June 12, 2019 - House Panel Unanimously Passes 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Reauthorization

This morning, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. While this is an important step in the right direction, continued funding is still not guaranteed. In order to become law, this bill must be approved by the Senate, and then signed into law by the President.

We encourage our clients, especially those living outside of New York, to contact their Senators and voice their support for the Reauthorization Act. There are currently 39 cosponsors of the bill in the Senate. None of the Senators from Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina (all states with significant populations of NY retirees) are cosponsors of the bill.

Even with funding restored, the VCF will likely continue to scrutinize claims more carefully than it has in the past. To that end, we remind our clients to provide all of the required information, including detailed affidavits proving exposure, updated Certification Letters from the World Trade Center Health Program, and medical records establishing the severity of your conditions (e.g. pulmonary function tests, endoscopies, CT scans, sleep studies, prescription records and treatment notes).

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact our office at (212) 766-5800, or email me directly at dan@ucjlaw.com. To check on the status of your claim or to confirm receipt of any documents, please contact my paralegal either at the office or by email at kate@ucjlaw.com.