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Creates a new U.S. authority to label foreign countries as "State Sponsors of Unlawful or Wrongful Detention," requires the State Department to report, brief Congress, publish designations, and review tools (sanctions, visa limits, export controls, travel advisories) to deter and respond to wrongful detentions. It also requires certain airline ticket sellers to obtain passenger certification that buyers have read detention‑related travel advisories when those advisories are in effect. Establishes an Advisory Council on Hostage Taking and Unlawful or Wrongful Detention to advise U.S. hostage‑response bodies, review existing hostage‑affairs components, and produce reports; sets membership, terms, pay/travel rules, reporting timelines, a 10‑year automatic termination, and requires the President to report to Congress within 180 days on key hostage‑affairs components and related elements.
Adds new section 306A to the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act allowing the Secretary of State, in consultation with other federal agencies, to designate a foreign country as a "State Sponsor of Unlawful or Wrongful Detention."
Criterion (1) for designation: the unlawful or wrongful detention of a United States national occurs in the foreign country.
Criterion (2) for designation: the foreign government or an entity organized under its laws fails to release an unlawfully or wrongfully detained U.S. national within 30 days of being officially notified by the Department of State.
Criterion (3) for designation: actions by the foreign government indicate responsibility for, complicity in, or material support for the unlawful or wrongful detention of a U.S. national, including continuing the conduct described in criterion (2) after notification.
Criterion (4) for designation: actions by state or nonstate actors (including past actions) pose a risk to safety and security of U.S. nationals abroad sufficient to warrant designation, as determined by the Secretary of State.
Primary federal impacts: the Department of State must develop and run a formal designation process, publish notices, prepare and deliver regular briefings to Congress, and perform cross‑agency reviews of available tools (sanctions, visas, export controls, travel advisories). The White House must complete an interagency assessment and report within 180 days. A new federal advisory council requires administrative support, member recruitment, meetings, and reporting until its 10‑year sunset. Private‑sector impacts: covered airline ticket sellers (online travel agencies, ticketing agents, carriers in seller roles) must add procedures to obtain and record passenger certifications when detention‑related travel advisories apply, creating modest compliance costs and operational changes to point‑of‑sale flows. Affected non‑federal groups: U.S. citizens and their families who are detained or at risk of detention may gain more formal U.S. tracking, public designation of responsible states, and an advisory mechanism focused on hostage/ detention issues; hostage‑response NGOs and advocates may receive structured input channels via the Advisory Council. Foreign governments designated under the new authority face potential diplomatic consequences and increased public scrutiny; the statute directs State to consider escalation tools but does not itself prescribe specific sanctions or funding. Overall, the bill increases oversight, coordination, and transparency in U.S. response to unlawful/wrongful detentions while imposing limited administrative requirements on private ticket sellers and federal agencies.
Adds a new section (designated 306A) to the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act authorizing the Secretary of State, in consultation with relevant Federal agency heads, to designate foreign countries as 'State Sponsor of Unlawful or Wrongful Detention', establishing criteria for designation and termination, reporting and briefing requirements to Congress, publication requirements, and a requirement to review available responses and authorities.
Adds a new section 42309 to chapter 423 of title 49 requiring that an air carrier, foreign air carrier, or ticket agent selling a ticket in the United States for foreign air transportation to a country or geographic area with certain Department of State Travel Advisory System indicators must obtain a certification from the passenger that they have reviewed the applicable travel advisory and understand the risks; it also defines the cited advisory indicators.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by James Risch · Last progress April 10, 2025
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 94.
Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.