[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1652 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1652

   To designate an existing Federal officer to coordinate efforts to 
secure the release of United States persons who are hostages of hostile 
     groups or state sponsors of terrorism, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 23, 2015

 Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Mrs. Shaheen, and Ms. Mikulski) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To designate an existing Federal officer to coordinate efforts to 
secure the release of United States persons who are hostages of hostile 
     groups or state sponsors of terrorism, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. INTERAGENCY HOSTAGE RECOVERY COORDINATOR.

    (a) Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the President shall designate an 
        existing Federal officer to coordinate efforts to secure the 
        release of United States persons who are hostages of hostile 
        groups or state sponsors of terrorism. For purposes of carrying 
        out the duties described in paragraph (2), such officer shall 
        have the title of ``Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator''.
            (2) Duties.--The Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator 
        shall have the following duties:
                    (A) Coordinate and direct all activities of the 
                Federal Government relating to each hostage situation 
                described in paragraph (1) to ensure efforts to secure 
                the release of all hostages in a hostage situation are 
                properly resourced and correct lines of authority are 
                established and maintained.
                    (B) Establish and direct a fusion cell consisting 
                of appropriate personnel of the Federal Government with 
                purview over each hostage situation described in 
                paragraph (1).
                    (C) Develop a strategy to keep family members of 
                hostages described in paragraph (1) informed of the 
                status of such hostages and inform such family members 
                of updates, procedures, and policies that do not 
                compromise the national security of the United States.
    (b) Limitation on Authority.--The authority of the Interagency 
Hostage Recovery Coordinator shall be limited to hostage cases outside 
the United States.
    (c) Quarterly Report.--
            (1) In general.--On a quarterly basis, the Interagency 
        Hostage Recovery Coordinator shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees and the Members of Congress described 
        in paragraph (2) a report that includes a summary of each 
        hostage situation described in subsection (a)(1) and efforts to 
        secure the release of all hostages in such hostage situation.
            (2) Members of congress described.--The Members of Congress 
        described in this paragraph are, with respect to a United 
        States person hostage covered by a report under paragraph (1), 
        the Senators representing the State, and the Member, Delegate, 
        or Resident Commissioner of the House of Representatives 
        representing the district, where a hostage described in 
        subsection (a)(1) resides.
            (3) Form of report.--Each report under this subsection may 
        be submitted in classified or unclassified form.
    (d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as authorizing the Federal Government to negotiate with a 
state sponsor of terrorism or an organization that the Secretary of 
State has designated as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to 
section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189) or 
any other hostage-takers.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Hostile group.--The term ``hostile group'' means--
                    (A) a group that is designated as a foreign 
                terrorist organization under section 219(a) of the 
                Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a));
                    (B) a group that is engaged in armed conflict with 
                the United States; or
                    (C) any other group that the President determines 
                to be a hostile group for purposes of this paragraph.
            (2) State sponsor of terrorism.--The term ``state sponsor 
        of terrorism''--
                    (A) means a country the government of which the 
                Secretary of State has determined, for purposes of 
                section 6(j)(1)(A) of the Export Administration Act of 
                1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2405(j)(1)(A)) (as continued in 
                effect pursuant to the International Emergency Economic 
                Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)), section 620A(a) 
                of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
                2371(a)), section 40(d) of the Arms Export Control Act 
                (22 U.S.C. 2780(d)), or any other provision of law, to 
                be a government that has repeatedly provided support 
                for acts of international terrorism; and
                    (B) includes North Korea.
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