I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1204 
To amend the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise 
to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 to limit attorney fees 
available under the Federal cause of action relating to water at Camp 
Lejeune, North Carolina, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2023 
Mr. NADLER (for himself and Mr. TAKANO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Hon-
oring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act 
of 2022 to limit attorney fees available under the Federal 
cause of action relating to water at Camp Lejeune, North 
Carolina, 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. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect Access to Jus-
tice for Veterans Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON ATTORNEY FEES FOR FEDERAL 
CAUSE OF ACTION RELATING TO WATER AT 
CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA. 
Section 804 of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robin-
son Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive 
Toxics Act of 2022 (Public Law 117–168; 28 U.S.C. 2671 
note prec.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(k) ATTORNEY FEES.— 
‘‘(1) LIMITATIONS.—No legal representative of 
an individual who brings an action under subsection 
(b) or who presents a claim under section 2675 of 
title 28, United States Code, pursuant to subsection 
(h) shall charge, demand, receive, or collect for serv-
ices rendered in bringing such action or presenting 
such claim, fees in excess of— 
‘‘(A) 20 percent of an award, compromise, 
or settlement made or reached within 180 days 
after presenting a claim under section 2675 of 
title 28, United States Code, pursuant to sub-
section (h); and 
‘‘(B) 33.3 percent on a claim that is re-
solved by settlement, compromise, or judgement 
after the initiation of an action. 
‘‘(2) TERMS
FOR
PAYMENT
OF
FEES.—Any 
judgment rendered, settlement entered, compromise 
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made, or other award made with respect to an action 
brought under subsection (b) or a claim presented 
under section 2675 of title 28, United States Code, 
pursuant to subsection (h) by a legal representative 
of an individual shall require the following: 
‘‘(A) All funds from the judgment, settle-
ment, compromise, or other award shall be de-
posited into an account held in trust for the in-
dividual in accordance with all applicable provi-
sions of State law. 
‘‘(B) The legal representative shall— 
‘‘(i) once any funds described in sub-
paragraph (A) have been deposited into an 
account pursuant to such subparagraph, 
notify the individual of such deposit; and 
‘‘(ii) promptly deliver to such indi-
vidual such amount of such funds as the 
individual is entitled to receive. 
‘‘(C) That no funds shall be paid from the 
account described in subparagraph (A) to a 
legal representative of the individual as com-
pensation for services rendered to such indi-
vidual until the relevant funds from such ac-
count have been disbursed to the individual in 
accordance with subparagraph (B). 
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‘‘(3) PENALTIES.— 
‘‘(A) FEE
LIMITATIONS.—Any legal rep-
resentative who charges, demands, receives, or 
collects for services rendered in connection with 
an action under subsection (b) or a claim under 
section 2675 of title 28, United States Code, 
pursuant to subsection (h), any amount in ex-
cess of that allowed under paragraph (1) of this 
subsection, if recovery be had, shall be fined not 
more than $5,000. 
‘‘(B) TERMS FOR PAYMENT.—Failure of a 
legal representative subject to paragraph (2) to 
comply with a requirement of such paragraph 
shall be punishable consistent with the penalties 
provided in section 2678 of title 28, United 
States Code. 
‘‘(4) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to annul, alter, af-
fect, or exempt any person from complying with the 
laws of any State or locality with respect to the 
practice of law, except to the extent that those laws 
are inconsistent with any provision of this sub-
section, and then only to the extent of the inconsist-
ency.’’. 
Æ 
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