S. 712: Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-03-07 · International Affairs · Latest: Held at the desk.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-03-07 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Held at the desk. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act

Plain summary

Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act This bill establishes various entities and procedures to address the wrongful detainment of U.S. nationals abroad. The President shall appoint a Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. The envoy's duties shall include leading diplomatic engagement on U.S. hostage policy and coordinating diplomatic engagements in support of hostage recovery efforts. The President shall establish an interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, which shall assess and track all hostage cases of U.S. nationals and coordinate agency efforts to safely recover hostages. The President shall also establish the Hostage Recovery Group, which shall make recommendations regarding hostage recovery options and coordinate the development and implementation of U.S. hostage recovery policies. The President is authorized to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against any foreign person responsible for or complicit in the unlawful or wrongful detention of a U.S. national abroad. The Department of State shall review cases where U.S. nationals are detained abroad and refer instances of wrongful or unlawful detainment to the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 712, Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (2020-06-08)

Cosponsors on this site

Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s712.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s712 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116