Comprehensive Hostage Compensation Act
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Comprehensive Hostage Compensation Act - Conveys the blocked assets of a foreign country to the United States if such assets were blocked as a result of the holding hostage of U.S. citizens in violation of such foreign country's international obligations. Establishes a claims fund in the U.S. Treasury, designated by the name of such foreign government, to receive such assets. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to use such fund to pay U.S. citizens held hostage or their legal representatives a specified amount based on the number of days such citizens were held hostage. States that any remaining amounts in such fund shall be paid, in the following order of priority, to: (1) the estates of military personnel who died while performing duties in connection with such hostages; (2) Federal agencies which have incurred expenses in connection with such hostages; and (3) miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury. Limits administrative expenses to five percent. Stipulates that such payments shall not divest U.S. claimants of their rights against such foreign government. Exempts such payments from income and estate taxation.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on July 24, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 24, 1980: Referred to Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HOWELL HEFLIN (D-AL) introduced it on July 24, 1980. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 24, 1980, 16849 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16849 days ago, on July 24, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers