The Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025 gives the U.S. government new tools to deter foreign countries and groups from wrongfully detaining American citizens for political leverage. The bill allows the Secretary of State to officially designate countries as "State Sponsors of Unlawful or Wrongful Detention" and requires comprehensive reviews of response options including sanctions and export controls, with specific focus on Iran, China, Russia, and Venezuela. It also requires airlines to ensure passengers certify they understand State Department travel warnings before booking flights to high-risk destinations where wrongful detention or kidnapping threats exist. Additionally, the bill creates an advisory council of former hostages and their families to provide recommendations to the government, and mandates a presidential report within 180 days analyzing the effectiveness of current hostage response operations and identifying potential improvements.
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