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H.R. 4863

U.S. HouseIn House Committee

Summary

H.R. 4863, the Fairness for Khobar Act of 2025, was introduced in the House on Aug 1, 2025 by Rep. Pete Sessions (R) with 14 co-sponsors. It was referred to Judiciary, and last saw action on Aug 1, 2025: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.


Record

Text

H.R. 4863 has 14 co-sponsors.

hb4863/introduced-in-house.txt
119 HR 4863 IH: Fairness for Khobar Act of 2025
U.S. House of Representatives
2025-08-01
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
I
119th CONGRESS 1st Session
H. R. 4863
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 1, 2025
Mr. Sessions 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 for lump sum catch-up payments for certain 1983 Beirut barracks bombing victims and 1996 Khobar Towers bombing victims.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Fairness for Khobar Act of 2025 .
2.
Lump sum catch-up payments for certain 1983 Beirut barracks bombing victims and 1996 Khobar Towers bombing victims
Section 404(d)(4)(D) of the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act ( 34 U.S.C. 20144(d)(4)(D) ) by adding at the end the following:
(v)
Lump sum catch-up payments for certain 1983 Beirut barracks bombing victims and 1996 Khobar Towers bombing victims
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the following shall apply:
(I)
The Special Master shall authorize lump sum catch-up payments to those 1983 Beirut barracks bombing victims and 1996 Khobar Towers bombing victims who did not apply for those payments because of Department of Justice guidance that stated that only one application may be submitted for each claim and that Fund claimants previously found eligible for regular payment distributions are not eligible for lump sum catch-up payments.
(II)
Not later than 30 days after the effective date of this subclause, the Special Master shall publish such procedures and other guidance necessary to implement subclause (I). The Special Master shall permit 1983 Beirut barracks bombing victims and 1996 Khobar Towers bombing victims covered by this clause to demonstrate their reliance on Department of Justice guidance through documentation of written or verbal communications with the Fund, a sworn statement that describes reliance on that guidance, or any other method identified by the Special Master.
(III)
The Special Master shall authorize lump sum catch-up payments pursuant to this clause from the reserve fund established in clause (iv) or from the Fund, to the extent sufficient reserve funds are not available.
.

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-08-01
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in House Aug 1, 2025

hb4863/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (08/01/2025)

Fairness for Khobar Act of 2025

This bill authorizes lump sum catch-up payments from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism (USVSST) Fund to certain victims of the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing or the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing who did not apply for catch-up payments during the application period. The USVSST Fund is administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and provides compensation to certain U.S. persons injured in acts of international state sponsored terrorism and their immediate family members.

The Fairness for 9/11 Families Act, enacted in 2022, authorized and provided funding for lump sum catch-up payments from the USVSST Fund to victims of the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing or the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing. Claimants who were previously found eligible for regular payment distributions from the USVSST Fund were also eligible for lump sum payments, but the act required them to apply from December 29, 2022, to June 27, 2023. In a 2024 report, the Government Accountability Office found that up to 274 eligible victims did not apply for lump sum catch-up payments because of DOJ guidance that stated, in part, that claimants who were previously found eligible for regular payment distributions are not eligible for the lump sum catch-up payments.

Sponsors

Rep. Pete Sessions (R) sponsors H.R. 4863, and 14 members have co-sponsored it.

Committees

H.R. 4863 went before 1 committee: Judiciary.

Judiciary
Judiciary
Referred To · Aug 1, 2025 · 2,181 Bills

Actions

H.R. 4863 has taken 2 actions since Aug 1, 2025.

ChamberAction
Aug 1, 2025
House
Introduced in House
Aug 1, 2025
House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.Judiciary Committee

Votes

H.R. 4863 has not gone to a roll call.

Titles

H.R. 4863 goes by 3 titles, 1 of them short titles.

  • Fairness for Khobar Act of 2025 — Display Title
  • Fairness for Khobar Act of 2025 — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To amend the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act to provide for lump sum catch-up payments for certain 1983 Beirut barracks bombing victims and 1996 Khobar Towers bombing victims. — Official Title as Introduced

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 4863 under Crime and Law Enforcement, one of its 31 policy areas.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 4863’s is Crime and Law Enforcement.

hr4863/policy-areas.txt
Crime and Law EnforcementAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 4863, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. SESSIONS:H.R. 4863.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution[Page H3674]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com