[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4547 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4547

     To require a report on efforts by Venezuelan state actors and 
   transnational criminal organizations to capture and detain United 
                      States citizens as hostages.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 19, 2022

   Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To require a report on efforts by Venezuelan state actors and 
   transnational criminal organizations to capture and detain United 
                      States citizens as hostages.

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

SECTION 1. REPORT ON EFFORTS TO CAPTURE AND DETAIN UNITED STATES 
              CITIZENS AS HOSTAGES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress a report on efforts by the 
Government of Venezuela to detain United States citizens and permanent 
residents.
    (b) Elements.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
include, regarding the seizure and detainment of United States citizens 
or permanent resident aliens--
            (1) the names and positions of Venezuelan persons or those 
        acting on their behalf who have engaged in those activities;
            (2) a description of any roles played by transnational 
        criminal organizations, and an identification of those 
        organizations; and
            (3) where relevant, an assessment of whether and how United 
        States citizens and permanent resident aliens have been lured 
        to Venezuela.
    (c) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form, but shall include a classified annex 
listing the total number of United States citizens and permanent 
resident aliens presently in custody of Venezuelan state actors 
operating in the hemisphere.
    (d) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this Act, the 
term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
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