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. GOLD-
MAN 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Victims of 
Terrorism Compensation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF CERTAIN FUNDS INTO UNITED 
STATES VICTIMS OF STATE SPONSORED TER-
RORISM FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 404 of the Justice for 
United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act 
(34 U.S.C. 20144) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)(4), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(E) FIFTH-ROUND PAYMENTS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Special Mas-
ter shall authorize fifth-round payments to 
satisfy eligible claims under this section 
not later than July 1, 2024. All authorized 
payments shall be distributed to eligible 
claimants not later than December 31, 
2024, or, if an eligible claimant has not 
provided the Special Master with the pay-
ment information required for distribution, 
as soon as practicable after the date of re-
ceipt by the Special Master of such infor-
mation.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e)— 
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(A) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(C) CERTAIN ASSIGNED AND FORFEITED 
ASSETS.— 
‘‘(i) BINANCE HOLDINGS LIMITED.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—Funds and 
the net proceeds from the sale of 
property, forfeited or paid to the 
United States as a criminal penalty or 
fine in connection with the plea agree-
ment in the proceedings captioned as 
United States v. Binance Holdings 
Limited, No. 2:23–cr–00178 (RAJ) 
(W.D. Wash. filed Nov. 14, 2023)— 
‘‘(aa) which shall include the 
$898,618,825 that is required to 
be paid within 30 days of sen-
tencing; and 
‘‘(bb) which may include 
other funds and net proceeds 
that qualify for deposit or trans-
fer into the Fund. 
‘‘(II) TIMING.—An agency of the 
United States shall deposit or transfer 
into the Fund any amount paid by a 
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defendant in such proceedings pursu-
ant to the plea agreement that is to 
be deposited or transferred into the 
Fund in accordance with subclause (I) 
not later than the later of— 
‘‘(aa) 30 days after the re-
ceipt of such amount by the 
agency; or 
‘‘(bb) 15 days after the date 
of enactment of this subpara-
graph. 
‘‘(ii) 
DOJ 
ASSETS
FORFEITURE 
FUND.—Fifty percent of the excess unobli-
gated balance of the Department of Justice 
Assets Forfeiture Fund established under 
524(c)(1) of title 28, United States Code, 
to be paid on annually on December 1, be-
ginning on December 1, 2024. 
‘‘(iii) 
TREASURY
FORFEITURE 
FUND.—Fifty percent of the excess unobli-
gated balance of the Department of the 
Treasury 
Forfeiture 
Fund 
established 
under section 9705 of title 31, United 
States Code, to be paid annually on De-
cember 1, beginning on December 1, 2024. 
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‘‘(iv) DEFINITION.—In this subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—The term 
‘excess unobligated balance’ with re-
spect to a fund, means the difference 
between— 
‘‘(aa) the unobligated bal-
ance of the fund, as of Sep-
tember 30 of the fiscal year be-
fore the date specified in sub-
clause (I) or (II) of clause (ii) or 
in subclause (I) or (II) of clause 
(iii), as applicable; and 
‘‘(bb) the amount that is re-
quired to be retained in the fund 
to ensure the availability of 
amounts in the fiscal year after 
the fiscal year described in item 
(aa) for the purposes for which 
amounts in the fund are author-
ized to be used. 
‘‘(II) EXCLUSION
OF
RESCIS-
SIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR AFTER DE-
TERMINATION OF AMOUNT.—For pur-
poses of subclause (I)(aa), the amount 
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of the unobligated balance of a fund, 
as of September 30 of a fiscal year, 
shall be determined without regard to 
any rescission of amounts in the fund 
for the next fiscal year included in an 
appropriation Act referred to in sec-
tion 105 of title 1, United States 
Code, including any anticipated or po-
tential rescission and any rescission 
given continuing effect for such next 
fiscal year under an Act making con-
tinuing appropriations for such next 
fiscal year.’’. 
(b) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in the 
amendments made by subsection (a) shall be construed to 
harm, jeopardize, or impair equitable sharing with law en-
forcement or restitution owed to crime victims. 
SEC. 3. DEPOSIT OF TERRORISM-RELATED PENALTIES AND 
FINES INTO THE UNITED STATES VICTIMS OF 
STATE SPONSORED TERRORISM FUND. 
(a) CRIMINAL
FUNDS
AND
PROPERTY.—Section 
404(e)(2)(A) of the Justice for United States Victims of 
State 
Sponsored 
Terrorism 
Act 
(34 
U.S.C. 
20144(e)(2)(A)) is amended by striking clause (i) and in-
serting the following: 
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‘‘(i) CRIMINAL
FUNDS
AND
PROP-
ERTY.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—All funds, 
and the net proceeds from the sale of 
property, forfeited or paid to the 
United States after the date of enact-
ment of the American Victims of Ter-
rorism Compensation Act as a crimi-
nal penalty or fine in a matter or pro-
ceeding involving, relating to, or aris-
ing from the actions of, or doing busi-
ness with, or acting on behalf of, a 
state sponsor of terrorism, without re-
gard to the nature of the offense. 
‘‘(II) SCOPE.—All funds and net 
proceeds described in this clause shall 
be deposited or transferred into the 
Fund if the state sponsor of terrorism 
was so designated at the time of the 
penalty or fine, at any time during the 
course of any related legal pro-
ceedings, or at the time of any related 
conduct. 
‘‘(III) 
RULE
OF
CONSTRUC-
TION.—Nothing in this clause shall be 
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construed to limit any rights to court- 
ordered restitution of any direct vic-
tim of an offense in a matter or pro-
ceeding from which amounts are to be 
deposited into the Fund pursuant to 
this clause.’’. 
(b) 
CIVIL
FUNDS
AND
PROPERTY.—Section 
404(e)(2)(A) of the Justice for United States Victims of 
State 
Sponsored 
Terrorism 
Act 
(34 
U.S.C. 
20144(e)(2)(A)) is amended by striking clause (ii) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(ii) CIVIL FUNDS AND PROPERTY.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—Seventy-five 
percent of all funds, and seventy-five 
percent of the net proceeds from the 
sale of property, forfeited or paid to 
the United States after the date of en-
actment of the American Victims of 
Terrorism Compensation Act, as a 
civil penalty or fine in a matter or 
proceeding involving, relating to, or 
arising from the actions of, or doing 
business with, or acting on behalf of, 
a state sponsor of terrorism, without 
regard to the nature of the offense. 
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‘‘(II) SCOPE.—All funds and net 
proceeds described in this clause shall 
be deposited or transferred into the 
Fund if the state sponsor of terrorism 
was so designated at the time of the 
penalty or fine, at any time during the 
course of any related legal pro-
ceedings, or at the time of any related 
conduct. 
‘‘(III) 
RULE
OF
CONSTRUC-
TION.—Nothing in this clause shall be 
construed to limit any rights to court- 
ordered restitution of any direct vic-
tim of an offense in a matter or pro-
ceeding from which amounts are to be 
deposited into the Fund pursuant to 
this clause.’’. 
SEC. 4. ANNUAL PAYMENTS. 
Section 404(d)(4) of the Justice for United States 
Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 
20144(d)(4)) is amended by striking subparagraph (A) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D), on January 
1, 2025, and January 1 of each calendar year 
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thereafter, the Special Master or the Attorney 
General shall authorize a general distribution of 
payments on a pro rata basis to those claimants 
with eligible claims under subsection (c)(2). All 
authorized payments shall be distributed to the 
eligible claimants as soon as practicable in the 
calendar year of authorization, or, if the Special 
Master or Attorney General authorizes pay-
ments prior to January 1, not later than 1 year 
after the date of such authorization. Except as 
provided in this subparagraph, the Special Mas-
ter shall not be required to authorize more than 
1 general distribution in any calendar year, but 
may, in the sole discretion of the Special Mas-
ter, authorize any such additional general dis-
tributions, if appropriate.’’. 
SEC. 5. REPORT OF FUND ACTIVITY. 
Section 404(b)(1)(A) of the Justice for United States 
Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 
20144(b)(1)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iv) SPECIAL MASTER REPORT.—On 
January 1 of each year, the Special Master 
shall submit to the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on the 
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Judiciary of the Senate and the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives a report on the balance 
and activity of the Fund, which shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(I) the total amount in the 
Fund at the end of the preceding fis-
cal year; 
‘‘(II) deposits into the Fund dur-
ing the preceding fiscal year sufficient 
to identify the source, including, if ap-
plicable, the case name and the 
amount of each deposit, except to the 
extent that any sealing order requires 
any portion of such information to re-
main confidential; and 
‘‘(III) disbursements from the 
Fund during the preceding fiscal year 
sufficient to identify specific amounts 
disbursed for victim compensation and 
other purposes, including for adminis-
trative costs and use of Department 
of Justice personnel; 
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‘‘(v) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 
January 1, 2027, and every 3 years there-
after, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall submit to Congress a 
report— 
‘‘(I) evaluating the administra-
tion of the Fund and the sufficiency 
of funding for the Fund; and 
‘‘(II) making recommendations 
for any further funding of the 
Fund.’’. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 404(j) of the Justice for United States Vic-
tims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 
20144(d)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(17) GENERAL
DISTRIBUTION.—The term 
‘general distribution’ means any distribution for all 
eligible claims pursuant to section (d)(1).’’. 
SEC. 7. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND USE OF DEPARTMENT 
OF JUSTICE PERSONNEL. 
Section 404(b)(1) of the Justice for United States 
Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 
20144(b)(1)) is amended by striking subparagraph (B) 
and inserting the following: 
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‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND USE OF 
DEPARTMENT
OF
JUSTICE
PERSONNEL.—The 
Special Master may utilize, as necessary, no 
more than 10 full-time equivalent Department 
of Justice personnel to assist in carrying out 
the duties of the Special Master under this sec-
tion. Any costs associated with the use of such 
personnel, and any other administrative costs of 
carrying out this section, shall be paid from the 
Fund.’’. 
SEC. 8. ADDITIONAL REPORTS. 
Section 404(d)(4)(D)(iv)(IV)(bb) of the Justice for 
United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act 
(34 U.S.C. 20144(d)(4)(D)(iv)(IV)(bb)) is amended by in-
serting ‘‘not later than 90 days after the date on which 
the Special Master makes the authorization under sub-
clause (II)’’ before the period at the end. 
Æ 
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