H.R. 6527: Justice for the Living Victims of Lockerbie Act

The bill titled "Justice for the Living Victims of Lockerbie Act" aims to provide compensation to specific individuals in the United States who are recognized as victims of Libyan State-sponsored terrorism, particularly related to the Lockerbie bombing incident. The following outlines the main components of the bill:

Short Title

The Act is officially referred to as the "Justice for the Living Victims of Lockerbie Act."

Defined Term

It identifies the group eligible for compensation as "compensable living victims of Libyan State-sponsored terrorism." This term includes individuals who:

• Are U.S. citizens or residents.
• Were aged 45 or older on December 3, 1991.
• Were employed by Pan American World Airways, Inc. on December 3, 1991.
• Were named claimants in a specific legal case against Libya.
• Were alive on August 14, 2008.

Creation of a Trust Fund

The bill mandates the establishment of a trust fund called the "Living Victims of Lockerbie Claims Trust Fund." This fund will be set up by the Secretary of the Treasury no later than 30 days after the bill is enacted.

Funding for the Trust Fund

Once established, the bill specifies that $42,066,338 will be appropriated to the trust fund from the U.S. Treasury for paying claims. This amount will remain available until it is fully utilized.

Compensation Claims Process

The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission will oversee the claims submission process for compensable living victims. The following steps summarize this process:

• By a date no later than 30 days after the enactment, the Commission must publish a notice in the Federal Register outlining how to file claims, including a deadline of 60 days for claim submissions.
• Within 60 days after the claim filing period ends, the Commission must determine which claimants are eligible as compensable living victims and approve those claims.
• Upon approving a claim, the Commission will certify it for payment by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Payment Authorization

The Secretary of the Treasury is responsible for making payments to claimants whose claims have been certified by the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. The compensation amount for each approved claimant will be calculated by dividing the total allocated fund ($42,066,338) by the number of certified claims.

Claiming on Behalf of Deceased Individuals

If a claimant is deceased, a personal representative may submit claims on behalf of the individual’s estate, ensuring that eligible family members can still receive compensation.

Relevant Companies

None found