I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5826 
To require a report on sanctions under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery 
and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. MOSKOWITZ) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To require a report on sanctions under the Robert Levinson 
Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability 
Act, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘No Paydays for Hos-
tage-Takers Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:24 Oct 03, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5826.IH
H5826
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(1) The Islamic Republic of Iran has a long his-
tory of hostage-taking and wrongful detention of 
United States nationals, including its illegal deten-
tion of 52 American diplomats from 1979 to 1981. 
(2) The Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and 
Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741 
et seq.), named in honor of Robert Levinson, the 
longest-held hostage in United States history who is 
presumed to have been killed by the regime while in 
Iranian custody, authorizes sanctions with respect to 
foreign persons who are responsible for or complicit 
in hostage-taking or unlawful or wrongful detention 
of United States nationals abroad. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States to under-
take additional actions and impose strict penalties to deter 
the Government of Iran and other hostile governments and 
non-state actors from hostage-taking or wrongfully detain-
ing United States nationals. 
SEC. 4. REPORT AND CERTIFICATION ON RESTRICTED IRA-
NIAN FUNDS RELEASED TO QATAR. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days 
thereafter for 6 years, the President shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Fi-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:24 Oct 03, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5826.IH
H5826
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
nancial Services of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate the 
following: 
(1) A report on the $6,000,000,000 in funds 
transferred from restricted Iranian accounts in the 
Republic of South Korea to restricted accounts in 
Qatar on or after August 9, 2023. 
(2) A certification as to whether credible evi-
dence or intelligence exists that any of the funds 
transferred have been used for any purpose other 
than humanitarian purposes. 
(3) A certification as to whether credible evi-
dence or intelligence exists that the funds trans-
ferred have enabled the Government of Iran to in-
crease spending on defense, intelligence, or malign 
foreign activities. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.— The report re-
quired by subsection (a)(1) shall include the following: 
(1) An itemized list of all transactions involving 
the use of funds transferred, including the value of 
such transactions, the parties to such transactions, 
the financial institutions involved, the goods pur-
chased in each transaction, the destinations and end 
user of such goods, the date on which the United 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:24 Oct 03, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5826.IH
H5826
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB