[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4478 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4478

   To facilitate access to existing resources with respect to United 
  States citizens arbitrarily detained or kidnapped overseas, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 6, 2023

  Mr. Cloud introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To facilitate access to existing resources with respect to United 
  States citizens arbitrarily detained or kidnapped overseas, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Freeing Americans Detained Abroad 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WITH RESPECT TO UNITED STATES CITIZENS 
              DETAINED OR KIDNAPPED OVERSEAS.

    (a) Availability of Existing Resources.--The Secretary of State 
shall display on a publicly available website of the Department a list 
of resources for which United States citizens who have been detained or 
kidnapped overseas may be eligible and may be accessed by friends or 
family of such citizens. Such resources shall include legal services 
whether offered pro bono or with any other payment or fee structure.
    (b) Training Required.--The Secretary of State shall ensure that 
each Foreign Service officer serving at any diplomatic or consular post 
overseas is trained, prior to such posting, with respect to cases of 
detention of United States citzens. Such training shall include each of 
the following:
            (1) What detention and arbitrary detention cases are and 
        how to identify cases of United States citizens being 
        arbitrarily detained.
            (2) How to engage with United States citizens overseas and 
        family members of detained citizens.
            (3) How to connect United States citizens or their family 
        members with legal assistance resources overseas.
            (4) How to liaise with the Special Presidential Envoy for 
        Hostage Affairs office with respect to cases of arbitrary 
        detention or kidnapping.
    (c) Hostage Affairs Officers.--The Secretary of State, or an 
appropriate designee, shall designate one Foreign Service officer at 
each overseas diplomatic or consular post as a ``hostage affairs 
officer'', who shall--
            (1) serve as a principle liaison between the post and the 
        Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs office;
            (2) coordinate with the Special Presidential Envoy for 
        Hostage Affairs, the Ambassador to the host country, and the 
        Deputy Chief of Mission on efforts to free United States 
        citizens detained or kidnapped in the host country;
            (3) monitor and track all cases of United States citizens 
        detained or kidnapped in the host country and the efforts to 
        free such citizens;
            (4) connect family members of individuals arbitrarily 
        detained or kidnapped overseas with the resources described in 
        subsection (a) and other appropriate resources, including 
        resources specific to the host country;
            (5) coordinate efforts within the post to ensure United 
        States citizens detained overseas are provided with appropriate 
        assistance, including--
                    (A) at least monthly meetings with a member of the 
                United States Embassy;
                    (B) legal assistance;
                    (C) medical assistance; and
                    (D) establishing an trust account through the 
                Office of Overseas Citizens Services;
            (6) ensure that any incoming or newly designated hostage 
        affairs officer is thoroughly briefed on all ongoing cases of 
        United States citizens detained in the host country and the 
        status of all efforts to free those detained or kidnapped and 
        shall make available all information and materials collected in 
        accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection; and
            (7) report to the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage 
        Affairs office cases of detention as such cases are identified 
        by hostage affairs officer.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that includes--
            (1) a description of the curriculum developed to satisfy 
        the training requirement under subsection (b);
            (2) the number of consular officers trained in accordance 
        with subsection (b) on overseas detention of United States 
        citizens;
            (3) the number of diplomatic and consular posts, as of the 
        date of the submission of the report, that have a designated 
        hostage affairs officer in accordance with subsection (c); and
            (4) the number of cases of arbitrary detention, including 
        those designated as arbitrarily detained or kidnapped, of 
        United States citizens in each country at which the United 
        States maintains a diplomatic or consular post.
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