S509-118

Reported

To provide resources for United States nationals unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, and for other purposes.

118th Congress Introduced Feb 16, 2023

At a Glance

Read full bill text

Legislative Progress

Reported
Introduced Committee Passed
Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Mar 9, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, without amendment

Summary

What This Bill Does

Amends the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery Act to require the Secretary of State to provide financial assistance for travel costs to Washington, D.C. for families of Americans wrongfully or unlawfully detained abroad.

Who Benefits and How

Families of wrongfully detained Americans receive financial support for travel to meet with government officials. The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs can approve travel assistance for appropriate individuals representing detainees.

Who Bears the Burden and How

State Department bears the cost of travel assistance (air, train, bus, or other transit). Taxpayers fund the expanded family support program.

Key Provisions

  • Provides travel assistance for family members to Washington, D.C.
  • Covers travel by air, train, bus, or other transit
  • Special Presidential Envoy can approve assistance for additional appropriate individuals
  • Excludes individuals representing detainees in legal capacity
Model: claude-opus-4
Generated: Jan 10, 2026 17:46

Evidence Chain:

This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

Primary Purpose

Provides travel assistance for families of Americans wrongfully detained abroad to meet with government officials

Policy Domains

Foreign Affairs Hostage Affairs Family Support

Legislative Strategy

"Reduce barriers for families of detained Americans to engage with government"

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Foreign Affairs Hostage Affairs
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of State

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology