[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5250-S5251]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3488. Mr. TILLIS (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2296, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle F of title X, add the following:

[[Page S5251]]

  


     SEC. 1067. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO THE CAMP LEJEUNE JUSTICE 
                   ACT OF 2022.

       (a) In General.--Section 804 of the Camp Lejeune Justice 
     Act of 2022 (28 U.S.C. 2671 note prec.) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b), by striking ``in the United States 
     District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina'';
       (2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
       ``(c) Burdens and Standard of Proof.--
       ``(1) In general.--The party filing an action under this 
     section shall be entitled to appropriate relief upon 
     showing--
       ``(A) the existence of 1 or more relationships between the 
     type of contaminant in any water at Camp Lejeune and the type 
     of harm suffered by the individual harm; and
       ``(B) that the individual was present at Camp Lejeune for a 
     period of not less than 30 days, whether or not consecutive.
       ``(2) Evidentiary standards.--To demonstrate the causal 
     relationship described in paragraph (1), a party shall 
     produce evidence showing that the relationship between 
     exposure to any level of contaminants of a type in any water 
     at Camp Lejeune and the type of harm is--
       ``(A) sufficient to conclude that a causal relationship 
     exists; or
       ``(B) sufficient to conclude that a causal relationship is 
     at least as likely as not.'';
       (3) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
       ``(d) Exclusive Jurisdiction and Venue.--
       ``(1) In general.--The United States District Court for the 
     Eastern District of North Carolina shall have exclusive 
     jurisdiction and venue for coordinated or consolidated 
     pretrial administrative and procedural matters and resolution 
     over any action filed under subsection (b).
       ``(2) Transfer.--A party filing an action under subsection 
     (b) may transfer such action to the United States District 
     Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, the United 
     States District Court for the Western District of North 
     Carolina, or the United States District Court for the 
     District of South Carolina for pretrial and trial of such 
     action, including the adjudication of all evidentiary 
     motions.
       ``(3) Jury trial.--Any action against the United States 
     under subsection (b) shall, at the request of either party to 
     such action, be tried by the court with a jury.
       ``(4) Expedited disposition.--The court shall advance an 
     action filed under subsection (b) on the docket, and expedite 
     the disposition of such action to the greatest extent 
     possible.''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(k) Attorney Fees.--
       ``(1) In general.--The total amount of attorneys fees under 
     this section shall be in an amount that is not more than--
       ``(A) 20 percent of any settlement entered into before a 
     civil action under subsection (b) is commenced; or
       ``(B) 25 percent of any judgement rendered or settlement 
     entered into after a civil action under subsection (b) is 
     commenced.
       ``(2) Division of fees.--A division of a fee under 
     paragraph (1) between attorneys who are not in the same firm 
     may be made only if the division is in proportion to the 
     services performed by each attorney.
       ``(3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection 
     shall prohibit an individual or the legal representative of 
     an individual and such individual's or representative's 
     attorney from agreeing to a fee award that is less than the 
     maximum percentage specified in paragraph (1).''.
       (b) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made 
     by this section shall take effect as if enacted on August 10, 
     2022, and shall apply to any claim or action under section 
     804 of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 that is pending 
     on, or filed on or after, the date of enactment of this Act.
       (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section or an 
     amendment made by this section shall be construed to modify 
     the applicability or statute of limitations provisions under 
     section 804(j) of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (28 
     U.S.C. 2671 note prec.).
                                 ______