HR1530-119

What This Bill Does

The American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act rewrites major operating rules for the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. It directs fifth-round payments to eligible claimants by March 14, 2025, when payment information is available. It identifies large deposits connected to forfeitures and penalties, including $898,619,225 associated with Binance Holdings Limited and $1,912,031,763 from other covered proceeds, and broadens future deposits from IEEPA, Trading with the Enemy Act, state-sponsor-of-terrorism, and sanctions-related matters. It requires annual pro rata payments beginning January 1, 2026, annual fund-activity reports to House and Senate Judiciary leaders, administrative-cost rules using no more than 10 DOJ full-time equivalents, and supplemental fifth-round distributions from excess catch-up reserve funds by June 30, 2025.

Who Benefits and How

Victims of state-sponsored terrorism benefit because more forfeiture and penalty proceeds flow into compensation distributions. Eligible fifth-round claimants benefit from statutory payment deadlines for delayed or supplemental distributions. Terrorism victim families benefit from annual pro rata payment rules that turn qualifying future deposits into regular compensation rounds. Congressional Judiciary committees benefit from annual reports identifying fund balances, deposits, disbursements, and administrative costs.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Special Master must authorize distributions, manage annual payments, prepare reports, and administer supplemental fifth-round payments. The Department of Justice must support the Fund with personnel while charging administrative costs to the Fund. Sanctions violators and entities tied to state sponsors of terrorism lose forfeited or penalty proceeds to victim compensation. Federal agencies holding covered forfeitures must identify, transfer, and report qualifying money for deposit into the Fund.

Key Provisions

• Transfers specified Binance and other forfeiture proceeds into the terrorism victim compensation fund.
• Requires fifth-round claimant payments and supplemental reserve-fund distributions on statutory deadlines.
• Creates annual pro rata payment rules for future qualifying deposits and interest.
• Requires annual reports on fund balance, deposits, disbursements, administrative costs, and DOJ personnel use.