# 119-hr-10464: Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Act

119-hr-10464, Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11] (D-MI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-07).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10464
- As of: 2026-10-07
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-10464
- Congress: 119
- Title: Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-16
- Sponsor: Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11] (D-MI)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-07

## Summary

**Creates a Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Program that offers a one-time lump-sum compensation** to eligible U.S. nationals who were unlawfully or wrongly detained abroad. The bill sets eligibility limits tied to travel advisories, defines exceptions, and lays out review and payment rules. - Families and former detainees: Eligible U.S. nationals receive a one-time payment equal to the average daily wage multiplied by the number of days detained. Awardees may still pursue other compensation or insurance claims. - Travelers and journalists: Eligibility is limited when detentions occur in countries with travel advisories or warnings in effect. Exceptions cover official travel, journalistic activity, and cases cleared for humanitarian or national-interest reasons after consultation with the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. - Administration and legal effects: The Secretary of State administers the program with a 90-day initial review period and opportunities for reconsideration. Awards are treated as damages for human suffering, excluded from means-tested income or resource counting, attorney fees are capped at 5%, and funding is drawn from unobligated balances of the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Application, review, and lawyer fee limits: benefit, medium. The State Department would decide how many days you were detained and you would have 120 days to ask for reconsideration of that count. After you request reconsideration, the Secretary would have 90 days to make a final decision and may accept more evidence. Within 120 days after enactment the Depa…
- Tax and benefit treatment for awards: benefit, low. For federal tax purposes the compensation would be treated as damages for human suffering. The payment would not count as income or resources for the benefit tests referenced in 31 U.S.C. 3803(c)(2)(C). Receiving this payment would not force you to repay insurers for workers' compensation or stop y…
- Funding source for the program: benefit, low. The bill would authorize the State Department to get whatever sums are necessary each year to run the program. Funding would come from unobligated balances of the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund. The law does not set a fixed dollar amount.
- One-time cash for detained U.S. nationals: mixed, high. This bill would create a Paul Whelan Hostage Compensation and Reintegration Program at the State Department. You would be able to get one one-time lump-sum payment if you are an eligible U.S. national detained abroad. The payment would equal (average wage index ÷ 365) times the number of days you w…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3816: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-5089: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-10464 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10464)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-3816: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3816)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-5089: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5089)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10464 (as of 2026-10-07).