McGuireWoods Consulting Helps Secure Key Provisions in Fund for U.S. Victims of Foreign Terrorist Attacks

November 22, 2019

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Continuing a decades-long effort to combat the financing and support of foreign terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens, McGuireWoods Consulting has helped secure key provisions in the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (“Fund”) Clarification Act (“Act”), recently included in a Continuing Resolution to fund the government through Dec. 20, 2019.

Signed by the President on Nov. 21, 2019, the legislation gives victims and their families a much stronger hand to play when seeking compensation for fatalities and injuries at the hands of foreign terror organizations. The U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund Clarification Act extends the Fund for an additional four years until 2030, increases the amount of civil fines and forfeitures assessed against those who violate U.S. economic sanctions going into the Fund from 50 percent to 75 percent, and divides the Fund whereby 50 percent is reserved for non-9/11 victims of state sponsored terrorism, and the remaining 50 percent for 9/11 victims. The pool of eligible 9/11 family claimants is also increased.

Previously, McGuireWoods Consulting helped secure passage of the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act of 2018, which narrowed a key legal exemption that terror organizations have used to escape accountability from an original law passed in 1992.

McGuireWoods Consulting’s federal public affairs team worked on behalf of veterans and military families victimized by foreign terror attacks, among other groups to secure new provisions in the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund Clarification Act. The new provisions will strengthen access to the Fund and provide additional resources in the coming years.

Playing a key role in securing these provisions was McGuireWoods Consulting senior vice president, Mona Mohib, senior advisor, Frank Donatelli, and research associate, Mariam Eatedali.