ties provided by section 306 of the Robert Levinson Hos-
tage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 
U.S.C. 1741d) and Executive Order 14078 (22 U.S.C. 
1741 note prec.; relating to bolstering efforts to bring hos-
tages and wrongfully detained United States nationals 
home). 
SEC. 
104. 
ENHANCING 
UNITED 
STATES 
TRAVEL 
ADVISORIES. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 to the Assistant 
Secretary of State for Consular Affairs to expend on travel 
advisory advertisement campaigns regarding travel made 
by United States nationals to countries under Level 4 ‘‘Do 
Not Travel’’ advisories issued by the Department of State 
Travel Advisory System. 
(b) BRIEFING.—If less than the $2,000,000 author-
ized in subsection (a) is expended on travel advisory adver-
tisement campaigns during fiscal year 2025, the Assistant 
Secretary of State for Consular Affairs shall brief Con-
gress on the justification of the amount expended for such 
purpose. 
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SEC. 105. REQUIRED CERTIFICATION REGARDING INTER-
NATIONAL TRAVEL ADVISORIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 423 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 42309. Required certification regarding inter-
national travel advisories 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An air carrier, foreign air car-
rier, or ticket agent who sells, in the United States, a tick-
et for foreign air transportation of a passenger to a coun-
try or other geographic area with a ‘D’ or ‘K’ indicator 
issued by the Department of State Travel Advisory Sys-
tem shall require the passenger listed on the ticket to cer-
tify that the passenger— 
‘‘(1) has reviewed the travel advisory of the De-
partment of State applicable to such country or 
other geographic area; and 
‘‘(2) understands the risks involved with trav-
eling to such country or other geographic area. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) ‘D’ INDICATOR.—The term ‘‘ ‘D’’ indi-
cator’ means a travel advisory issued by the Depart-
ment of State that indicates a risk of wrongful de-
tention of a United States national. 
‘‘(2) ‘K’ INDICATOR.—The term ‘‘ ‘K’’ indi-
cator’ means a travel advisory issued by the Depart-
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ment of State that indicates a criminal or terrorist 
individual or group has threatened to seize, detain, 
kill, or injure individuals (or has seized, detained, 
killed, or injured individuals) to compel a third party 
(including a governmental organization) to meet cer-
tain requirements as a condition of release.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 423 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 42308 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘42309. Required certification regarding international travel advisories.’’. 
SEC. 106. PRIVACY ACT WRITTEN CONSENT AND PASSPORT 
RENEWALS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT TO INCLUDE TRAVEL ADVISORY 
INFORMATION ON UNITED STATES PASSPORTS.—Section 
6103 of the Department of State Authorization Act of 
2023 (division F of Public Law 118–31; 22 U.S.C. 211a 
note) is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘should’’ and inserting ‘‘shall’’. 
(b) INCLUSION OF PRIVACY ACT WRITTEN CONSENT 
FORM IN PASSPORT APPLICATION.—Section 1 of title IX 
of the Act of June 15, 1917 (22 U.S.C. 213) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: ‘‘Each passport appli-
cation made available to potential applicants (DS–11) and 
each passport renewal application made available to cur-
rent passport holders (DS–82) shall include a form that, 
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if completed, indicates the applicant’s consent for the dis-
closure of information otherwise protected under section 
552a of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as 
the ‘Privacy Act of 1974’) in the event such applicant is 
determined to be unlawfully or wrongfully detained by a 
foreign government. Declining to complete such form shall 
not impact the issuance of a passport to a qualified appli-
cant or diplomatic efforts to secure the release of a United 
States national from the custody of a foreign government 
or entity.’’. 
TITLE 
II—STRENGTHENING 
PROCESSES 
AND 
SERVICES 
FOR HOSTAGES AND UNLAW-
FUL OR WRONGFUL DETAIN-
EES 
SEC. 201. TIMELINE FOR UNLAWFUL OR WRONGFUL DE-
TENTION DETERMINATIONS. 
Section 302 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recov-
ery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 
1741) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)(8), by striking ‘‘In this 
subsection’’ and inserting ‘‘In this section’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) TIMELINE FOR UNLAWFUL OR WRONGFUL DE-
TENTION DETERMINATIONS.— 
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‘‘(1) CREDIBLE
INFORMATION
DETERMINA-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not less frequently 
than every 180 days, the Assistant Secretary of 
State for Consular Affairs and the Special 
Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs shall re-
view the cases, identified through official gov-
ernment channels to either bureau, for which 
there is potential credible information that a 
United States national is being unlawfully or 
wrongfully detained abroad. 
‘‘(B) REPORT
OF
FINDINGS.—Not later 
than 30 days after each review under subpara-
graph (A), the Assistant Secretary of State for 
Consular Affairs and the Special Presidential 
Envoy for Hostage Affairs shall jointly submit 
to Congress a classified report identifying each 
United States national whose case was reviewed 
under subparagraph (A) but who has not, as of 
the date of the submission of the report, been 
determined by the Secretary to be unlawfully or 
wrongfully detained under subsection (a). 
‘‘(C) NOTIFICATION
TO
FAMILY
MEM-
BERS.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of the submission of the report under subpara-
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graph (B), the Assistant Secretary of State for 
Consular Affairs shall notify a family member 
or legal representative of each United States 
national identified in the report. 
‘‘(2) STATUS DETERMINATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), and to the extent practical, 
not later than 180 days after the date on which 
the Secretary of State receives an assessment 
from the Special Presidential Envoy for Hos-
tage Affairs or the head of any other relevant 
bureau of the Department of State that credible 
information exists that a United States national 
is being detained unlawfully or wrongfully, the 
Secretary shall determine whether the United 
States national is in fact being unlawfully or 
wrongfully detained. 
‘‘(B) WAIVER.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary 
may waive the requirement under subpara-
graph (A) to make an unlawful or wrong-
ful detention determination if the Sec-
retary— 
‘‘(I) determines that making such 
a determination may jeopardize the 
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safety or interests of the United 
States national being detained abroad 
or the national security interests of 
the United States; and 
‘‘(II) submits to Congress a re-
port describing the reasons for the 
waiver. 
‘‘(ii) TIMING.—A waiver under clause 
(i) shall expired on the date that is 180 
days after the date on which the Secretary 
submits the report on the waiver to Con-
gress pursuant to clause (i)(II). 
‘‘(iii) RENEWAL.—The Secretary may 
renew a waiver granted pursuant to clause 
(i) in the manner provided under such 
clause.’’. 
SEC. 202. DECLARATIONS OF INVALIDITY. 
Section 302 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recov-
ery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 
1741), as amended by sections 201 and 202, is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) DECLARATIONS OF INVALIDITY.—Upon the re-
lease of a United States national taken hostage or deter-
mined to be unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad and 
the return of that national, the President shall issue to 
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that national a letter, to be known as a ‘declaration of 
invalidity’, that officially declares the detention abroad of 
the national as invalid for the purpose of completing any 
documentation that warrants a background investigation 
or review of prior offenses, such as a conviction.’’. 
SEC. 203. ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HOSTAGE TAKING AND 
UNLAWFUL OR WRONGFUL DETENTION. 
The Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage- 
Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741 et seq.), as 
amended by section 102, is further amended by inserting 
after section 305A the following: 
‘‘SEC. 305B. ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HOSTAGE TAKING AND 
UNLAWFUL OR WRONGFUL DETENTION. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President shall estab-
lish an advisory council, to be known as the ‘Advisory 
Council on Hostage Taking and Unlawful or Wrongful De-
tention’ (in this section referred to as the ‘Advisory Coun-
cil’), to advise the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage 
Affairs, the Hostage Response Group, and the Hostage 
Recovery Fusion Cell with respect to Federal policies re-
garding hostage-taking and unlawful or wrongful deten-
tion. 
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall invite 
individuals to the Advisory Council, which shall be 
comprised of— 
‘‘(A) United States nationals who have 
been unlawfully or wrongfully detained or taken 
hostage abroad; 
‘‘(B) family members of such United 
States nationals; and 
‘‘(C) not fewer than 2 experts on areas in-
cluding hostage taking, wrongful detention, 
international relations, rule of law, and counter-
terrorism who have been recommended by the 
Secretary of State. 
‘‘(2) TERMS.—The term of a member of the 
Advisory Council shall be 3 years. 
‘‘(3) 
COMPENSATION
AND
TRAVEL
EX-
PENSES.—A member of the Advisory Council shall 
not be considered a Federal employee and shall not 
be compensated for service on the Advisory Council, 
but may be allowed travel expenses, including per 
diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sub-
chapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
Code. 
‘‘(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this section, and annually 
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thereafter, the Advisory Council shall submit to the Presi-
dent and the appropriate congressional committees a re-
port setting forth the recommendations of the Advisory 
Council. 
‘‘(d) TERMINATION.—The Advisory Council shall ter-
minate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the 
enactment of this section.’’. 
SEC. 204. CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE HOSTAGE RESPONSE 
GROUP. 
Section 305(a) of the Robert Levinson Hostage Re-
covery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 
1741c(a)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There shall be a Hostage 
Response Group, which shall be— 
‘‘(A) chaired by the Special Presidential 
Envoy for Hostage Affairs; and 
‘‘(B) convened on a regular basis at the 
White House, and as needed at the request of 
the National Security Council, to further the 
safe recovery of United States nationals held 
unlawfully or wrongfully abroad. 
‘‘(2) COORDINATION
OF
GOVERNMENT
RE-
SPONSE.—The Hostage Response Group may also be 
tasked with coordinating the United States Govern-
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ment response to other hostage takings abroad in 
which the United States has a national interest as 
specifically referred to the Hostage Recovery Fusion 
Cell by the National Security Council Deputies Com-
mittee.’’. 
Æ 
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