Boise City Wire

U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Chris Coons, alongside Representatives Haley Stevens and French Hill, have announced the enactment of their bipartisan Countering Wrongful Detention Act. This legislation was signed into law by President Biden last week as part of the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The act aims to provide new tools for the U.S. government to deter states from wrongfully detaining Americans abroad and offers support to hostages, wrongful detainees, and their families upon return. Senator Risch stated, "Protecting Americans abroad is an important responsibility of the U.S. government," highlighting that countries like Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, and Syria often take Americans hostage for political or financial leverage.

Senator Coons remarked on the significance of this development: “President Biden’s enactment of the Countering Wrongful Detention Act is a fitting capstone for his administration’s successful work bringing more than 70 Americans who were wrongfully detained or held hostage overseas safely home.” He emphasized the need to continue efforts in returning every American held unjustly overseas.

Representative Stevens noted the increasing risk posed by rogue states taking hostages: “In light of the target on Americans’ backs, I’m glad a number of the provisions I authored as part of the Countering Wrongful Detention Act were just signed into law.” She believes this legislation will improve travel safety and facilitate advocacy for hostages' release.

Representative Hill expressed pride in the act's passage: “We must deter the strong target that is on the backs of blue passport holders,” adding that it provides essential resources to counter wrongful detention practices.

The bill mandates an administration strategy to deter wrongful detention and authorizes increased funding for related sanctions. It also enhances public awareness regarding travel advisories for high-risk areas and includes a Privacy Act Waiver form in passport applications. This allows travelers to permit U.S. government advocacy if detained abroad.

Introduced by Senators Coons and Risch last month, this legislation has received endorsements from organizations such as New America’s Future Security, James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, Bring Our Families Home Campaign, and Hostage US.