Establishes a designation for countries as “state sponsors of wrongful or unlawful detention.”
Aims to address the rise in wrongful detentions of U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents by foreign actors.
Recognizes the inadequacy of current mechanisms to hold foreign actors accountable for wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy.
Emphasizes the threat of wrongful detentions to U.S. national security and human rights.
Mandates penalties for countries designated as sponsors of wrongful detention, including sanctions and restrictions on foreign assistance.
Requires the Secretary of State to update travel advisories and work with airlines to warn travelers about designated countries.
Sets criteria for designation based on repeated wrongful detentions, failure to resolve detentions, government complicity, and risk assessments.
Requires congressional notification within 30 days of a designation decision.
Allows for the withdrawal of a designation if the country ceases wrongful detention practices and provides assurances against future occurrences.
Modifies existing provisions of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, including changes to the Hostage Response Group and the role of the Special Envoy.
