§1733 Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator

Summary

The President must pick an existing federal official within 60 days after November 25, 2015 to serve as the Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator. The Coordinator must lead and organize the U.S. government’s work to free Americans held hostage abroad. That includes running a joint team of the right federal agencies, making sure each agency is properly represented and that clear decision and appeal rules exist, and keeping hostage families updated in ways that do not harm national security while working with the government’s family engagement official. Every quarter the Coordinator must send a summary of each hostage case to the appropriate congressional committees. Those reports can be classified or unclassified. Every quarter the Coordinator must also brief the U.S. Senators and the House Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner from the hostage’s home state or district. “Appropriate congressional committees” means the House Committees on Armed Services, the Judiciary, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Foreign Affairs; and the Senate Committees on Armed Services, the Judiciary, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and Foreign Relations.