Sec. 302. Facilitation of the settlement of terrorism-related claims of nationals of the United States
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/bill/116/hr/1837/eh/section-302·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, develop and initiate a comprehensive process for the Department of State to facilitate the resolution and settlement of covered claims. The comprehensive process developed under subsection
(a)shall include, at a minimum, the following: Not later than 45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Department of State shall publish a notice in the Federal Register identifying the method by which a national of the United States, or a representative of a national of the United States, who has a covered claim, may contact the Department of State to give notice of the covered claim. Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, or a designee of the Secretary, shall meet (and make every effort to continue to meet on a regular basis thereafter) with any national of the United States, or a representative of a national of the United States, who has a covered claim and has informed the Department of State of the covered claim using the method established pursuant to paragraph
(1)to discuss the status of the covered claim, including the status of any settlement discussions with the Palestinian Authority or the Palestine Liberation Organization. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, or a designee of the Secretary, shall make every effort to meet (and make every effort to continue to meet on a regular basis thereafter) with representatives of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to discuss the covered claims identified pursuant to paragraph
(1)and potential settlement of the covered claims. The Secretary of State shall, not later than 240 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, submit to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report describing activities that the Department of State has undertaken to comply with this section, including specific updates regarding paragraphs
(2)and
(3)of subsection (b). It is the sense of Congress that— covered claims should be resolved in a manner that provides just compensation to the victims; covered claims should be resolved and settled in favor of the victim to the fullest extent possible and without subjecting victims to unnecessary or protracted litigation; the United States Government should take all practicable steps to facilitate the resolution and settlement of all covered claims, including engaging directly with the victims or their representatives and the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization; and the United States Government should strongly urge the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to commit to good-faith negotiations to resolve and settle all covered claims. In this section, the term covered claim means any pending action by, or final judgment in favor of, a national of the United States, or any action by a national of the United States dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction, under section 2333 of title 18, United States Code, against the Palestinian Authority or the Palestine Liberation Organization.