I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4025 
To provide for justice and compensation for United States citizens taken 
hostage by Iran, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 4, 2009 
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself and Mr. SHERMAN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for justice and compensation for United States 
citizens taken hostage by Iran, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. STATEMENTS OF POLICY. 
(a) PURSUIT OF JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY.— 
It is the policy of the United States, as specified in the 
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 
and in other United States laws, to seek justice for United 
States victims of terrorism and to hold terrorists and their 
state-sponsors accountable for their actions. 
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(b) PREEMPTION.—United States law regarding vic-
tims of terrorism supersedes the Algiers Accords and any 
other agreement with Iran stemming from the holding of 
United States hostages in Iran from November 4, 1979, 
through January 20, 1981. 
SEC. 2. JUSTICE AND COMPENSATION FOR UNITED STATES 
CITIZENS TAKEN HOSTAGE BY IRAN ON NO-
VEMBER 4, 1979. 
(a) INAPPLICABILITY OF ALGIERS ACCORDS.—Any 
provision of the Algiers Accords, entered into with Iran 
on January 19, 1981, that purports to prohibit a United 
States citizen from prosecuting any claim (relating to the 
taking of United States citizens hostage in Iran on No-
vember 4, 1979) in any court of the United States or to 
limit the jurisdiction of any court (with respect to such 
matter) of the United States is hereby abrogated and 
deemed not applicable. 
(b) PAYMENTS.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall di-
rect payments in accordance with subsection (c) to a com-
mon fund to be established and administered by certified 
class representatives for United States citizens who were 
hostages in Iran (as identified in case number 
1:00CV03110 (EGS) of the United States District Court 
for the District of Columbia). Such common fund shall 
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make payments in accordance with subsection (b) for the 
benefit of such United States citizens. 
(c) AMOUNTS.—Compensation from the common 
fund shall be paid as follows: 
(1) For each former hostage identified in such 
case number 1:00CV031110 (EGS) of the United 
States District Court for the District of Columbia, 
$1,000 for each day of captivity. 
(2) For each spouse and child of a hostage re-
ferred to in paragraph (1), or the estate of such hos-
tage if deceased, including those spouses and chil-
dren identified as a class member, $500 for each day 
of captivity of the former hostage. 
(3) Interest calculated at 9 percent, rep-
resenting the annual average of the daily prime rate 
from the date of taking of a hostage who is receiving 
compensation under this section to the date of pay-
ment, compounded annually, for the period from the 
date of such taking until the date of payment under 
such subsection. 
(d) FUNDING.—Payments to the common fund (suffi-
cient to cover the compensation paid in accordance with 
subsection (b)) shall be made in the following order: 
(1) Amounts in the Iran Foreign Military Sales 
Program account, in its entirety. 
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(2) Blocked assets of terrorist parties, as such 
term is defined in section 201(d)(2) of the Ter-
rorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (Public Law 
107–297; 28 U.S.C. 1610 note). 
Æ 
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