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HR2619119th CongressWALLET

No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act

Sponsored By: Representative Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]

In Committee

Summary

Stops payoffs and tightens U.S. pressure to deter Iran-linked hostage-taking. This bill would expand sanctions tools, force detailed tracking of restricted Iranian funds, and give officials new authorities to freeze assets, limit travel, and block risky travel to Iran.

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  • Families and detained U.S. nationals: would require a President-led strategy to deter wrongful detention, include an explicit policy against ransom payments, and authorize invalidating U.S. passports for travel to Iran when travel is deemed imminently dangerous.
  • Oversight of Iranian funds: would force reports every 180 days on the $6 billion moved from restricted accounts in Korea to restricted accounts in Qatar, including itemized transactions, balances, and certifications about humanitarian or military use.
  • Sanctions and asset tracing: would expand use of the Levinson Act to identify foreign persons tied to hostage-taking, require annual determinations for six years on whether sanctions apply, and mandate reporting on blocked Iranian assets over $100,000.
  • Diplomats and travel: would enable visa denials and travel limits for Iranian United Nations representatives and their families based on sanctions and require follow-up reporting on such actions.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

8 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.

Reporting on $6 billion Iran funds

If enacted, the President would report to Congress within 90 days and then every 180 days for 6 years about $6,000,000,000 moved from restricted Iranian accounts in Korea to restricted Qatar accounts on or after August 9, 2023. Each report would say whether any of the funds were used for non-humanitarian purposes or to support Iran's defense, intelligence, or other malign activities. Reports would list transactions (values, counterparties, banks, goods bought, destinations, and dates), show account balances at the start and end of each period, and describe how the U.S. reviewed transactions for humanitarian use.

Report on Iranian assets over $100K

If enacted, the President would report to Congress within 180 days and then yearly for 3 years on identifiable Iranian assets worth more than $100,000 that were blocked or frozen in the prior two years. Reports would list each asset, note any status changes like unblocking, unfreezing, or transfers, and state whether the U.S. took action such as waiving sanctions and why.

Work with allies to seize illicit assets

If enacted, the bill would direct the State, Treasury, and Justice Departments to coordinate with other countries to locate, restrain, freeze, and where lawful seize or forfeit assets tied to Iran's malign activities. The President would report within 180 days and then yearly for 3 years on actions taken, intelligence sharing, asset oversight, and technical help given to partners for forfeiture frameworks.

Defines key terms and committees

If enacted, the bill would name which House and Senate committees receive reports (House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary; Senate Foreign Relations and Judiciary). It would define 'foreign person' to include foreign states and adopt the Levinson Act meaning of 'United States national.' These definitions would determine who is reviewed and who may be named for sanctions.

Presidential review of Levinson cases

If enacted, the President would review, within 180 days and then annually for 6 years, all hostage-taking and wrongful detention cases of U.S. nationals in Iran from the prior 10 years. For each case, the President would identify foreign persons believed responsible or complicit and report whether sanctions will be imposed within 30 days, or explain any waiver or decision not to impose sanctions.

Strategy to prevent hostage-taking

If enacted, the President would deliver to Congress within 180 days a strategy to deter and prevent wrongful detention and hostage-taking by adversaries. The strategy would identify penalties, state a clear policy barring ransom payments or similar transactions, and describe coordination plans with allies and partners.

Passport limits for U.S. travel to Iran

If enacted, the Secretary of State would report to Congress within 90 days and then yearly for 3 years on whether travel to Iran poses an imminent danger to U.S. travelers and whether passports are being declared invalid for travel to, in, or through Iran. The reports would document any use or planned use of passport-invalidating authority under existing law.

Tighter visas for Iranian U.N. reps

If enacted, the bill would add a ground to deny U.S. admission to U.N. representatives who were sanctioned under Executive Orders 13224 or 13382 as of enactment. It would also require reports within 180 days and then yearly for 3 years listing each visa denial or travel restriction for Iranian U.N. diplomats and their family members.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]

WA • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Moskowitz, Jared [D-FL-23]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]

    NY • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2]

    NV • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • LaMalfa

    CA • R

    Sponsored 4/8/2025

  • Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-GA-7]

    GA • R

    Sponsored 4/8/2025

  • Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 4/9/2025

  • Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2025

  • Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4]

    IN • R

    Sponsored 4/24/2025

  • Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

    NY • R

    Sponsored 10/8/2025

  • Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7]

    NJ • R

    Sponsored 11/17/2025

  • Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 1/12/2026

  • Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2]

    KS • R

    Sponsored 8/31/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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