The No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act strengthens U.S. enforcement against hostage-taking and wrongful detention, primarily targeting Iran's history of holding American citizens. The bill requires the President to submit detailed reports to Congress every 180 days for six years reviewing hostage cases from the past decade, identifying foreign persons responsible or complicit in such actions, and confirming whether sanctions have been imposed under existing law or explaining why they have been waived. Additionally, the legislation mandates reports on $6 billion in Iranian funds transferred to Qatar, tracks blocked Iranian assets worldwide, and directs the State Department to pursue international efforts to freeze and seize assets of sanctioned individuals. The bill also instructs the Secretary of State to consider invalidating U.S. passports for travel to Iran—similar to the current ban on travel to North Korea—and requires the President to develop a comprehensive strategy within 180 days to deter hostage-taking by U.S. adversaries. These provisions affect foreign entities involved in hostage-taking, Iranian government officials seeking U.S. visas, and American citizens seeking to travel to Iran, with no specific new funding authorized but requiring executive branch compliance with reporting deadlines over a three- to six-year period.
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