H.R. 4863 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on the Judiciary, Aug 1, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryAid for overlooked victims of terror attacks
Back in 2022, Congress authorized extra lump sum payments for people hurt in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing or the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing. But a confusing rule from the Department of Justice meant that some eligible victims didn't apply during the deadline and missed out. This bill allows those victims to still get the catch-up payments they're owed through the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
How it affects you
If you or a family member were injured in the Beirut barracks bombing or Khobar Towers bombing and were already getting regular payments from the terrorism victims fund but missed the deadline to apply for extra lump sum payments, this would give you a second chance to receive that additional compensation.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Aug 1, 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.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 4863
A BILL
Fairness for Khobar Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX-17) · Introduced Aug 1, 2025 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Aug 1, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.”