§1741a — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

The President must appoint a Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, with the Senate’s approval. The envoy reports to the Secretary of State and has the rank of ambassador. The envoy leads U.S. diplomatic work on hostage policy and runs diplomatic strategy to recover Americans, working with the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell and following guidance from the Hostage Response Group. The envoy also helps coordinate cases where a foreign government is holding a U.S. national the United States calls unlawfully or wrongly detained. The envoy sends senior staff to the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell (see section 1741b) and the Hostage Response Group (see section 1741c). The envoy must keep families updated. There is also a Family Engagement Coordinator in the envoy’s office. That person must make sure family contacts by government officials are coordinated, accurate, and linked with the Family Engagement Coordinator in section 1741b(c)(2). For hostage cases, family contact must not duplicate those other efforts.

Title 22, §1741a

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)There shall be a Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall report to the Secretary of State.

(b)The Special Envoy shall have the rank and status of ambassador.

(c)The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs shall—

(1)lead diplomatic engagement on United States hostage policy;

(2)coordinate all diplomatic engagements and strategy in support of hostage recovery efforts, in coordination with the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell and consistent with policy guidance communicated through the Hostage Response Group;

(3)in coordination with the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell as appropriate, coordinate diplomatic engagements regarding cases in which a foreign government has detained a United States national and the United States Government regards such detention as unlawful or wrongful;

(4)provide senior representation from the Special Envoy’s office to the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell established under section 1741b of this title and the Hostage Response Group established under section 1741c of this title; and

(5)ensure that families of United States nationals unlawfully or wrongly detained abroad receive updated information about developments in cases and government policy.

(d)There shall be, in the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, a Family Engagement Coordinator, who shall ensure—

(1)for a United States national unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, that—

(A)any interaction by executive branch officials with any family member of such United States national occurs in a coordinated fashion;

(B)such family member receives consistent and accurate information from the United States Government; and

(C)appropriate coordination with the Family Engagement Coordinator described in section 1741b(c)(2) of this title; and

(2)for a United States national held hostage abroad, that any engagement with a family member is coordinated with, consistent with, and not duplicative of the efforts of the Family Engagement Coordinator described in section 1741b(c)(2) of this title.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–263 added subsec. (d).

§1741a Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs

Summary

Title 22, §1741a

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

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