Never Forget the Victims of Terrorism: Joseph D. Mistrulli and Alan Kleinberg USVSST Fund Solvency Act

Key Points

• The bill requires the Treasury Department to loan $3 billion every year from 2027 through 2029 to the fund that pays victims of state-sponsored terrorism, adding up to $9 billion in guaranteed funding.
• All of the borrowed money must go directly into the fund's regular annual payments to victims and their families, rather than being held back for other purposes.
• The Treasury Department will eventually be repaid, but only from future fines, penalties, and forfeitures collected from countries that sponsor terrorism, after the fund eventually shuts down.
• The borrowing is automatic and does not need new congressional appropriations each year, which is meant to give victims more certainty about when they will be paid, though it also limits normal budget oversight.
• This borrowing authority is temporary and expires at the end of fiscal year 2029, though any money already borrowed stays available until it is spent.