1. United States
2. S.C.
3. Letter

This legislation aims to provide tax relief and financial assistance to American citizens who are unlawfully detained or held hostage abroad. However, there are concerning provisions that terminate the tax-exempt status of organizations deemed to be providing material support to terrorist groups, based on an opaque designation process without sufficient due process protections. This could enable the government to revoke the tax-exempt status of legitimate organizations based on flawed or politically-motivated determinations. While supporting American hostages is a worthy goal, stripping organizations of their tax-exempt status through an unfair process raises constitutional concerns around free speech, free association, and due process. There are also potential risks of the law being misused to target minority communities and dissenting voices. I urge you to oppose this bill unless it is amended to include robust transparency, accountability, and appeals mechanisms for the designation process, as well as safeguards against abuse of power. Protecting civil liberties must remain paramount.