[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 89 (Thursday, June 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S3828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1761. Mr. CORNYN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to 
prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1085. 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 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 the 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 
     Coordinator shall be limited to countries that are state 
     sponsors of terrorism and areas designated as hazardous for 
     which hostile fire and imminent danger pay are payable to 
     members of the Armed Forces for duty performed in such area.
       (c) Quarterly Report.--
       (1) In general.--On a quarterly basis, the 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 subjection (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).
       (e) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Coordinator.--The term ``Coordinator'' means the 
     Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator designated under 
     subsection (a).
       (2) 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.
       (3) 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) of the 
     Export Administration Act of 1979, section 620A of the 
     Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, section 40 of the Arms Export 
     Control Act, 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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