119th Congress Crime and Law Enforcement
H.R. 4863: Fairness for Khobar Act of 2025
Introduced
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed House (not reached)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill authorizes lump sum catch-up payments from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism (USVSST) Fund to certain victims of the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing or the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing who did not apply for catch-up payments during the application period. The USVSST Fund is administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and provides compensation to certain U.S. persons injured in acts of international state sponsored terrorism and their immediate family members.
The Fairness for 9/11 Families Act, enacted in 2022, authorized and provided funding for lump sum catch-up payments from the USVSST Fund to victims of the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing or the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing. Claimants who were previously found eligible for regular payment distributions from the USVSST Fund were also eligible for lump sum payments, but the act required them to apply from December 29, 2022, to June 27, 2023. In a 2024 report, the Government Accountability Office found that up to 274 eligible victims did not apply for lump sum catch-up payments because of DOJ guidance that stated, in part, that claimants who were previously found eligible for regular payment distributions are not eligible for the lump sum catch-up payments.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Ilhan Omar D-MN
- James Comer R-KY
- Eugene Vindman D-VA
- Abraham Hamadeh R-AZ
- Jimmy Patronis R-FL
- Josh Brecheen R-OK
- Donald Davis D-NC
- Rich McCormick R-GA
- Paul Gosar R-AZ
- Eleanor Norton D-DC
- Gary Palmer R-AL
- Mike Quigley D-IL
- James Baird R-IN
- Lance Gooden R-TX
- Gabe Amo D-RI
- Gus Bilirakis R-FL
- Don Bacon R-NE
- André Carson D-IN
- Earl Carter R-GA
- Chris Deluzio D-PA
- Thomas Suozzi D-NY
- Shri Thanedar D-MI
- Mark Amodei R-NV
- Nicholas Begich R-AK
- Sheri Biggs R-SC
- Max Miller R-OH
- John McGuire R-VA
- Joe Neguse D-CO
- Glenn Thompson R-PA
- Marc Veasey D-TX
- Roger Williams R-TX
- Dan Goldman D-NY
- Lois Frankel D-FL
- Michael Guest R-MS
- Pat Harrigan R-NC
- Ro Khanna D-CA
- Nancy Mace R-SC
- Derrick Van Orden R-WI
- Gilbert Cisneros D-CA
- Suzan DelBene D-WA
- Sarah Elfreth D-MD
- Julie Fedorchak R-ND
- Mike Levin D-CA
- Chellie Pingree D-ME
- Julie Johnson D-TX
- Susie Lee D-NV
- Joe Wilson R-SC
Who scored on this bill
- 1Pete Sessions SponsorIntroduced, drew cross-party cosponsors, reached a cosponsor milestone3 events+12
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Other bills by Pete Sessions
History
- Introduced in the House by Pete Sessions.
Show the full action history (2 actions)
- Introduced in House
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.