No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act

Key Points

• The bill requires detailed reporting every 180 days on the $6 billion transferred from restricted Iranian accounts in South Korea to Qatar, including itemized transaction lists and certifications that none of the money went to Iran's military or intelligence activities.
• The government must review all cases of Americans taken hostage or wrongfully detained by Iran over the past 10 years, identify those responsible, and either impose sanctions or explain in writing why sanctions are not being applied.
• The bill pushes the State Department to declare U.S. passports invalid for travel to Iran, similar to the existing North Korea travel ban, citing imminent danger to Americans from wrongful detention and hostage-taking.
• Certain Iranian diplomats linked to terrorism or weapons programs would be denied U.S. visas for United Nations activities. The bill expands existing visa denial rules to cover individuals sanctioned under executive orders targeting terrorism and WMD proliferation.
• A comprehensive national strategy to deter hostage-taking must be delivered to Congress within 180 days, including clear rules against ransom payments and plans to coordinate with allies on freezing assets of those involved.