Congress·In Committee·H.R. 4145

Rep. Murphy Introduces the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act to Speed Up Lawsuits and Cap Legal Fees

Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act of 2025

9 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

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Senate

President

Law

Key Points

The bill expands where Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuits can be tried. Instead of forcing all cases into one court, victims can transfer their cases to other federal courts in North Carolina or the District of South Carolina for trial.
From policy text
“A party filing an action under subsection (b) may transfer such action to any district court of the Eastern, Middle or Western Districts of North Carolina or the District of South Carolina for pretrial and trial of such action, including the adjudication of all evidentiary motions.”
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Victims get a right to a jury trial and courts must move these cases to the front of the line. This speeds up the process for people who have been waiting years for a resolution.
From policy text
“Any action against the United States under subsection (b) shall, at the request of either party to such action, be tried by the court with a jury.”
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The bill simplifies what victims must prove to win their case. They need to show they were at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days and that the link between the contaminated water and their illness is "at least as likely as not."
From policy text
“sufficient to conclude that a causal relationship is at least as likely as not”
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Attorney fees are strictly capped at 20% of pre-lawsuit settlements and 25% of judgments or settlements after a lawsuit begins. This ensures more money goes to victims rather than lawyers.
All changes are retroactive to August 10, 2022, meaning they apply to the thousands of cases already pending in court as well as any future filings.
From policy text
“This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect as if enacted on August 10, 2022, and shall apply to any claim or action under section 804 of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 that is pending on, or filed on or after, the date of enactment of this Act.”
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VeteransCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jun 25, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Jun 25, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Upon enactment

If enacted, all changes apply retroactively to cases filed since August 10, 2022

Thousands of pending Camp Lejeune lawsuits would immediately benefit from the new, lower burden of proof, expanded venue options, and attorney fee caps — no waiting period required.

Shortly after enactment

Victims can begin transferring cases to other North Carolina or South Carolina federal courts

Cases that have been bottlenecked in one overloaded court in eastern North Carolina can spread to other courts, speeding up resolution for victims who have waited years.

Related News

2 articles

Public Radio East·6 months ago

N.C. lawmakers push for changes to Camp Lejeune Justice Act to get help to victims and families more quickly

The Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act has strong bipartisan support. The bill seeks to remedy the 'logjam' of over 400,000 claims by expanding court jurisdiction to all federal districts in the 4th Circuit and explicitly guaranteeing the right to a jury trial for victims.

Public Radio East·9 months ago

U.S. House bill would allow for jury trials, cap lawyer fees in Camp Lejeune water contamination cases

A group of North Carolina lawmakers introduced a bill to ensure victims of toxic water at Camp Lejeune receive fair judicial review. The legislation proposes capping attorney fees at 20-25% and allowing cases to be heard in any federal court in North or South Carolina to reduce backlogs.