HR 5772119th CongressIn Committee

Remembering American Hostages Act of 2025

Introduced: Oct 17, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7] (R-New Jersey)

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

H.R. 5772, titled the Remembering American Hostages Act of 2025, would amend title 36 of the United States Code to expand when the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag is displayed and where it is displayed. Specifically, it adds new key dates to be commemorated with the flag (notably dates related to the Iranian hostage crisis, the death of journalist James Foley, and the Hamas attack of October 7 in which hostages were taken), and ties the display of the flag at certain federal locations to days when the U.S. flag is flown there. The bill also requires various federal offices and passport-related facilities to display the flag. In addition, it contains a Sense of Congress urging federal, state, local governments and airports to fly the flag on the specified days and to issue an executive directive guiding such displays. The measure is sponsored by Rep. Kean (joined by Rep. Moskowitz) and was introduced in the House in October 2025. It would not become law without passage by Congress and any necessary presidential action, and it currently lacks any accompanying appropriations.

Key Points

1Adds key dates to display the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag, including:
2- November 4 and January 20 (dates tied to the Iranian hostage crisis)
3- August 19 (death of James Foley)
4- October 7 (the day of Hamas’ attack and hostage-taking)
5Expands locations where the flag must be displayed to include:
6- Department of State offices in the United States
7- U.S. embassies and consulates
8- Buildings housing Department of Justice offices in the United States
9- Places where U.S. passports are issued (initiation, renewal, or issuance)
10Links display to days the U.S. flag is displayed at the listed locations (i.e., flag display would occur on days when the U.S. flag is flown there).
11Section 3 (Sense of Congress) encourages federal, state, local governments and airports to fly the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag on the specified days and calls for an Executive Order to direct flag-raising on those days in honor of a hostage returning or a hostage’s death in captivity.
12The bill is introductory and would require action by the Judiciary Committee and, if advanced, consideration by the full House and Senate and potential presidential approval.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected:- Federal government facilities and personnel, especially offices of State and Justice, passport bureaus, and U.S. embassies/consulates, where the flag would be displayed on specified dates or whenever the U.S. flag is flown.Secondary group/area affected:- Public awareness and education about hostage situations and wrongful detention; local and state governments and airports that choose to comply with the Sense of Congress.Additional impacts:- Administrative and potential cost considerations for additional flag displays and coordination with airlines/airports; potential need for guidance or funding to implement new display obligations.- Symbolic and commemorative impact, shaping how the nation remembers hostage events and wrongful detention cases.The bill would not by itself create new funding or mandate budgetary allocations; it would require agency coordination and potentially new procedures to display the flag at additional locations.As an introduced measure, it reflects a legislative push to elevate remembrance of hostages and wrongful detainees and to standardize and broaden flag displays across federal properties and related sites.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 23, 2025