[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9242 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9242
To require the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on
the recovery of certain United States nationals, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 10, 2026
Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Messmer, and Mr. Mills)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on
the recovery of certain United States nationals, 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 ``No American Left Behind Act''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REPORT ON RECOVERY OF CERTAIN UNITED
STATES NATIONALS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States has a longstanding obligation and
commitment to recover, account for, and repatriate its citizens
who are held hostage, unlawfully detained, or otherwise
unaccounted for abroad.
(2) United States nationals have been held captive,
unlawfully detained, or killed in areas of current or recent
United States military operations in the Middle East and
Africa, particularly in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, with some
cases remaining unresolved.
(3) The recent successful recovery of isolated personnel,
including the recent daring rescue of downed United States
aircrew in Iran, demonstrates the unstoppable effectiveness of
coordinated American military, intelligence, and interagency
capabilities.
(4) The recent successful releases of United States
nationals wrongfully detained abroad demonstrate that
relentless and coordinated diplomatic engagement, supported by
economic and strategic leverage, can decisively enable
successful recovery outcomes.
(5) The Department of Defense plays a critical role in
supporting interagency hostage recovery efforts pursuant to the
Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking
Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741 et seq.), including as a key
participant in the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell.
(6) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special
Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict serves as the
Department's policy lead for personnel recovery, and United
States Special Operations Command serves as the operational
lead for hostage rescue missions.
(7) The recovery of deceased United States nationals and
the repatriation of their remains is a solemn and enduring
obligation of the United States Government.
(8) The consistent and credible application of diplomatic,
economic, and military leverage can deter adversaries and non-
state actors from targeting United States nationals for
unlawful detention, hostage-taking, or harm.
(9) Changes in force posture, intelligence access, partner
coordination, and operational presence can significantly affect
the likelihood of successful recovery, remains repatriation,
and accountability outcomes.
(10) Certain partner nations maintain institutional
frameworks prioritizing the recovery and repatriation of their
citizens, including efforts that continue years after
hostilities have ended.
(11) Congress has a responsibility to ensure that recovery,
repatriation, and accountability considerations are
incorporated as a core mission in defense planning, contingency
operations, and interagency coordination, with the objective
that no American is left behind.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United
States should maintain a sustained and coordinated commitment to the
recovery, repatriation, and accountability of United States nationals
held hostage, unlawfully detained, or otherwise unaccounted for abroad,
and should evaluate the feasibility of establishing a formal, enduring
``No American Left Behind'' doctrine to guide such efforts.
(c) Report.--
(1) Requirement.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the
support by the Department of Defense for the recovery,
repatriation, and accountability of United States nationals
abroad.
(2) Scope.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall
address cases involving United States nationals who are
deceased, unlawfully detained, missing, or of unresolved
status, including in areas of current or recent United States
military operations in the Middle East and Africa, and
particularly in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
(3) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1)
shall include the following:
(A) An assessment of how the interaction between
the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special
Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict and the Hostage
Recovery Fusion Cell informs contingency planning for
the rescue or recovery of United States nationals in
areas of hostilities.
(B) An assessment of how the geographic combatant
commands incorporate the rescue or recovery of United
States nationals into operational plans, the effect of
such contingency missions on force requirements, and
how such planning accounts for effects on intelligence
collection, detainee access, and recovery or
accountability options resulting from changes in force
posture or operational presence.
(C) The criteria that must be met for the
Department to recommend the use of military assets to
execute a rescue or personnel recovery of detained
United States nationals in a potential hostile area,
including how such criteria differ in areas where the
United States does not maintain permanent or temporary
military infrastructure.
(D) An assessment of how the Department maintains
intelligence and situational awareness on detained
United States nationals in areas where the United
States no longer has a military presence.
(E) An identification of any statutory authority,
policy constraint, intelligence limitation, or resource
gap affecting the ability of the Department to support
such efforts, including recommendations to address such
gaps and an assessment of whether existing authorities
sufficiently authorize the Department to condition or
sequence detainee transfers, releases, or partner
detention arrangements considering ongoing United
States recovery, intelligence, or accountability
equities, including an identification of factors that
have supported or constrained successful recovery
outcomes in recent cases.
(F) An assessment of best practices employed by
partner nations with established doctrines prioritizing
the recovery, repatriation, and accountability of
detained or deceased citizens, including efforts
conducted years after hostilities.
(G) An assessment of the feasibility and
operational implications of establishing a formal,
enduring, doctrine of the Department of Defense, to be
referred to as the ``No American Left Behind''
doctrine, and of integrating such doctrine into
operational and contingency planning, resource
allocation, detainee policy considerations, and
interagency coordination.
(H) A detailed assessment of case-specific
Department of Defense support equities related to cases
of deceased United States nationals whose remains have
not been recovered, as well as cases involving United
States nationals who are wrongfully detained, missing,
or of unresolved status, as appropriate, including in
Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and select areas of Africa
associated with counterterrorism operations.
(4) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex with respect to the element specified in paragraph
(3)(H).
(d) Congressional Defense Committees Defined.--In this section, the
term ``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given that
term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
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