABROAD.
Section 302(d) of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-
Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741(d)) is amended--
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Resource
Guidance'' and inserting ``Resources for United States
Nationals Unlawfully or Wrongfully Detained Abroad'';
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking the paragraph heading and
all that follows through ``Not later than'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) Resource guidance.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than'';
(3) in paragraph (2), by redesignating subparagraphs (A),
(B), (C), (D), and (E) and clauses (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), and
(v), respectively, and moving such clauses (as so redesignated)
2 ems to the right;
(4) by redesignating paragraph (2) as subparagraph (B) and
moving such subparagraph (as so redesignated) 2 ems to the
right;
(5) in subparagraph (B), as redesignated by paragraph (4),
by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``subparagraph
(A)''; and
(6) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Travel assistance.--
``(A) Family advocacy.--For the purpose of
facilitating meetings between the United States
Government and the family members of United States
nationals unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, the
Secretary shall provide financial assistance to cover
the costs of travel to and from Washington, DC,
including travel by air, train, bus, or other transit
as appropriate, to any individual who--
``(i) is--
``(I) a family member of a United
States national unlawfully or
wrongfully detained abroad as
determined by the Secretary under
subsection (a); or
``(II) an appropriate individual
who--
``(aa) is approved by the
Special Presidential Envoy for
Hostage Affairs; and
``(bb) does not represent
in any legal capacity a United
States national unlawfully or
wrongfully detained abroad or
the family of such United
States national;
``(ii) has a permanent address that is more
than 50 miles from Washington, DC; and
``(iii) requests such assistance.
``(B) Travel and lodging.--
``(i) In general.--For each such United
States national unlawfully or wrongfully
detained abroad, the financial assistance
described in subparagraph (A) shall be provided
for not more than 2 trips per fiscal year,
unless the Special Presidential Envoy for
Hostage Affairs determines that a third trip is
warranted.
``(ii) Limitations.--Any trip described in
clause (i) shall--
``(I) consist of not more than 2
family members or other individuals
approved in accordance with
subparagraph (A)(i)(II), unless the
Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage
Affairs determines that circumstances
warrant an additional family member or
other individual approved in accordance
with subparagraph (A)(i)(II) and
approves assistance to such third
family member or other individual; and
``(II) not exceed more than 2
nights lodging, which shall not exceed
the applicable government rate.
``(C) Return travel.--If other United States
Government assistance is unavailable, the Secretary may
provide to a United States national unlawfully or
wrongfully detained abroad as determined by the
Secretary under subsection (a), United States
assistance, as necessary, for return travel to the
United States upon release of such United States
national.
``(3) Support.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall seek to make
available physical health services, mental health
services, and other support as appropriate, including
providing information on available legal or financial
resources, to--
``(i) any United States national unlawfully
or wrongfully detained abroad; and
``(ii) any family member of such United
States national.
``(B) Limitations.--
``(i) In general.--For any support
described in subparagraph (A) for an individual
described in clause (i) or (ii) of such
subparagraph that commences following the
return of a United States national who was
unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, such
support shall be made available for up to 5
years from the date on which any individual
identified in subparagraph (A) chooses to avail
themselves of the support described in that
subparagraph, unless the Special Presidential
Envoy for Hostage Affairs determines that
circumstances warrant extending such support.
``(ii) Exception.--The time limitation
under clause (i) does not apply to any support
provided during the pendency of the detention
of a United States national unlawfully or
wrongfully detained abroad.
``(4) Notification requirement.--The Secretary shall notify
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the
Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of
Representatives of any amount spent above $250,000 for any
fiscal year to carry out paragraphs (2) and (3).
``(5) Funding.--Funds authorized to be appropriated for the
Department of State, which may include funds made available for
unforeseen emergencies arising in the diplomatic and consular
service, may be used to provide the support authorized by this
section.
``(6) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the end of each
fiscal year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on
Foreign Relations and Appropriations of the Senate and the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations of the House of
Representatives a report that includes--
``(A) a detailed description of expenditures made
pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3);
``(B) a detailed description of types of support
provided pursuant to paragraph (3), provided that such
description does not identify any individuals receiving
any physical or mental health support, in order to
protect their privacy; and
``(C) the number and location of visits outside of
Washington, DC, during the prior fiscal year made by
the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to
family members of each United States national
unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad.
``(7) Sunset.--The authority and requirements under
paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5) shall terminate on December
31, 2027.
``(8) Family member defined.--In this subsection, the term
`family member' means a spouse, father, mother, child, brother,
sister, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece,
cousin, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-
law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother,
stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother,
or half sister.''.
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