[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2706-S2707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 592. Mr. MENENDEZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
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 appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. RESOURCES FOR UNITED STATES NATIONALS UNLAWFULLY OR 
                   WRONGFULLY DETAINED ABROAD.

       Section 302(d) of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and 
     Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741(d)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Resource 
     Guidance'' and inserting ``Resources for United States 
     Nationals Unlawfully or Wrongfully Detained Abroad'';
       (2) in paragraph (1), by striking the paragraph heading and 
     all that follows through ``Not later than'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) Resource guidance.--
       ``(A) In general.--Not later than'';
       (3) in paragraph (2), by redesignating subparagraphs (A), 
     (B), (C), (D), and (E) and clauses (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), 
     and (v), respectively, and moving such clauses (as so 
     redesignated) 2 ems to the right;
       (4) by redesignating paragraph (2) as subparagraph (B) and 
     moving such subparagraph (as so redesignated) 2 ems to the 
     right;
       (5) in subparagraph (B), as redesignated by paragraph (4), 
     by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``subparagraph 
     (A)''; and
       (6) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Travel assistance.--
       ``(A) Family advocacy.--For the purpose of facilitating 
     meetings between the United States Government and the family 
     members of United States nationals unlawfully or wrongfully 
     detained abroad, the Secretary shall provide financial 
     assistance to cover the costs of travel to Washington, D.C., 
     including travel by air, train, bus, or other transit as 
     appropriate, to any individual who--
       ``(i) is--

       ``(I) a family member of a United States national 
     unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad as determined by the 
     Secretary under subsection (a); or
       ``(II) an appropriate individual who--

       ``(aa) is approved by the Special Presidential Envoy for 
     Hostage Affairs; and
       ``(bb) does not represent in any legal capacity a United 
     States national unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or 
     the family of such United States national;
       ``(ii) has a permanent address that is more than 50 miles 
     from Washington, D.C.; and
       ``(iii) requests such assistance.
       ``(B) Travel and lodging.--
       ``(i) In general.--For each such United States national 
     unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, the financial 
     assistance described in subparagraph (A) shall be provided 
     for not more than 2 trips per fiscal year, unless the Special 
     Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs determines that a 
     third trip is warranted.
       ``(ii) Limitations.--Any trip described in clause (i) 
     shall--

       ``(I) consist of not more than 2 family members or other 
     individuals approved in accordance with subparagraph 
     (A)(i)(II), unless the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage 
     Affairs determines that circumstances warrant an additional 
     family member or other individual approved in accordance with 
     subparagraph (A)(i)(II) and approves assistance to such third 
     family member or other individual; and
       ``(II) not exceed more than 2 nights lodging, which shall 
     not exceed the applicable government rate.

       ``(C) Return travel.--If other United States Government 
     assistance is unavailable, the Secretary may provide to a 
     United States national unlawfully or wrongfully detained 
     abroad as determined by the Secretary under subsection (a), 
     compensation and assistance, as necessary, for return travel 
     to the United States upon release of such United States 
     national.
       ``(3) Support.--The Secretary shall seek to make available 
     operational psychologists and clinical social workers, to 
     support the mental health and well-being of--
       ``(A) any United States national unlawfully or wrongfully 
     detained abroad; and

[[Page S2707]]

       ``(B) any family member of such United States national, 
     with regard to the psychological, social, and mental health 
     effects of such unlawful or wrongful detention.
       ``(4) Notification requirement.--The Secretary shall notify 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, 
     and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the 
     House of Representatives of any amount spent above $250,000 
     for any fiscal year to carry out paragraphs (2) and (3).
       ``(5) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the end of each 
     fiscal year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
     Foreign Relations and Appropriations of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations of the House 
     of Representatives a report that includes--
       ``(A) a detailed description of expenditures made pursuant 
     to paragraphs (2) and (3);
       ``(B) a detailed description of support provided pursuant 
     to paragraph (3) and the individuals providing such support; 
     and
       ``(C) the number and location of visits outside of 
     Washington, D.C., during the prior fiscal year made by the 
     Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to family 
     members of each United States national unlawfully or 
     wrongfully detained abroad.
       ``(6) Sunset.--The authority and requirements under 
     paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5) shall terminate on December 
     31, 2027.
       ``(7) Family member defined.--In this subsection, the term 
     `family member' means a spouse, father, mother, child, 
     brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, 
     nephew, niece, cousin, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-
     law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, 
     stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, 
     stepsister, half brother, or half sister.''.
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