[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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