Legislation led on June 26 by U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) would provide the United States government with additional tools to deter state and non-state actors from wrongfully detaining U.S. nationals for political leverage.
“Our bill gives the State Department the tools it needs to hold bad actors accountable while keeping Congress firmly engaged in the process,” Rep. Hill said. “This bipartisan bill is a strong step toward protecting Americans by deterring and punishing them.”
The Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025, H.R. 4179, which Rep. Hill sponsored alongside four original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), would create a new authority for the U.S. Secretary of State to formally designate countries or non-state actors as state sponsors of unlawful or wrongful detention. Once designated, the secretary could impose a range of penalties on those governments, including diplomatic and economic consequences.
“When Americans are wrongfully detained abroad, it’s not just a personal tragedy — it’s a direct attack on the United States,” said Rep. Hill. “Those who wrongfully detain Americans must know that there will be real consequences for using U.S. citizens as political pawns.”
Additionally, H.R. 4179 would provide congressional oversight by requiring that all state sponsors of unlawful or wrongful detention designations expire unless Congress passes a joint resolution to approve them within six months.
Congress also would have the authority to terminate a designation through a joint resolution, ensuring these decisions reflect the interests of the American people and are subject to public accountability, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Hill’s office.
If enacted, H.R. 4179 also would direct the Secretary of State to brief Congress on whether these countries should be designated under the new authority: China, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Syria, Venezuela, and Belarus, the summary says.
“This bipartisan bill puts real tools in place that’ll crack down on this practice and send a strong, bipartisan signal that our government will hold accountable any state or nonstate actors who threaten Americans in this way,” Rep. Moskowitz said.
The New America Future Security Program and the Foley Foundation support the bill.