H.R. 9242

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9242 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9242

To require the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on 
the recovery of certain United States nationals, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 10, 2026

Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Messmer, and Mr. Mills) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on 
the recovery of certain United States nationals, and for other 
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``No American Left Behind Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REPORT ON RECOVERY OF CERTAIN UNITED 
STATES NATIONALS.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States has a longstanding obligation and 
commitment to recover, account for, and repatriate its citizens 
who are held hostage, unlawfully detained, or otherwise 
unaccounted for abroad.
(2) United States nationals have been held captive, 
unlawfully detained, or killed in areas of current or recent 
United States military operations in the Middle East and 
Africa, particularly in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, with some 
cases remaining unresolved.
(3) The recent successful recovery of isolated personnel, 
including the recent daring rescue of downed United States 
aircrew in Iran, demonstrates the unstoppable effectiveness of 
coordinated American military, intelligence, and interagency 
capabilities.
(4) The recent successful releases of United States 
nationals wrongfully detained abroad demonstrate that 
relentless and coordinated diplomatic engagement, supported by 
economic and strategic leverage, can decisively enable 
successful recovery outcomes.
(5) The Department of Defense plays a critical role in 
supporting interagency hostage recovery efforts pursuant to the 
Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking 
Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741 et seq.), including as a key 
participant in the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell.
(6) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special 
Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict serves as the 
Department's policy lead for personnel recovery, and United 
States Special Operations Command serves as the operational 
lead for hostage rescue missions.
(7) The recovery of deceased United States nationals and 
the repatriation of their remains is a solemn and enduring 
obligation of the United States Government.
(8) The consistent and credible application of diplomatic, 
economic, and military leverage can deter adversaries and non-
state actors from targeting United States nationals for 
unlawful detention, hostage-taking, or harm.
(9) Changes in force posture, intelligence access, partner 
coordination, and operational presence can significantly affect 
the likelihood of successful recovery, remains repatriation, 
and accountability outcomes.
(10) Certain partner nations maintain institutional 
frameworks prioritizing the recovery and repatriation of their 
citizens, including efforts that continue years after 
hostilities have ended.
(11) Congress has a responsibility to ensure that recovery, 
repatriation, and accountability considerations are 
incorporated as a core mission in defense planning, contingency 
operations, and interagency coordination, with the objective 
that no American is left behind.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United 
States should maintain a sustained and coordinated commitment to the 
recovery, repatriation, and accountability of United States nationals 
held hostage, unlawfully detained, or otherwise unaccounted for abroad, 
and should evaluate the feasibility of establishing a formal, enduring 
``No American Left Behind'' doctrine to guide such efforts.
(c) Report.--
(1) Requirement.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the 
support by the Department of Defense for the recovery, 
repatriation, and accountability of United States nationals 
abroad.
(2) Scope.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall 
address cases involving United States nationals who are 
deceased, unlawfully detained, missing, or of unresolved 
status, including in areas of current or recent United States 
military operations in the Middle East and Africa, and 
particularly in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
(3) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
shall include the following:
(A) An assessment of how the interaction between 
the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special 
Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict and the Hostage 
Recovery Fusion Cell informs contingency planning for 
the rescue or recovery of United States nationals in 
areas of hostilities.
(B) An assessment of how the geographic combatant 
commands incorporate the rescue or recovery of United 
States nationals into operational plans, the effect of 
such contingency missions on force requirements, and 
how such planning accounts for effects on intelligence 
collection, detainee access, and recovery or 
accountability options resulting from changes in force 
posture or operational presence.
(C) The criteria that must be met for the 
Department to recommend the use of military assets to 
execute a rescue or personnel recovery of detained 
United States nationals in a potential hostile area, 
including how such criteria differ in areas where the 
United States does not maintain permanent or temporary 
military infrastructure.
(D) An assessment of how the Department maintains 
intelligence and situational awareness on detained 
United States nationals in areas where the United 
States no longer has a military presence.
(E) An identification of any statutory authority, 
policy constraint, intelligence limitation, or resource 
gap affecting the ability of the Department to support 
such efforts, including recommendations to address such 
gaps and an assessment of whether existing authorities 
sufficiently authorize the Department to condition or 
sequence detainee transfers, releases, or partner 
detention arrangements considering ongoing United 
States recovery, intelligence, or accountability 
equities, including an identification of factors that 
have supported or constrained successful recovery 
outcomes in recent cases.
(F) An assessment of best practices employed by 
partner nations with established doctrines prioritizing 
the recovery, repatriation, and accountability of 
detained or deceased citizens, including efforts 
conducted years after hostilities.
(G) An assessment of the feasibility and 
operational implications of establishing a formal, 
enduring, doctrine of the Department of Defense, to be 
referred to as the ``No American Left Behind'' 
doctrine, and of integrating such doctrine into 
operational and contingency planning, resource 
allocation, detainee policy considerations, and 
interagency coordination.
(H) A detailed assessment of case-specific 
Department of Defense support equities related to cases 
of deceased United States nationals whose remains have 
not been recovered, as well as cases involving United 
States nationals who are wrongfully detained, missing, 
or of unresolved status, as appropriate, including in 
Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and select areas of Africa 
associated with counterterrorism operations.
(4) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
annex with respect to the element specified in paragraph 
(3)(H).
(d) Congressional Defense Committees Defined.--In this section, the 
term ``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given that 
term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
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