Department of Justice August 31, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On January 2, 2011, President Obama signed into law the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 (Zadroga Act). Title II of the Zadroga Act reactivates the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 and requires a Special Master, appointed by the Attorney General, to provide compensation to any individual (or a personal representative of a deceased individual) who suffered physical harm or was killed as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, or the debris removal efforts that took place in the immediate aftermath of those crashes. The Attorney General appointed Sheila L. Birnbaum to serve as Special Master and administer the Fund. On June 21, 2011, the Special Master issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposed to amend the regulations implementing the Fund to reflect the changes made by the Zadroga Act. After reviewing the extensive public comments and meeting with numerous victims, victims' families, and other groups, the Special Master is issuing this final rule and associated commentary, which make certain clarifications and changes that are designed to address issues that have been raised. Specifically, the final rule clarifies, supplements, and amends the proposed rule by, among other things: Expanding the geographic zone recognized as a ``9/11 crash site''; providing greater consistency with the World Trade Center Health Program by adding additional forms of proof that may be used to establish eligibility; and clarifying the types of fees and charges that would come within the caps on amounts that a claimant's representative may charge in connection with a claim made to the Fund.