[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 549 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 549

To amend the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 (49 U.S.C. 
  40101 note; Public Law 107-42) to provide compensation for victims 
killed in the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 6, 2003

  Mr. Schumer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 (49 U.S.C. 
  40101 note; Public Law 107-42) to provide compensation for victims 
killed in the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``World Trade Center Bombing Victims 
Compensation Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

    Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this Act an 
amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal 
of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered a 
reference to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 (49 
U.S.C. 40101 note; Public Law 107-42).

SEC. 3. COMPENSATION FOR VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ACTS.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 402(6) is amended by inserting ``or 
related to the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993'' before the 
period.
    (b) Purpose.--Section 403 is amended by inserting ``or as a result 
of the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993'' before the period.
    (c) Determination of Eligibility for Compensation.--
            (1) Claim form contents.--Section 405(a)(2)(B) is amended--
                    (A) in clause (i), by inserting ``or as a result of 
                the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993'' before 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in clause (ii), by inserting ``or bombing'' 
                before the semicolon; and
                    (C) in clause (iii), by inserting ``or bombing'' 
                before the period.
            (2) Limitation.--Section 405(a) is amended by striking 
        paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
            ``(3) Limitation.--
                    ``(A) In general.--No claim may be filed under 
                paragraph (1) after the date that is 2 years after the 
                date on which regulations are promulgated under section 
                407.
                    ``(B) Word trade center bombing claims.--
                Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a claim may be filed 
                under paragraph (1) relating to the bombing of the 
                World Trade Center in 1993 not later than 1 year after 
                the date of enactment of the World Trade Center Bombing 
                Victims Compensation Act of 2003.''.
            (3) Collateral compensation.--Section 405(b)(6) is amended 
        by inserting ``or as a result of the bombing of the World Trade 
        Center in 1993'' before the period.
            (4) Eligibility.--
                    (A) Individuals.--Section 405(c)(2)(A) is amended--
                            (i) in clause (i), by inserting ``or was 
                        present at the World Trade Center in 1993 at 
                        the time of the bombing of the World Trade 
                        Center'' before the semicolon; and
                            (ii) by striking clause (ii) and inserting 
                        the following:
                            ``(ii) suffered physical harm or death as a 
                        result of such an air crash or suffered death 
                        as a result of such bombing;''.
                    (B) Requirements.--Section 405(c)(3) is amended--
                            (i) in the heading for subparagraph (B) by 
                        inserting ``relating to september 11th 
                        terrorist acts'' before the period; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) Limitation on civil action relating to the 
                bombing of the world trade center in 1993.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Upon the submission of a 
                        claim under this title, the claimant waives the 
                        right to file a civil action (or to be a party 
                        to an action) in any Federal or State court for 
                        damages sustained as a result of the bombing of 
                        the World Trade Center in 1993. The preceding 
                        sentence does not apply to a civil action to 
                        recover any collateral source obligation based 
                        on contract, or to a civil action against any 
                        person who is a knowing participant in any 
                        conspiracy to commit any terrorist act.
                            ``(ii) Pending actions.--In the case of an 
                        individual who is a party to a civil action 
                        described in clause (i), such individual may 
                        not submit a claim under this title unless such 
                        individual withdraws from such action by the 
                        date that is 90 days after the date on which 
                        regulations are promulgated under section 4 of 
                        the World Trade Center Bombing Victims 
                        Compensation Act of 2003.
                    ``(D) Individuals with prior compensation.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), 
                        an individual is not an eligible individual for 
                        purposes of this subsection if that individual, 
                        or the estate of that individual, has received 
                        any compensation from a civil action or 
                        settlement based on tort related to the bombing 
                        of the World Trade Center in 1993.
                            ``(ii) Exception.--Clause (i) shall not 
                        apply to compensation received from a civil 
                        action against any person who is a knowing 
                        participant in any conspiracy to commit any 
                        terrorist act.''.
                    (C) Ineligibility of participants and 
                conspirators.--Section 405(c) is amended by adding at 
                the end the following:
            ``(4) Ineligibility of participants and conspirators.--An 
        individual, or a representative of that individual, shall not 
        be eligible to receive compensation under this title if that 
        individual is identified by the Attorney General to have been a 
        participant or conspirator in the bombing of the World Trade 
        Center in 1993.''.

SEC. 4. REGULATIONS.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Attorney General, in consultation with the Special Master, shall 
promulgate regulations to carry out the amendments made by this Act, 
including regulations with respect to--
            (1) forms to be used in submitting claims under the 
        amendments made by this Act;
            (2) the information to be included in such forms;
            (3) procedures for hearing and the presentation of 
        evidence;
            (4) procedures to assist an individual in filing and 
        pursuing claims under the amendments made by this Act; and
            (5) other matters determined appropriate by the Attorney 
        General.
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