§1741b Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell

Summary

The President must set up a Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell. Heads of the Department of State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, the CIA, and any other agencies the President names must make people available to work in the Cell. For administrative purposes, the Cell will be located inside the FBI. The Cell must include a full-time senior Director, a Family Engagement Coordinator who keeps government contact with a hostage’s family coordinated and accurate (and can do the same for families of unlawfully or wrongfully detained U.S. nationals if ordered), and other staff as needed. The Cell must bring agencies together to share information, expertise, and resources to help recover U.S. nationals held hostage abroad. If ordered, it must coordinate the U.S. response to other hostage situations and to unlawful or wrongful detentions. Under National Security Council guidance, the Cell must identify and recommend recovery options to the President through the NSC or its Deputies Committee, share and declassify relevant intelligence with DNI support, track and report hostage cases to the President and Congress, help provide support and timely information to hostages and families, suggest ways to prevent hostage-taking and improve preparedness, and coordinate responses to congressional, media, and public inquiries.