PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressional Research Service
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People & committees
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] · R–NY
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Sep 9, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-24 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act would direct additional money from federal forfeitures—money or property surrendered to the government—and related payments into a fund for eligible victims of state-sponsored terrorism. It would set deadlines for transferring money and paying claims, require annual payments subject to existing exceptions, and expand financial reporting. It would also direct a separate amount to the Crime Victims Fund. These are proposed changes; the supplied record does not establish enactment.
This Act may be cited as the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act.
Transfer of certain funds into united states victims of state sponsored terrorism fund
The sum of $1,505,475,575, from the funds, and the net proceeds from the sale of property, paid to the United States arising from or in connection with proceedings described in subclause (I)(aa) shall be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund
Except as provided in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D), on January 1, 2026, and January 1 of each calendar year thereafter, the Special Master or the Attorney General shall authorize additional payments on a pro rata basis to those claimants with eligible claims under subsection (c)(2)
On January 31 of each year, the Special Master shall submit to the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on the balance and activity of the Fund
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-09T14:52:54Z. 2025-02-24: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 2025-02-24: Introduced in House
Fifth-round payments required to be authorized by January 1, 2025, would have to reach eligible claimants by March 14, 2025. If a claimant had not supplied required payment information, payment would instead be due as soon as practicable after the Special Master received it.
All fifth-round payments required to be authorized by the Special Master on or before January 1, 2025, shall be distributed to eligible claimants not later than March 14, 2025, or, if an eligible claimant has not provided the Special Master with the payment information required for distribution, as soon as practicable after the date of receipt by the Special Master of such information.
For proceedings involving Binance Holdings Limited, the bill identifies $898,619,225 as already deposited in the terrorism victims fund and would add $1,912,031,763 from forfeitures or payments connected with that case or related civil or administrative proceedings. It would also direct interest on both amounts to the fund, measured from the date of forfeiture or payment.
(aa) Already deposited The sum of $898,619,225, corresponding to the funds, and the net proceeds from the sale of property, forfeited to the United States from or in connection with the plea agreement in the proceedings captioned as United States v. Binance Holdings Limited, No. 2:23–cr–00178 (RAJ) (W.D. Wash. filed Nov. 14, 2023), already deposited into the Fund. (bb) Additional funds The sum of $1,912,031,763, corresponding to a portion of the funds, and the net proceeds from the sale of property, forfeited or paid to the United States arising from or in connection with the proceedings described in item (aa) or any related civil or administrative proceedings. (cc) Interest All interest earned on the amounts described in item (aa) or (bb) from the date of such forfeiture or payment.
A separate $1,505,475,575 from payments or property-sale proceeds connected with the Binance proceedings would go to the Crime Victims Fund.
(II) Deposit in cvf The sum of $1,505,475,575, from the funds, and the net proceeds from the sale of property, paid to the United States arising from or in connection with proceedings described in subclause (I)(aa) shall be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund established under section 1402 of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (34 U.S.C. 20101).
An agency holding defendant payments from the specified Binance-related proceedings that must go to the terrorism victims fund would have to transfer them, with earned interest, by the later of 30 days after receipt or 15 days after enactment of the new provision.
(III) Timing An agency of the United States shall deposit or transfer into the Fund any amount paid by a defendant in such proceedings that is required to be deposited into the Fund pursuant to subclause (I), plus any interest earned thereon, not later than the later of— (aa) 30 days after the receipt of such amount by the agency; or (bb) 15 days after the date of enactment of this subparagraph.
The Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund would annually transfer 50 percent of its excess unobligated balance, a term defined in an existing statute not reproduced here, plus 50 percent of interest earned on investments of its balance as of the determination date. The balance would be determined on the later of January 31 or enactment of final appropriations for that fiscal year, with transfer due within 30 days.
(ii) DOJ assets forfeiture fund (I) In general Fifty percent of the excess unobligated balance, as defined in section 524(c)(8) of title 28, United States Code, of the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund established under 524(c)(1) of that title, determined on the later of January 31, or the date of enactment of a final appropriations Act for each fiscal year, to be transferred annually thereafter not later than 30 days after the date of such determination, plus 50 percent of any interest amount earned on the investment of any balance of the Assets Forfeiture Fund as of that date.
The Treasury Forfeiture Fund would likewise annually transfer 50 percent of its excess unobligated balance and 50 percent of interest earned on investments of its balance as of the determination date. The determination would occur on the later of January 31 or enactment of final appropriations for that fiscal year, and transfer would be due within 30 days.
(iii) Treasury forfeiture fund (I) In general Fifty percent of the excess unobligated balance of the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund established under section 9705 of title 31, United States Code, determined on the later of January 31, or the date of enactment of a final appropriations Act for each fiscal year, to be transferred annually thereafter not later than 30 days after such determination, plus 50 percent of any interest amount earned on the investment of any balance of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund as of that date.
For Treasury, the bill defines the excess balance as the previous fiscal year's September 30 balance that was not committed to obligations, minus the amount needed to keep money available for authorized uses in the following fiscal year.
the term excess unobligated balance means the difference between— (AA) the unobligated balance of the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, as of September 30 of the fiscal year before the date specified in subclause (I); and (BB) the amount that is required to be retained in the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund to ensure the availability of amounts in the fiscal year after the fiscal year described in subitem (AA) for the purposes for which amounts in the fund are authorized to be used.
The transfer provisions would prevent covered transfers from counting against legislative limits on using excess unobligated balances.
(II) Transfers No transfer pursuant to this subparagraph shall count against any limitation on the use of the excess unobligated balances described in subclause (I) as provided in an annual appropriations Act or other legislation.
(II) Transfers No transfer pursuant to this subparagraph shall count against any limitation on the use of excess unobligated balances described in subclause (I) as provided in an annual appropriations Act or other legislation.
For both forfeiture funds, the September 30 balance calculation would disregard next-year rescissions—cancellations of funding—including anticipated or potential cancellations and those continued through temporary appropriations.
the amount of the unobligated balance of the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund, as of September 30 of a fiscal year, shall be determined without regard to any rescission of amounts in the fund for the next fiscal year included in an appropriation Act referred to in section 105 of title 1, United States Code, including any anticipated or potential rescission and any rescission given continuing effect for such next fiscal year under an Act making continuing appropriations for such next fiscal year.
the amount of the unobligated balance of the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, as of September 30 of a fiscal year, shall be determined without regard to any rescission of amounts in the fund for the next fiscal year included in an appropriation Act referred to in section 105 of title 1, United States Code, including any anticipated or potential rescission and any rescission given continuing effect for such next fiscal year under an Act making continuing appropriations for such next fiscal year.
The bill would direct to the terrorism victims fund all interest earned on covered amounts after any federal agency receives them, including amounts awaiting transfer and the specified Binance amounts.
(D) Interest All interest earned on any amount deposited or to be deposited into the Fund pursuant to this section, the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act, or an amendment made by that Act, following receipt of such amount by any agency of the United States, including all interest earned on the amounts described in subparagraph (C)(i).
Section 2's changes would preserve amounts already identified for sharing with law enforcement. They would also preserve a direct crime victim's right to court-ordered restitution—payment for the victim's losses—ordered before enactment in a case supplying money to the fund.
Nothing in the amendments made by subsection (a) shall be construed to harm, jeopardize, or impair any amounts previously identified for equitable sharing with law enforcement or to limit the right of a direct crime victim to receive restitution ordered by a court before the date of enactment of this Act with respect to any offense in a matter or proceeding from which amounts are to be deposited into the Fund pursuant to the amendments made by subsection (a).
Section 3 would remove the words “forfeited or” from two existing clauses and add a separate forfeiture provision. It would direct all money and net property-sale proceeds forfeited after enactment to the fund when the case concerns violations of measures issued under either of two named laws, or involves specified connections to a state sponsor of terrorism, regardless of the offense.
(1) in clause (i), by striking forfeited or; (2) in clause (ii), by striking forfeited or;
All funds, and the net proceeds from the sale of property, forfeited to the United States after the date of enactment of the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act, in a matter or proceeding arising from a violation of any license, order, regulation or prohibition issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or the Trading with the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. App. 1 et seq.) and all funds, and the net proceeds from the sale of property, forfeited to the United States after the date of enactment of the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act, in a matter or proceeding involving, or relating to, or arising from the actions of, or doing business with, or acting on behalf of, a state sponsor of terrorism, without regard to the nature of the offense.
The new forfeiture provision would require deposit when the country was designated a state sponsor of terrorism at the time of the penalty or fine, at any point during related legal proceedings, or at the time of related conduct.
All funds and net proceeds described in this clause shall be deposited or transferred into the Fund if the state sponsor of terrorism was so designated at the time of the penalty or fine, at any time during the course of any related legal proceedings, or at the time of any related conduct.
The new forfeiture clause would preserve direct crime victims' rights to court-ordered restitution. The bill also says its clarification of forfeiture coverage would not determine the scope of criminal or civil penalties and fines covered by the existing clauses; the text describes that separate issue as subject to pending litigation or possible future legislation.
Nothing in this clause shall be construed to limit any rights to court-ordered restitution of any direct crime victim of an offense in a matter or proceeding from which amounts are to be deposited into the Fund pursuant to this subparagraph.
Nothing in the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act or an amendment made by that Act that clarifies the scope of forfeiture proceeds to be deposited into the Fund shall be construed to impact the scope or interpretation of criminal or civil penalties or fines that are required to be deposited into the Fund under clause (i) or (ii) of this subparagraph, which scope is the subject of pending litigation and shall be addressed in such litigation or by future legislation as warranted, including as informed by the report by the Comptroller General of the United States regarding proceeds available for deposit to the Fund required under subsection (b)(1)(A)(v).
For money and net property-sale proceeds covered by the subparagraph amended in Section 3, agencies would have to deposit or transfer the amounts by the later of 60 days after receipt or 30 days after enactment of the new timing clause.
(iv) Timing An agency of the United States shall deposit or transfer into the Fund all funds, and the net proceeds from the sale of property, forfeited or paid to the United States described in this subparagraph not later than the later of— (I) 60 days after the receipt of such amount by the agency; or (II) 30 days after the date of enactment of this clause.
Starting January 1, 2026, the Special Master or Attorney General would authorize additional payments each January 1 on a proportional basis for eligible claims, subject to existing statutory exceptions. Payments would include qualifying money already received by any federal agency and interest through transfer, excluding amounts already distributed or needed for the specified administrative costs or compensation.
Except as provided in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D), on January 1, 2026, and January 1 of each calendar year thereafter, the Special Master or the Attorney General shall authorize additional payments on a pro rata basis to those claimants with eligible claims under subsection (c)(2) to include all amounts received as of that date by any agency of the United States that qualifies for deposit or transfer into the Fund, plus all interest earned from the date of receipt of any such amounts through the date of deposit or transfer into the Fund that has not already been distributed pursuant to this subsection and is not required for the payment of administrative costs or compensation as set forth in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of subsection (b)(1).
Authorized payments would have to be distributed as soon as practicable during the calendar year of authorization. If authorized before January 1, they would instead have to be distributed within one year of authorization.
All authorized payments shall be distributed to the eligible claimants as soon as practicable in the calendar year of authorization, or, if the Special Master or Attorney General authorizes payments prior to January 1, not later than 1 year after the date of such authorization.
Each January 31, the Special Master would report to the chairs and ranking minority members of both congressional Judiciary Committees. The report would cover the previous fiscal year's ending balance, deposit sources and amounts, and spending on victim compensation and other purposes, including administration and Justice Department personnel. Court sealing orders could require some deposit information to remain confidential.
On January 31 of each year, the Special Master shall submit to the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on the balance and activity of the Fund, which shall include— (aa) the total amount in the Fund at the end of the preceding fiscal year; (bb) deposits into the Fund during the preceding fiscal year sufficient to identify the source, including, if applicable, the case name and the amount of each deposit, except to the extent that any sealing order requires any portion of such information to remain confidential; (cc) disbursements from the Fund during the preceding fiscal year sufficient to identify specific amounts disbursed for victim compensation and other purposes, including for administrative costs and use of Department of Justice personnel;
The annual report would also explain calculations for transfers from the two forfeiture funds and why otherwise relevant money was not deposited, including statutory protections, credits between agencies, administrative costs, or other reasons. The Attorney General would have to publish the report on the fund's website by March 1 each year.
(dd) the amount, and the basis for the calculation, of any funds deposited into the Fund from the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund established under 524(c)(1) of title 28, United States Code, and the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund established under section 9705 of title 31, United States Code, in the prior fiscal year; (ee) an explanation of any amounts not deposited into the Fund as a result of any rule of construction pursuant to this Act or the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act; and (ff) an explanation of all amounts from or relating to cases qualifying for deposit under this Act that are not deposited into the Fund as a result of inter-agency credits, administrative costs, or any other reason.
Not later than March 1 of each year, the Attorney General shall publish the report required under subclause (I) on the internet website of the Fund.
By April 1, 2025, the Comptroller General would have to report to Congress on criminal and civil penalties or fines exceeding $10 million that were forfeited or paid to the United States since January 1, 2020, including net property-sale proceeds. The report would identify sources, amounts, where the money went, the legal basis for deposits, and interest earned, subject to court-ordered confidentiality.
Not later than April 1, 2025, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report, which shall include— (I) a listing of all funds, and the net proceeds from the sale of property, forfeited or paid to the United States since January 1, 2020, in an amount greater than $10,000,000 as a criminal penalty or fine in any matter, sufficient to identify the source, including, if applicable, the case name and the amount of each forfeiture or payment, except to the extent that any sealing order requires any portion of such information to remain confidential; (II) a listing of all funds, and the net proceeds from the sale of property, forfeited or paid to the United States since January 1, 2020, in an amount greater than $10,000,000 as a civil penalty or fine in any matter, sufficient to identify the source, including, if applicable, the case name and the amount of each forfeiture or payment, except to the extent that any sealing order requires any portion of such information to remain confidential; (III) an explanation of where each amount described in subclause (I) or (II) was deposited, including deposits into the Fund or the Crime Victims Fund, which shall include the nature of each such deposit, and the statutory basis for each such deposit; and (IV) any interest amount earned on each amount described in subclause (I) or (II).
By January 1, 2027, and every three years afterward, the Comptroller General would report to Congress on fund administration, whether funding is sufficient, funding and payment trends, and unpaid eligible claims. Unpaid amounts would also be broken down by victim group and when victims entered the fund.
Not later than January 1, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report— (I) evaluating the administration of the Fund and the sufficiency of funding for the Fund; (II) analyzing funding and payment trends; and (III) describing amounts outstanding and unpaid on eligible claims overall, including such amounts disaggregated by victim group and by when victims entered the Fund.
The Special Master could use Justice Department staff as needed, up to the equivalent of 10 full-time positions. The fund would pay those personnel costs and all other administrative costs of carrying out the section.
The Special Master may utilize, as necessary, no more than 10 full-time equivalent Department of Justice personnel to assist in carrying out the duties of the Special Master under this section. Any costs associated with the use of such personnel, and any other administrative costs of carrying out this section, shall be paid from the Fund.
Within 30 days of enactment, money remaining in the lump sum catch-up payment reserve above amounts protected by two existing statutory provisions would have to move to the main fund, including all interest earned on the reserve. Those amounts would fund a supplemental fifth-round payment for everyone whose fifth-round distribution had been authorized. Authorization would be due by April 1, 2025, and distribution by June 30, 2025.
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act, all amounts remaining in the lump sum catch-up payment reserve fund in excess of the amounts described in subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (iii) shall be deposited into the Fund under this section, including all interest earned on amounts in the lump sum catch-up payment reserve fund. All such amounts, including interest, shall be included in a supplemental fifth-round distribution to be authorized by the Special Master no later than April 1, 2025, and distributed pursuant to this section no later than June 30, 2025 to all claimants for whom the Special Master authorized fifth-round distributions.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated September 9, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Judiciary Committee on February 24, 2025. It provides no later action establishing passage or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-09T14:52:54Z. 2025-02-24: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 2025-02-24: Introduced in House 2025-02-24: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-24. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion applies only to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No earmark was identified in the complete supplied introduced text under the requested definition. Program funding and statutory transfer formulas are not automatically earmarks; this conclusion is limited to this version and does not resolve formal earmark status in absent accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential benefit warranting a separate finding was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Ordinary program beneficiaries, preservation of existing rights, and routine administration are not treated as preferential benefits. This conclusion is limited to this version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 9, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI