Remembering American Hostages Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5772 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5772

   To amend title 36, United States Code, to require the Hostage and 
Wrongful Detainee flag to be displayed on key historical dates, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 17, 2025

Mr. Kean (for himself and Mr. Moskowitz) introduced the following bill; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 36, United States Code, to require the Hostage and 
Wrongful Detainee flag to be displayed on key historical dates, 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 ``Remembering American Hostages Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. HOSTAGE AND WRONGFUL DETAINEE FLAG.

    Section 904(b) of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as 
                subparagraph (E);
                    (B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the 
                following:
                    ``(D) Key dates in hostage and wrongful detention 
                history, including--
                            ``(i) November 4 and January 20, key dates 
                        of the Iranian hostage crisis;
                            ``(ii) August 19, the date of the death of 
                        James Foley.''; and
                            ``(iii) October 7, the date of Hamas' 
                        unprovoked attack where more than 240 were 
                        taken hostage, including 12 Americans; and''; 
                        and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) With respect to the locations described in 
                subparagraphs (D) through (G) of paragraph (3), any day 
                on which the United States Flag is displayed.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C)--
                            (i) in clause (i) by striking ``and'' at 
                        the end;
                            (ii) in clause (ii) by striking the period 
                        at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) the Attorney General;
                            ``(iv) the Secretary of Education;
                            ``(v) the Secretary of Transportation; and
                            ``(vi) the Secretary of Commerce.''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) The buildings containing any office of the 
                Department of State offices in the United States.
                    ``(E) Each embassy and consulate of the United 
                States.
                    ``(F) The buildings containing any office of the 
                Department of Justice in the United States, unless 
                otherwise specified by the Attorney General.
                    ``(G) Each place in the United States at which an 
                individual can initiate, renew, or otherwise obtain a 
                passport of the United States, in a location visible to 
                such individuals.''.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that the Federal Government should 
strongly encourage local and State governments and airports across the 
United States, in coordination with the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration, to fly the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag 
on days as specified in section 904 of title 36, United States Code, 
including distributing an Executive order for direction to raise and 
fly such flag on specified days in honor of a hostage returning to the 
United States, or whenever a hostage is recognized as passing away in 
captivity.
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