# Fairness for 9/11 Families Act

This bill provides additional funding to pay out money owed to 9/11 victims and their families through an existing government compensation program. The United States has a fund specifically created to compensate Americans who were harmed by terrorist attacks sponsored by foreign governments, and this bill authorizes Congress to appropriate whatever money is needed to catch up on payments that haven't been fully distributed yet.

The practical effect is straightforward: families who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks or who were injured in the attacks have been receiving compensation payments from the government, but those payments haven't always kept pace with what was promised. This bill says the government should set aside whatever additional money is necessary to bring all those payments current and make sure no one gets shortchanged. The money would come from unused funds that were originally allocated to Small Business Administration pandemic relief programs, so it's essentially redirecting money that wasn't being used for its original purpose.

The bill designates this spending as an emergency, which is a procedural step that allows Congress to fund it without it counting against normal budget limits. This is the same designation used for urgent national needs. Essentially, Congress is saying that making sure 9/11 families receive the full compensation they're owed is important enough to treat as a priority matter that deserves immediate funding, similar to how emergency disaster relief is handled.

Fairness for 9/11 Families Act

Nadler, Jerrold

Fairness for 9/11 Families Act This bill authorizes and provides funding for lump-sum catch-up payments from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund to 9/11 victims, 9/11 spouses, and 9/11 dependents. The bill also rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided to the Small Business Administration for the Paycheck Protection Program.