Bill Overview
Title: To amend the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act to authorize appropriations for catch-up payments from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
Description: 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.
Sponsors: Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
Target Audience
Population: 9/11 victims, 9/11 spouses, and 9/11 dependents
Estimated Size: 9500
- The bill specifically targets individuals impacted by the 9/11 attacks.
- This includes direct victims of the 9/11 attacks as well as their spouses and dependents.
- It is likely that most, if not all, of these individuals are U.S. citizens since the 9/11 attack occurred on U.S. soil and primarily affected U.S. nationals.
Reasoning
- The policy targets a specific, relatively small group - 9/11 victims, spouses, and dependents - estimated at 9,500 people.
- Allocating a significant amount of money (up to $47.5 billion over 10 years) implies a significant individual impact, primarily financial, which may affect well-being through financial security.
- Well-being impact may vary based on personal circumstances such as reliance on current income sources, health care costs, or debt.
- Others in the general population will not be directly impacted, representing broader societal awareness and fairness.
- The policy can have indirect societal impacts, like increased usage of public mental health resources as financial stress diminishes for impacted groups.
Simulated Interviews
Teacher (New York, NY)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will definitely help provide some closure financially, even though nothing can replace the emotional loss.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Financial Analyst (Boston, MA)
Age: 36 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This funding makes me feel acknowledged by my country for my father's sacrifice.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Nurse (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This program will help cover my ongoing treatment costs which have been burdening my family.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Retired (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's comforting to see my son's sacrifice recognized, though it can't bring him back.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Software Developer (New York, NY)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This payment could help me with student loans and eventually buy a home.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Retired (Chicago, IL)
Age: 72 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm grateful for the funds. It aids our family in remembering my brother with less financial stress.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Government Employee (Arlington, VA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is a fair recognition of the sacrifices and the turmoil the event caused to families.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Freelancer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The money will substantially help in mental health care costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Self-Employed (Houston, TX)
Age: 53 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- These funds will help to ease the stress of medical bills that have piled up over the years.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Student (Miami, FL)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The money will help me finish my studies without worrying about debt.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $4750000000 (Low: $4500000000, High: $5000000000)
Year 2: $4750000000 (Low: $4500000000, High: $5000000000)
Year 3: $4750000000 (Low: $4500000000, High: $5000000000)
Year 5: $4750000000 (Low: $4500000000, High: $5000000000)
Year 10: $4750000000 (Low: $4500000000, High: $5000000000)
Year 100: $4750000000 (Low: $4500000000, High: $5000000000)
Key Considerations
- Interplay of lump sum compensation with ongoing litigations or duplications in existing settlement or compensation agreements.
- Potential administrative challenges in executing lump-sum payments effectively in a transparent manner.
- Evaluating the complete set of 9/11-associated beneficiaries is imperative to ensure fair distribution.