Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§1741c Hostage Response Group

Title 22 › CHAPTER 23 — PROTECTION OF CITIZENS ABROAD › SUBCHAPTER II — HOSTAGE RECOVERY AND HOSTAGE-TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY › § 1741c

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President must create a Hostage Response Group, led by a member chosen from the National Security Council or its Deputies Committee. It must meet regularly to help bring home U.S. citizens held hostage or wrongly detained overseas and to coordinate U.S. responses to other foreign hostage situations of national interest. Regular members include the Director and Family Engagement Coordinator of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and representatives from Treasury, Defense, Justice, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the CIA, and other agencies the President picks. The group must recommend recovery plans to the President through the National Security Council, set and coordinate policy and procedures, get regular updates from the Fusion Cell and Special Envoy, guide the Fusion Cell’s work, and direct its resources when needed.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §1741c

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment

The President shall establish a Hostage Response Group, chaired by a designated member of the National Security Council or the Deputies Committee of the National Security Council, to be convened on a regular basis, to further the safe recovery of United States nationals held hostage abroad or unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, and to be tasked with coordinating the United States Government response to other hostage-takings occurring abroad in which the United States has a national interest.

(b)Membership

The regular members of the Hostage Response Group shall include the Director of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell’s Family Engagement Coordinator, the Special Envoy appointed pursuant to section 1741a of this title, and representatives from the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, and other agencies as the President, from time to time, may designate.

(c)Duties

The Hostage Recovery Group shall—

(1)identify and recommend hostage recovery options and strategies to the President through the National Security Council;

(2)coordinate the development and implementation of United States hostage recovery policies, strategies, and procedures;

(3)receive regular updates from the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell and the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs on the status of United States nationals being held hostage or unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad and measures being taken to effect safe recoveries;

(4)coordinate the provision of policy guidance to the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, including reviewing recovery options proposed by the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell and working to resolve disputes within the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell;

(5)as appropriate, direct the use of resources at the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell to coordinate or assist in the safe recovery of United States nationals unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad; and

(6)as appropriate, direct the use of resources at the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell to coordinate the United States Government response to other hostage-takings occurring abroad in which the United States has a national interest.

(d)Meetings

The Hostage Response Group shall meet regularly.

(e)Reporting

The Hostage Response Group shall regularly provide recommendations on hostage recovery options and strategies to the National Security Council.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 1741c

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110