---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 1733"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "1733"
heading: "Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/1733"
units:
  - "Chapter 23 — Protection of Citizens Abroad"
  - "Subchapter I — General"
---

# §1733. Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator

- (a) **Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator—**
  - (1) **In general—** Not later than 60 days after November 25, 2015, the President shall designate an existing Federal official to coordinate efforts to secure the release of [United States persons](/usc/22/3146.md?p=1) who are hostages held abroad. For purposes of carrying out the duties described in [paragraph (2)](#a-2), such official shall have the title of “Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator”.
  - (2) **Duties—** The Coordinator shall have the following duties:
    - (A) Coordinate activities of the Federal Government relating to each hostage situation described in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) to ensure efforts to secure the release of hostages are properly resourced and correct lines of authority are established and maintained.
    - (B) Chair a fusion cell consisting of appropriate personnel of the Federal Government with purview over each hostage situation described in [paragraph (1)](#a-1).
    - (C) Ensure sufficient representation of each Federal agency and department at each fusion cell established under [subparagraph (B)](#a-2-B) and issue procedures for adjudication and appeal.
    - (D) Develop processes and procedures to keep [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) members of hostages described in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) informed of the status of such hostages, inform such [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) members of updates that do not compromise the national security of the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1), and coordinate with the Federal Government’s [family](/usc/22/4304a.md?p=c-2) engagement coordinator or other designated senior representative.
- (b) **Quarterly report and briefing—**
  - (1) **Report—**
    - (A) **In general—** On a quarterly basis, the Coordinator shall submit to the [appropriate congressional committees](#b-3) a report that includes a summary of each hostage situation described in [subsection (a)(1)](#a-1).
    - (B) **Form of report—** Each report under this[^1] [subparagraph (A)](#b-1-A) may be submitted in classified or unclassified form.
  - (2) **Briefing—** On a quarterly basis, the Coordinator shall provide to the Senators representing the State, and the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the House of Representatives representing the district, where a hostage described in [subsection (a)(1)](#a-1) resides a briefing with respect to the status of such hostage.
  - (3) **Appropriate congressional committees defined—** In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
    - (A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on the Judiciary, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on [Foreign](/usc/22/3146.md?p=1) Affairs of the House of Representatives; and
    - (B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on the Judiciary, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on [Foreign](/usc/22/3146.md?p=1) Relations of the Senate.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. The word “this” probably should not appear.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title X, § 1092, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1018.)