The legislation aims to provide the U.S. government with tools to deter wrongful detentions of U.S. nationals for political leverage.
It includes provisions for designating foreign countries as State Sponsors of Unlawful or Wrongful Detention based on specific criteria.
The Secretary of State can terminate such designations if the foreign country takes appropriate actions to release detained nationals or change its policies.
The legislation mandates regular reporting to Congress regarding designations and terminations of such countries.
It requires the development of strategies to reduce the likelihood of wrongful detentions and hostage situations involving U.S. nationals.
Additional funding is authorized for implementing sanctions related to wrongful detentions.
It allocates funds for enhancing travel advisory campaigns to inform U.S. nationals about risks in certain countries.
Air carriers must require passengers traveling to high-risk countries to certify they have reviewed travel advisories.
The legislation mandates the inclusion of travel advisory information in U.S. passports and requires consent for the disclosure of personal information in case of wrongful detention.
It establishes a timeline for determining unlawful or wrongful detentions and mandates notifications to family members of detained nationals.
The President is required to issue a declaration of invalidity for U.S. nationals released from wrongful detention.
An Advisory Council on Hostage Taking and Unlawful or Wrongful Detention will be established to provide recommendations on federal policies.
The Hostage Response Group will be chaired by the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and will coordinate responses to hostage situations.
