HR5962-119

What This Bill Does

The Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act gives DOJ and State authority to support Ukraine's effort to recover children forcibly transferred or held by the Russian Federation and to support broader prisoner and detainee return commitments. Congress finds that the United States and Ukraine committed to work toward prisoner-of-war exchanges, civilian detainee releases, and the return of abducted Ukrainian children, and that the U.S. government needs an organized, resourced policy approach. DOJ and State may provide law-enforcement and intelligence technical assistance, training, capacity building, and advisory support to the Government of Ukraine. The assistance may include biometric identification training, open-source intelligence collection and analysis, secure communications support, and database-management and security support. State must brief the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees within 30 days after deciding to provide assistance in any listed category. DOJ and State may coordinate with and fund NGOs, the National Security Council may coordinate U.S. agencies, and State may support Ukraine, NGOs, and local civil society groups for medical and psychological rehabilitation, family reunification, legal aid, case management, educational screening, and reintegration services for returned children. State must also submit a report within 60 days.

Who Benefits and How

The Government of Ukraine benefits because DOJ and State can provide technical, intelligence, law-enforcement, training, and advisory support for child-abduction and detainee-return work. Abducted Ukrainian children and teenagers benefit because State may support rehabilitation, family reunification, legal aid, case management, educational screening, and reintegration services. Ukrainian NGOs and local civil society groups benefit because DOJ and State may coordinate with them and provide grants for authorized assistance. Congressional foreign affairs committees benefit because State must brief them after assistance decisions and report within 60 days.

Who Bears the Burden and How

DOJ and State Department personnel must organize and deliver technical assistance, grants, training, intelligence support, advisory support, and congressional briefings. The Secretary of State must brief congressional committees within 30 days after assistance determinations and submit a report within 60 days. The National Security Council and intelligence community must coordinate with DOJ, State, and other Federal agencies as needed. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of grants, technical assistance, rehabilitation support, and interagency coordination.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes DOJ and State to provide law-enforcement and intelligence technical assistance to Ukraine.
• Authorizes training, capacity building, advisory support, and grants for Ukraine, NGOs, and civil society groups.
• Provides examples such as biometric identification, open-source intelligence, secure communications, and database security.
• Requires State to brief congressional foreign affairs committees within 30 days after assistance decisions.
• Authorizes support for medical, psychological, family reunification, legal aid, case management, educational screening, and reintegration services for returned children.
• Requires a State Department report within 60 days.