Fairness for Khobar Act Authorizes Catch-Up Payments for 1983 & 1996 Bombing Victims Who Followed Bad DOJ Advice

The “Fairness for Khobar Act of 2025” is straightforward: it’s about correcting a past bureaucratic mistake that cost victims of the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing significant compensation. Specifically, the bill authorizes lump sum catch-up payments for victims who missed out on the original payouts because they followed incorrect guidance from the Department of Justice (DOJ). That old guidance wrongly told people they couldn’t apply for the lump sum if they were already receiving regular payments from the Fund, forcing them to choose one or the other.

Clearing the Administrative Logjam

This legislation is essentially a clean-up operation. The bill directs the Special Master—the person in charge of managing the victim compensation fund—to set up a process within 30 days to approve these catch-up payments. If you’re one of the victims affected, you need to prove you relied on that bad DOJ advice. The bill gives the Special Master flexibility here: you can use written or spoken communication with the Fund, a sworn statement explaining how you relied on the guidance, or any other method the Special Master deems acceptable. This flexibility is good, as it acknowledges that not everyone has perfectly preserved paperwork from decades ago, but it also gives the Special Master a lot of discretion in deciding who qualifies.

Where the Money Comes From

For the victims, the most important part is getting the money. The bill specifies that these payments will first come from a dedicated reserve fund. However, there’s a crucial backup plan: if that reserve fund runs dry, the Special Master is authorized to tap into the main Fund to ensure these victims get paid what they are owed. While this is great news for the victims who were previously shortchanged, tapping into the main Fund could potentially impact the resources available for other current or future claimants. It’s a necessary correction, but it highlights the administrative pressure on these compensation funds.

The Real-World Impact of Correcting the Record

Think of this as a long-overdue check arriving for people who were penalized for following the rules as they were told. For example, a veteran injured in the Khobar Towers bombing who diligently followed the DOJ’s advice and accepted regular payments instead of the lump sum, only to find out later they should have been eligible for both, finally gets their due. This bill recognizes that when the government issues bad advice, the people who suffer shouldn't be the victims, but the administrative error should be fixed. This legislation corrects that historical injustice, providing financial relief and closure to a specific group of victims who were previously excluded by bureaucratic red tape.