Justice for Lockerbie Victims

Full Title:
Justice for the Living Victims of Lockerbie Act

Summary#

This bill creates the "Living Victims of Lockerbie Claims Trust Fund" in the U.S. Treasury and provides $42,066,338 to pay certain eligible United States persons who were Pan American World Airways employees and named claimants in Abbott et al. v. Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. To qualify, a person must have been a U.S. person, at least 45 years old on December 3, 1991, employed by Pan Am on that date, a named claimant in the specified Abbott case, and alive on August 14, 2008.

The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission (FCSC) must publish a notice for filing claims within 30 days after the bill becomes law, allow 60 days for filing, decide claims within 60 days after the filing period ends, and certify approved claims to the Treasury. The Treasury will pay certified claimants from the Fund. Each approved claimant receives an equal share: the total Fund amount divided by the number of certified claims. A personal representative may file for a deceased qualifying claimant.

What it means for you#

  • If you meet all listed eligibility criteria, you may file a claim with the FCSC when the agency publishes the notice. The FCSC notice and filing deadline will appear in the Federal Register.
  • If your claim is certified, you would receive an equal share of the $42,066,338 Fund. If multiple claimants are certified, the payment for each is the Fund divided by the number of certified claims.
  • If a qualifying claimant is deceased, a personal representative may file for the estate.

Expenses#

  • The bill appropriates $42,066,338 to the Living Victims of Lockerbie Claims Trust Fund, to remain available until expended.
  • Payments to claimants come from that Fund and are divided equally among certified claimants (each receives the total Fund amount divided by the number of certified claims).
  • No publicly available information about additional administrative costs or other budgetary effects is included in the bill text.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.