U.S. Hostage Accountability Act
On June 15, the Senate unanimously approved the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (S.712). The bipartisan legislation aims to strengthen U.S. government efforts to repatriate Americans held hostage or unlawfully detained abroad. It would establish a Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, an interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell and a Hostage Recovery Group, which would make policy recommendations. The bill had been approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 21.