Notice of Methodology for Estimating Lump Sum Catch-Up Payments to Eligible 9/11 Victims, 9/11 Spouses and 9/11 Dependents; Request for Comment, 16211-16212 [2021-06084]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 57 / Friday, March 26, 2021 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2021–06221 Filed 3–25–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–14–P
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
OFFICE
Notice of Methodology for Estimating
Lump Sum Catch-Up Payments to
Eligible 9/11 Victims, 9/11 Spouses and
9/11 Dependents; Request for
Comment
U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO).
ACTION: Notice of methodology; request
for comment.
AGENCY:
GAO is now accepting
comments on our methodology for
estimating potential lump sum catch-up
payments to certain 9/11 victims, 9/11
spouses, and 9/11 dependents who have
submitted eligible claims for payment
from the United States Victims of State
Sponsored Terrorism Fund. GAO is
conducting an audit and publishing this
notice pursuant to the Sudan Claims
Resolution Act. Comments should be
sent to the email address below.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before April 26,
2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to
FundPaymentComments@gao.gov or in
writing to Mr. Charles Michael Johnson,
Jr. at 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC
20548.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Charles Michael Johnson Jr. at (202)
512–7500 or JohnsonCM@gao.gov if you
need additional information. For general
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4703
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16211
information, contact GAO’s Office of
Public Affairs, 202–512–4800.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to Section 1705 of the Sudan Claims
Resolution Act, GAO is conducting an
audit and publishing this notice of our
methodology for estimating potential
lump sum catch-up payments to 9/11
victims, 9/11 spouses, and 9/11
dependents 1 who have eligible claims
for payment from the United States
Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism
Fund (Fund), established in 2015 by the
Justice for United States Victims of State
Sponsored Terrorism Act (Terrorism
Act).2 While the Terrorism Act, as
amended, contains a provision for us to
estimate these catch-up payments, it
does not currently authorize such catchup payments to be made. The Fund is
administered by a Special Master
appointed by the Attorney General and
supported by Department of Justice
personnel.3
For purposes of the Fund, the term
‘‘claim’’ generally refers to a claim based
on compensatory damages awarded to a
United States person in a final judgment
issued by a United States district court
under State or Federal law against a
foreign state that has been designated a
state sponsor of terrorism and arising
from acts of international terrorism.4 In
general, a claim is determined eligible
for payment from the Fund if the
Special Master determines that the
judgment holder (referred to as a
‘‘claimant’’) is a United States person,
that the claim at issue meets the
definition of claim above, and that the
claim was submitted timely.5 The first
round of payments was distributed in
early 2017 and the second round in
early 2019.6 As of March 2021, the Fund
had allocated $1.075 billion for thirdround payments and was in the process
of distributing payments on a rolling
basis.7
As enacted, the Terrorism Act
precluded claimants (generally 9/11
victims, spouses, and dependents) who
had received an award from the
1 See 34 U.S.C. 20144(j)(10)–(14) (defining the
terms ‘‘9/11 victim,’’ ‘‘9/11 spouse,’’ and ‘‘9/11
dependent,’’ among others); see also 28 CFR 104.2,
104.3.
2 Public Law 116–260, div. FF, tit. XVII, 134 Stat.
1182, 3293–3294, amending Public Law 114–113,
div. O, tit. IV, 404, 129 Stat. 2242, 3007–3017
(classified as amended at 34 U.S.C. 20144(d)(4)(C)).
3 See 34 U.S.C. 20144(b)(1).
4 34 U.S.C. 20144(c)(2).
5 34 U.S.C. 20144(c)(1).
6 The Fund allocated $1.1 billion for initial-round
payments and $1.095 billion for second-round
payments. See U.S. Victims of State Sponsored
Terrorism Fund, ‘‘Special Master Report Regarding
the Third Distribution,’’ at 2 (June 2020).
7 See id.; U.S. Victims of State Sponsored
Terrorism Fund, https://www.usvsst.com/ (last
accessed Mar. 15, 2021).
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 57 / Friday, March 26, 2021 / Notices
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
September 11th Victim Compensation
Fund (VCF) from receiving payments
from the United States Victims of State
Sponsored Terrorism Fund, even if their
claims were determined eligible by the
Special Master.8 Because 9/11 family
members (i.e., immediate family
members of 9/11 victims who are not
spouses or dependents, such as nondependent parents and siblings)
generally did not receive awards from
the VCF, they were not precluded from
receiving payments from the Fund if
their claims were determined eligible. In
2019, the United States Victims of State
Sponsored Terrorism Fund Clarification
Act (Clarification Act) removed the
language precluding 9/11-related
claimants (i.e., 9/11 victims, spouses,
and dependents) who received awards
from the VCF from receiving payments
from the Fund.9
Section 1705 of the Sudan Claims
Resolution Act contains a provision for
GAO to conduct an audit and publish a
notice estimating potential lump sum
catch-up payments to 9/11 victims, 9/11
spouses, and 9/11 dependents who have
eligible claims from the Fund.
Specifically, we are publishing for
comment our methodology for
estimating potential lump-sum catch up
payments in ‘‘amounts that, after
receiving the lump sum catch-up
payments, would result in the
percentage of the claims of 9/11 victims,
9/11 spouses, and 9/11 dependents
received from the Fund being equal to
the percentage of the claims of 9/11
family members received from the
Fund, as of the date of enactment.’’ 10
For the purpose of this analysis, ‘‘9/11
family members’’ are eligible claimants
who received payments from the Fund
in the first and second rounds of
payments in 2017 and 2019,
respectively; and ‘‘9/11 victims, 9/11
spouses, and 9/11 dependents’’ are
claimants who had eligible claims
(based on eligible final judgments) prior
to the Clarification Act, but were
precluded from receiving payments
from the Fund because they had
received awards from the VCF.11
8 See Public Law 114–113, div. O, tit. IV, 404, 129
Stat. 2242, 3010–3011.
9 Public Law 116–69, div. B, tit. VII, 1701, 133
Stat. 1134, 1140–1141.
10 34 U.S.C. 20144(d)(4)(C)(i). Further, section
1705 provides for GAO to conduct this audit in
accordance with 34 U.S.C. 20144(d)(3)(A), which
generally places limits on the amount of eligible
claims (referred to as ‘‘statutory caps’’). For
example, for individuals, the cap is generally
$20,000,000 and for claims of family members
when aggregated, the cap is generally $35,000,000.
As such, we plan to utilize data from the Fund on
the claim amounts after the application of statutory
caps.
11 In the context of the overall statutory scheme
of the Fund, the population for which we are
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:14 Mar 25, 2021
Jkt 253001
To estimate the amount(s) called for
in the mandate, GAO plans to utilize
data from the Fund on the following
amounts: (1) Payments received by 9/11
family members in rounds one and two;
(2) net eligible claims 12 of 9/11 family
members who received payments in
rounds one and two; and (3) net eligible
claims 13 of 9/11 victims, spouses, and
dependents. Using these amounts, we
plan to calculate the percentage of 9/11
family members’ net eligible claims that
were paid from the Fund in rounds one
and two. We will then apply this
percentage to net eligible claims of 9/11
victims, spouses, and dependents to
generate the lump sum catch-up
payment amount for 9/11 victims,
spouses, and dependents, in an equal
percentage.
After consideration of comments from
this notice, we will issue a second
Federal Register notice, utilizing data
from the Fund to report estimated lump
sum catch-up payments based on this
methodology with any changes we
determine appropriate. We will again
seek public comment on the second
Federal Register notice.
Authority: Pub. L. 116–260, div. FF, tit.
XVII, 1705, 134 Stat. 1182, 3293–3294 (34
U.S.C. 20144(d)(4)(C)).
Charles Michael Johnson, Jr.,
Managing Director, Homeland Security and
Justice, U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
[FR Doc. 2021–06084 Filed 3–25–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1610–02–P
estimating ‘‘catch-up payments’’ are 9/11 victims,
spouses, and dependents who applied for payments
in the first, second, or third round of payments from
the Fund; whose final judgment date was prior to
the close of the application period for the second
round of payments (September 14, 2018); and who
did not receive payments from the Fund in rounds
one or two. See 34 U.S.C. 20144(c), (d)(4)(C); U.S.
Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund,
‘‘Special Master Report Regarding the Third
Distribution,’’ at 2 (June 2020). According to the
Fund’s June 2020 congressional report, the
applications of eligible claimants who applied in
rounds one or two are carried forward into
subsequent payment rounds.
12 For the purposes of our analysis, ‘‘net eligible
claims’’ refers to the monetary amount of all eligible
claims after the application of statutory caps by the
Fund, if applicable. 34 U.S.C. 20144(d)(3)(A). In
accordance with GAO standards, we will assess the
reliability and completeness of the data from the
Fund to ensure that it is appropriate for these
purposes.
13 As discussed in footnote 11 above, a 9/11
victim, dependent, or spouse’s net eligible claim
would be included if they applied for payments in
the first, second, or third round of payments from
the Fund; if the date of their final judgment was
prior to the close of the application period for the
second round of payments (September 14, 2018);
and if they did not receive a payment from the
Fund in rounds one or two.
PO 00000
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry
[60Day–21–0047; Docket No. ATSDR–2021–
0003]
Proposed Data Collection Submitted
for Public Comment and
Recommendations
Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry (ATSDR),
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice with comment period.
AGENCY:
The Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR), as part of its continuing effort
to reduce public burden and maximize
the utility of government information,
invites the general public and other
Federal agencies the opportunity to
comment on a proposed and/or
continuing information collection, as
required by the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995. This notice invites
comment on a proposed information
collection project titled ‘‘Generic
Clearance for the Collection of
Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service
Delivery.’’ The information collection
activity provides a means to garner
qualitative customer and stakeholder
feedback in an efficient, timely manner,
in accordance with the Federal
government’s commitment to improving
service delivery.
DATES: ATSDR must receive written
comments on or before May 25, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by Docket No. ATSDR–2021–
0003 by any of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal:
Regulations.gov. Follow the instructions
for submitting comments.
• Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information
Collection Review Office, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 1600
Clifton Road NE, MS–D74, Atlanta,
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Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name and
Docket Number. ATSDR will post,
without change, all relevant comments
to Regulations.gov.
Please note: Submit all comments
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Information Collection Review Office,
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\26MRN1.SGM
26MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 57 (Friday, March 26, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16211-16212]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06084]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
Notice of Methodology for Estimating Lump Sum Catch-Up Payments
to Eligible 9/11 Victims, 9/11 Spouses and 9/11 Dependents; Request for
Comment
AGENCY: U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
ACTION: Notice of methodology; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: GAO is now accepting comments on our methodology for
estimating potential lump sum catch-up payments to certain 9/11
victims, 9/11 spouses, and 9/11 dependents who have submitted eligible
claims for payment from the United States Victims of State Sponsored
Terrorism Fund. GAO is conducting an audit and publishing this notice
pursuant to the Sudan Claims Resolution Act. Comments should be sent to
the email address below.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
April 26, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to [email protected] or in writing
to Mr. Charles Michael Johnson, Jr. at 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC
20548.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Michael Johnson Jr. at (202)
512-7500 or [email protected] if you need additional information. For
general information, contact GAO's Office of Public Affairs, 202-512-
4800.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 1705 of the Sudan Claims
Resolution Act, GAO is conducting an audit and publishing this notice
of our methodology for estimating potential lump sum catch-up payments
to 9/11 victims, 9/11 spouses, and 9/11 dependents \1\ who have
eligible claims for payment from the United States Victims of State
Sponsored Terrorism Fund (Fund), established in 2015 by the Justice for
United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (Terrorism
Act).\2\ While the Terrorism Act, as amended, contains a provision for
us to estimate these catch-up payments, it does not currently authorize
such catch-up payments to be made. The Fund is administered by a
Special Master appointed by the Attorney General and supported by
Department of Justice personnel.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See 34 U.S.C. 20144(j)(10)-(14) (defining the terms ``9/11
victim,'' ``9/11 spouse,'' and ``9/11 dependent,'' among others);
see also 28 CFR 104.2, 104.3.
\2\ Public Law 116-260, div. FF, tit. XVII, 134 Stat. 1182,
3293-3294, amending Public Law 114-113, div. O, tit. IV, 404, 129
Stat. 2242, 3007-3017 (classified as amended at 34 U.S.C.
20144(d)(4)(C)).
\3\ See 34 U.S.C. 20144(b)(1).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For purposes of the Fund, the term ``claim'' generally refers to a
claim based on compensatory damages awarded to a United States person
in a final judgment issued by a United States district court under
State or Federal law against a foreign state that has been designated a
state sponsor of terrorism and arising from acts of international
terrorism.\4\ In general, a claim is determined eligible for payment
from the Fund if the Special Master determines that the judgment holder
(referred to as a ``claimant'') is a United States person, that the
claim at issue meets the definition of claim above, and that the claim
was submitted timely.\5\ The first round of payments was distributed in
early 2017 and the second round in early 2019.\6\ As of March 2021, the
Fund had allocated $1.075 billion for third-round payments and was in
the process of distributing payments on a rolling basis.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ 34 U.S.C. 20144(c)(2).
\5\ 34 U.S.C. 20144(c)(1).
\6\ The Fund allocated $1.1 billion for initial-round payments
and $1.095 billion for second-round payments. See U.S. Victims of
State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, ``Special Master Report Regarding
the Third Distribution,'' at 2 (June 2020).
\7\ See id.; U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund,
https://www.usvsst.com/ (last accessed Mar. 15, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As enacted, the Terrorism Act precluded claimants (generally 9/11
victims, spouses, and dependents) who had received an award from the
[[Page 16212]]
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) from receiving payments
from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, even
if their claims were determined eligible by the Special Master.\8\
Because 9/11 family members (i.e., immediate family members of 9/11
victims who are not spouses or dependents, such as non-dependent
parents and siblings) generally did not receive awards from the VCF,
they were not precluded from receiving payments from the Fund if their
claims were determined eligible. In 2019, the United States Victims of
State Sponsored Terrorism Fund Clarification Act (Clarification Act)
removed the language precluding 9/11-related claimants (i.e., 9/11
victims, spouses, and dependents) who received awards from the VCF from
receiving payments from the Fund.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ See Public Law 114-113, div. O, tit. IV, 404, 129 Stat.
2242, 3010-3011.
\9\ Public Law 116-69, div. B, tit. VII, 1701, 133 Stat. 1134,
1140-1141.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 1705 of the Sudan Claims Resolution Act contains a
provision for GAO to conduct an audit and publish a notice estimating
potential lump sum catch-up payments to 9/11 victims, 9/11 spouses, and
9/11 dependents who have eligible claims from the Fund. Specifically,
we are publishing for comment our methodology for estimating potential
lump-sum catch up payments in ``amounts that, after receiving the lump
sum catch-up payments, would result in the percentage of the claims of
9/11 victims, 9/11 spouses, and 9/11 dependents received from the Fund
being equal to the percentage of the claims of 9/11 family members
received from the Fund, as of the date of enactment.'' \10\ For the
purpose of this analysis, ``9/11 family members'' are eligible
claimants who received payments from the Fund in the first and second
rounds of payments in 2017 and 2019, respectively; and ``9/11 victims,
9/11 spouses, and 9/11 dependents'' are claimants who had eligible
claims (based on eligible final judgments) prior to the Clarification
Act, but were precluded from receiving payments from the Fund because
they had received awards from the VCF.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ 34 U.S.C. 20144(d)(4)(C)(i). Further, section 1705 provides
for GAO to conduct this audit in accordance with 34 U.S.C.
20144(d)(3)(A), which generally places limits on the amount of
eligible claims (referred to as ``statutory caps''). For example,
for individuals, the cap is generally $20,000,000 and for claims of
family members when aggregated, the cap is generally $35,000,000. As
such, we plan to utilize data from the Fund on the claim amounts
after the application of statutory caps.
\11\ In the context of the overall statutory scheme of the Fund,
the population for which we are estimating ``catch-up payments'' are
9/11 victims, spouses, and dependents who applied for payments in
the first, second, or third round of payments from the Fund; whose
final judgment date was prior to the close of the application period
for the second round of payments (September 14, 2018); and who did
not receive payments from the Fund in rounds one or two. See 34
U.S.C. 20144(c), (d)(4)(C); U.S. Victims of State Sponsored
Terrorism Fund, ``Special Master Report Regarding the Third
Distribution,'' at 2 (June 2020). According to the Fund's June 2020
congressional report, the applications of eligible claimants who
applied in rounds one or two are carried forward into subsequent
payment rounds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To estimate the amount(s) called for in the mandate, GAO plans to
utilize data from the Fund on the following amounts: (1) Payments
received by 9/11 family members in rounds one and two; (2) net eligible
claims \12\ of 9/11 family members who received payments in rounds one
and two; and (3) net eligible claims \13\ of 9/11 victims, spouses, and
dependents. Using these amounts, we plan to calculate the percentage of
9/11 family members' net eligible claims that were paid from the Fund
in rounds one and two. We will then apply this percentage to net
eligible claims of 9/11 victims, spouses, and dependents to generate
the lump sum catch-up payment amount for 9/11 victims, spouses, and
dependents, in an equal percentage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ For the purposes of our analysis, ``net eligible claims''
refers to the monetary amount of all eligible claims after the
application of statutory caps by the Fund, if applicable. 34 U.S.C.
20144(d)(3)(A). In accordance with GAO standards, we will assess the
reliability and completeness of the data from the Fund to ensure
that it is appropriate for these purposes.
\13\ As discussed in footnote 11 above, a 9/11 victim,
dependent, or spouse's net eligible claim would be included if they
applied for payments in the first, second, or third round of
payments from the Fund; if the date of their final judgment was
prior to the close of the application period for the second round of
payments (September 14, 2018); and if they did not receive a payment
from the Fund in rounds one or two.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
After consideration of comments from this notice, we will issue a
second Federal Register notice, utilizing data from the Fund to report
estimated lump sum catch-up payments based on this methodology with any
changes we determine appropriate. We will again seek public comment on
the second Federal Register notice.
Authority: Pub. L. 116-260, div. FF, tit. XVII, 1705, 134 Stat.
1182, 3293-3294 (34 U.S.C. 20144(d)(4)(C)).
Charles Michael Johnson, Jr.,
Managing Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Government
Accountability Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-06084 Filed 3-25-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1610-02-P
