I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8419 

To amend the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism 

Act to provide funding for United States victims of state-sponsored 

terrorism by ensuring consistent and meaningful distributions from the 

United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 16, 2024 

Mr. LAWLER (for himself, Ms. MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. GOLDMAN of New York, Mr. JAMES, Mr. STANTON, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. 

D’ESPOSITO, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. NADLER, Mr. MOLINARO, 

Mr. WILLIAMS of New York, Mr. RYAN, Mr. NORCROSS, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. 

STEFANIK, Mr. LALOTA, Mr. LANGWORTHY, Ms. TENNEY, Mr. NEHLS, 

Mr. GARBARINO, Ms. MENG, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. DELUZIO, and Mr. 

TORRES of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Justice for United States Victims of State 

Sponsored Terrorism Act to provide funding for United 

States victims of state-sponsored terrorism by ensuring 

consistent and meaningful distributions from the United 

States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Victims of 

3 Terrorism Compensation Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF CERTAIN FUNDS INTO UNITED 

5 STATES VICTIMS OF STATE SPONSORED TER6 RORISM FUND. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 404 of the Justice for 

8 United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act 

9 (34 U.S.C. 20144) is amended— 

10 (1) in subsection (d)(4), by adding at the end 

11 the following: 

12 ‘‘(E) FIFTH-ROUND PAYMENTS.— 

13 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Special Mas14 ter shall authorize fifth-round payments to 

15 satisfy eligible claims under this section 

16 not later than July 1, 2024. All authorized 

17 payments shall be distributed to eligible 

18 claimants not later than December 31, 

19 2024, or, if an eligible claimant has not 

20 provided the Special Master with the pay21 ment information required for distribution, 

22 as soon as practicable after the date of re23 ceipt by the Special Master of such infor24 mation.’’; and 

25 (2) in subsection (e)— 


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1 (A) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end 

2 the following: 

3 ‘‘(C) CERTAIN ASSIGNED AND FORFEITED

4 ASSETS.— 

5 ‘‘(i) BINANCE HOLDINGS LIMITED.— 

6 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Funds and 

7 the net proceeds from the sale of 

8 property, forfeited or paid to the 

9 United States as a criminal penalty or 

10 fine in connection with the plea agree11 ment in the proceedings captioned as 

12 United States v. Binance Holdings 

13 Limited, No. 2:23–cr–00178 (RAJ) 

14 (W.D. Wash. filed Nov. 14, 2023)— 

15 ‘‘(aa) which shall include the 

16 $898,618,825 that is required to 

17 be paid within 30 days of sen18 tencing; and 

19 ‘‘(bb) which may include 

20 other funds and net proceeds 

21 that qualify for deposit or trans22 fer into the Fund. 

23 ‘‘(II) TIMING.—An agency of the 

24 United States shall deposit or transfer 

25 into the Fund any amount paid by a 


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1 defendant in such proceedings pursu2 ant to the plea agreement that is to 

3 be deposited or transferred into the 

4 Fund in accordance with subclause (I) 

5 not later than the later of— 

6 ‘‘(aa) 30 days after the re7 ceipt of such amount by the 

8 agency; or 

9 ‘‘(bb) 15 days after the date 

10 of enactment of this subpara11 graph. 

12 ‘‘(ii) DOJ ASSETS FORFEITURE

13 FUND.—Fifty percent of the excess unobli14 gated balance of the Department of Justice 

15 Assets Forfeiture Fund established under 

16 524(c)(1) of title 28, United States Code, 

17 to be paid on annually on December 1, be18 ginning on December 1, 2024. 

19 ‘‘(iii) TREASURY FORFEITURE

20 FUND.—Fifty percent of the excess unobli21 gated balance of the Department of the 

22 Treasury Forfeiture Fund established 

23 under section 9705 of title 31, United 

24 States Code, to be paid annually on De25 cember 1, beginning on December 1, 2024. 


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1 ‘‘(iv) DEFINITION.—In this subpara2 graph: 

3 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The term 

4 ‘excess unobligated balance’ with re5 spect to a fund, means the difference 

6 between— 

7 ‘‘(aa) the unobligated bal8 ance of the fund, as of Sep9 tember 30 of the fiscal year be10 fore the date specified in sub11 clause (I) or (II) of clause (ii) or 

12 in subclause (I) or (II) of clause 

13 (iii), as applicable; and 

14 ‘‘(bb) the amount that is re15 quired to be retained in the fund 

16 to ensure the availability of 

17 amounts in the fiscal year after 

18 the fiscal year described in item 

19 (aa) for the purposes for which 

20 amounts in the fund are author21 ized to be used. 

22 ‘‘(II) EXCLUSION OF RESCIS23 SIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR AFTER DE24 TERMINATION OF AMOUNT.—For pur25 poses of subclause (I)(aa), the amount 


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1 of the unobligated balance of a fund, 

2 as of September 30 of a fiscal year, 

3 shall be determined without regard to 

4 any rescission of amounts in the fund 

5 for the next fiscal year included in an 

6 appropriation Act referred to in sec7 tion 105 of title 1, United States 

8 Code, including any anticipated or po9 tential rescission and any rescission 

10 given continuing effect for such next 

11 fiscal year under an Act making con12 tinuing appropriations for such next 

13 fiscal year.’’. 

14 (b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in the 

15 amendments made by subsection (a) shall be construed to 

16 harm, jeopardize, or impair equitable sharing with law en17 forcement or restitution owed to crime victims. 

18 SEC. 3. DEPOSIT OF TERRORISM-RELATED PENALTIES AND 

19 FINES INTO THE UNITED STATES VICTIMS OF 

20 STATE SPONSORED TERRORISM FUND. 

21 (a) CRIMINAL FUNDS AND PROPERTY.—Section 

22 404(e)(2)(A) of the Justice for United States Victims of 

23 State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 

24 20144(e)(2)(A)) is amended by striking clause (i) and in25 serting the following: 


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1 ‘‘(i) CRIMINAL FUNDS AND PROP2 ERTY.— 

3 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—All funds, 

4 and the net proceeds from the sale of 

5 property, forfeited or paid to the 

6 United States after the date of enact7 ment of the American Victims of Ter8 rorism Compensation Act as a crimi9 nal penalty or fine in a matter or pro10 ceeding involving, relating to, or aris11 ing from the actions of, or doing busi12 ness with, or acting on behalf of, a 

13 state sponsor of terrorism, without re14 gard to the nature of the offense. 

15 ‘‘(II) SCOPE.—All funds and net 

16 proceeds described in this clause shall 

17 be deposited or transferred into the 

18 Fund if the state sponsor of terrorism 

19 was so designated at the time of the 

20 penalty or fine, at any time during the 

21 course of any related legal pro22 ceedings, or at the time of any related 

23 conduct. 

24 ‘‘(III) RULE OF CONSTRUC25 TION.—Nothing in this clause shall be 


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1 construed to limit any rights to court2 ordered restitution of any direct vic3 tim of an offense in a matter or pro4 ceeding from which amounts are to be 

5 deposited into the Fund pursuant to 

6 this clause.’’. 

7 (b) CIVIL FUNDS AND PROPERTY.—Section 

8 404(e)(2)(A) of the Justice for United States Victims of 

9 State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 

10 20144(e)(2)(A)) is amended by striking clause (ii) and in11 serting the following: 

12 ‘‘(ii) CIVIL FUNDS AND PROPERTY.— 

13 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Seventy-five 

14 percent of all funds, and seventy-five 

15 percent of the net proceeds from the 

16 sale of property, forfeited or paid to 

17 the United States after the date of en18 actment of the American Victims of 

19 Terrorism Compensation Act, as a 

20 civil penalty or fine in a matter or 

21 proceeding involving, relating to, or 

22 arising from the actions of, or doing 

23 business with, or acting on behalf of, 

24 a state sponsor of terrorism, without 

25 regard to the nature of the offense. 


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1 ‘‘(II) SCOPE.—All funds and net 

2 proceeds described in this clause shall 

3 be deposited or transferred into the 

4 Fund if the state sponsor of terrorism 

5 was so designated at the time of the 

6 penalty or fine, at any time during the 

7 course of any related legal pro8 ceedings, or at the time of any related 

9 conduct. 

10 ‘‘(III) RULE OF CONSTRUC11 TION.—Nothing in this clause shall be 

12 construed to limit any rights to court13 ordered restitution of any direct vic14 tim of an offense in a matter or pro15 ceeding from which amounts are to be 

16 deposited into the Fund pursuant to 

17 this clause.’’. 

18 SEC. 4. ANNUAL PAYMENTS. 

19 Section 404(d)(4) of the Justice for United States 

20 Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 

21 20144(d)(4)) is amended by striking subparagraph (A) 

22 and inserting the following: 

23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

24 subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D), on January 

25 1, 2025, and January 1 of each calendar year 


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1 thereafter, the Special Master or the Attorney 

2 General shall authorize a general distribution of 

3 payments on a pro rata basis to those claimants 

4 with eligible claims under subsection (c)(2). All 

5 authorized payments shall be distributed to the 

6 eligible claimants as soon as practicable in the 

7 calendar year of authorization, or, if the Special 

8 Master or Attorney General authorizes pay9 ments prior to January 1, not later than 1 year 

10 after the date of such authorization. Except as 

11 provided in this subparagraph, the Special Mas12 ter shall not be required to authorize more than 

13 1 general distribution in any calendar year, but 

14 may, in the sole discretion of the Special Mas15 ter, authorize any such additional general dis16 tributions, if appropriate.’’. 

17 SEC. 5. REPORT OF FUND ACTIVITY. 

18 Section 404(b)(1)(A) of the Justice for United States 

19 Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 

20 20144(b)(1)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(iv) SPECIAL MASTER REPORT.—On 

23 January 1 of each year, the Special Master 

24 shall submit to the chairman and ranking 

25 minority member of the Committee on the 


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1 Judiciary of the Senate and the chairman 

2 and ranking minority member of the Com3 mittee on the Judiciary of the House of 

4 Representatives a report on the balance 

5 and activity of the Fund, which shall in6 clude— 

7 ‘‘(I) the total amount in the 

8 Fund at the end of the preceding fis9 cal year; 

10 ‘‘(II) deposits into the Fund dur11 ing the preceding fiscal year sufficient 

12 to identify the source, including, if ap13 plicable, the case name and the 

14 amount of each deposit, except to the 

15 extent that any sealing order requires 

16 any portion of such information to re17 main confidential; and 

18 ‘‘(III) disbursements from the 

19 Fund during the preceding fiscal year 

20 sufficient to identify specific amounts 

21 disbursed for victim compensation and 

22 other purposes, including for adminis23 trative costs and use of Department 

24 of Justice personnel; 


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1 ‘‘(v) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 

2 January 1, 2027, and every 3 years there3 after, the Comptroller General of the 

4 United States shall submit to Congress a 

5 report— 

6 ‘‘(I) evaluating the administra7 tion of the Fund and the sufficiency 

8 of funding for the Fund; and 

9 ‘‘(II) making recommendations 

10 for any further funding of the 

11 Fund.’’. 

12 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

13 Section 404(j) of the Justice for United States Vic14 tims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 

15 20144(d)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the fol16 lowing: 

17 ‘‘(17) GENERAL DISTRIBUTION.—The term 

18 ‘general distribution’ means any distribution for all 

19 eligible claims pursuant to section (d)(1).’’. 

20 SEC. 7. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND USE OF DEPARTMENT 

21 OF JUSTICE PERSONNEL. 

22 Section 404(b)(1) of the Justice for United States 

23 Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 

24 20144(b)(1)) is amended by striking subparagraph (B) 

25 and inserting the following: 


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1 ‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND USE OF

2 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PERSONNEL.—The 

3 Special Master may utilize, as necessary, no 

4 more than 10 full-time equivalent Department 

5 of Justice personnel to assist in carrying out 

6 the duties of the Special Master under this sec7 tion. Any costs associated with the use of such 

8 personnel, and any other administrative costs of 

9 carrying out this section, shall be paid from the 

10 Fund.’’. 

11 SEC. 8. ADDITIONAL REPORTS. 

12 Section 404(d)(4)(D)(iv)(IV)(bb) of the Justice for 

13 United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act 

14 (34 U.S.C. 20144(d)(4)(D)(iv)(IV)(bb)) is amended by in15 serting ‘‘not later than 90 days after the date on which 

16 the Special Master makes the authorization under sub17 clause (II)’’ before the period at the end. 

Æ 


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