HouseH.R. 10464119th Congress
Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10464 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10464
To amend the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-taking
Accountability Act with respect to compensation for United States
nationals unlawfully or wrongfully detained.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 16, 2026
Ms. Stevens introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways
and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-taking
Accountability Act with respect to compensation for United States
nationals unlawfully or wrongfully detained.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and
Reintegration Act''.
SEC. 2. PAUL WHELAN HOSTAGE COMPENSATION AND REINTEGRATION PROGRAM.
Section 302 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-
taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(e) Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Program.--
``(1) Compensation.--The Secretary of State shall
compensate an eligible United States national in the amount
described under paragraph (3).
``(2) Application.--
``(A) In general.--To be eligible for compensation
under paragraph (1), an eligible United States national
shall submit to the Secretary of State an application
at any time after such national's release or death and
in such manner and containing or accompanied by such
information as the Secretary of State may reasonably
require.
``(B) Review.--The Secretary of State shall have 90
days to review an application submitted under
subparagraph (A) and determine the amount described
under paragraph (3).
``(3) Limitation on eligibility.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided under
subparagraph (B), the Secretary of State shall not
compensate an eligible United States national if the
national entered a foreign country during a period for
which the country had--
``(i) a level 4 travel advisory under the
four-tier system in effect on the date of the
enactment of this section;
``(ii) a travel warning under the two-tier
system in effect before January 10, 2018; or
``(iii) a travel advisory of any level with
a `D' risk indicator distinction.
``(B) Exception.--The limitation under subparagraph
(A) shall not apply if--
``(i) the national entered the foreign
country to conduct official travel or in the
capacity of a journalist; or
``(ii) the Secretary of State determines,
in consultation with the Special Presidential
Envoy for Hostage Affairs, that compelling
humanitarian or national interest circumstances
warrant the national to be determined to be an
eligible United States national.
``(C) Successor warnings and advisories.--Any
reference in this paragraph to a level 4 travel
advisory, a travel warning, or a travel advisory of any
level with a `D' risk indicator distinction shall
include any successor designation issued by the
Secretary of State that serves the same substantive
purpose to--
``(i) advise United States citizens not to
travel to a country; or
``(ii) indicate a significant risk of
wrongful detention of United States nationals
by the foreign government.
``(4) Amount described.--
``(A) In general.--For the purpose of compensation
under paragraph (1), the amount described shall be the
amount equal to the product of--
``(i) the average wage index divided by
365; and
``(ii) the number of days detained
determined under subparagraph (B).
``(B) Days detained determined.--For the purpose of
compensation under paragraph (1), the Secretary of
State shall determine the number of days an eligible
United States national was unlawfully or wrongfully
detained abroad.
``(C) Reconsideration of days detained.--
``(i) In general.--In the event that an
eligible United States national disputes the
number of days of wrongful detention as
determined by the Secretary of State, such
national may request a reconsideration of this
number in accordance with a reconsideration
process determined by the Secretary of State.
``(ii) Reconsideration.--An eligible United
States national shall have 120 days to request
a reconsideration of the number under clause
(i).
``(iii) Final determination.--If an
eligible United States national requests a
reconsideration under clause (ii), the
Secretary of State shall have 90 days to make a
final determination of the number of days an
eligible United States national was unlawfully
or wrongfully detained abroad.
``(D) Documentation.--The Secretary of State may,
in their determination of what is appropriate
documentation, accept additional evidence,
documentation, or other information from an eligible
United States national for the purpose of the
reconsideration under subparagraph (C).
``(5) Payment.--The Secretary of State shall make a one
time, lump sum payment to an eligible United States national.
``(6) Other compensation.--Compensation under paragraph (1)
may not prohibit an eligible United States national from
seeking other compensation to which such national may be
entitled.
``(7) Tax treatment and benefits.--Compensation under
paragraph (1) shall be treated for purposes of the internal
revenue laws of the United States as damages for human
suffering.
``(8) Means tested programs.--Compensation under paragraph
(1) shall not be included as income or resources for purposes
of determining eligibility to receive benefits described in
section 3803(c)(2)(C) of title 31, United States Code, or the
amount of such benefits.
``(9) Certain claims not affected by awards of damages.--
Compensation under paragraph (1) shall not be considered as any
form of compensation or reimbursement for a loss for purposes
of imposing liability on any individual receiving such payment,
on the basis of such receipt, to repay any insurance carrier
for insurance payments, or to repay any person on account of
worker's compensation payments. Additionally compensation under
paragraph (1) shall not affect any claim against an insurance
carrier with respect to insurance or against any person with
respect to worker's compensation.
``(10) Attorney fees.--Notwithstanding any contract, the
attorney of a United States national may not charge, for
services rendered in connection with the claim of such
national, more than 5 percent of compensation under paragraph
(1).
``(11) Public awareness campaign.--Beginning not later than
120 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the
Secretary of State shall--
``(A) publish on the internet website of the
Department of State information on how a United States
national may apply for compensation under this
subsection, including information on eligibility and
other information the Secretary of State determines
necessary; and
``(B) provide a briefing to potentially eligible
United States nationals upon their return to the United
States.
``(12) Authorization of appropriations.--There is
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out
this subsection such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal
year from the unobligated balances of the Department of Justice
Assets Forfeiture Fund.
``(13) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Eligible united states national.--The term
`eligible United States national' means--
``(i) a national of the United States or
lawful permanent resident who has been
unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, or
``(ii) in the case of a national of the
United States or lawful permanent resident who
has been unlawfully or wrongfully detained
abroad and is deceased, is the next of kin of
such national or resident,
as determined by the Secretary of State.
``(B) Journalist.--The term `journalist' means a
person who, at the time of entry into the foreign
country in which the wrongful detention occurred, was
regularly engaged in collecting, photographing,
recording, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing
news, for gain or livelihood, as a salaried employee
of, or independent contractor for, a news organization.
``(C) National of the united states.--The term
`national of the United States' means--
``(i) a citizen of the United States; or
``(ii) a person who, though not a citizen
of the United States, owes permanent allegiance
to the United States.
``(D) News organization.--The term `news
organization' means a newspaper, news journal, news
agency, press association, wire service, radio or
television station, network, news magazine, digital
news publication, or other representative of the news
media.
``(E) News.--The term `news' means information of
public concern relating to local, statewide, national,
or worldwide issues or events.
``(F) Official travel.--The term `official travel'
means travel into a foreign country as part of duties
for or at the direction of the United States
Government.
``(G) Representative of the news media.--The term
`representative of the news media' shall have the
meaning given such term in section 552(a)(4)(A)(ii) of
title 5, United States Code.''.
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