,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ijd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,february #bh1 #bjac 
,mr4 ,braley of ,iowa 7for himself and  
,ms4 ,ros-,lehtinen7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in
 addition to the ,committee on ,foreign 
,affairs1 for a period to be            
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to establish a common fund  
to pay claims to the ,americans held    
hostage in ,iran1 and to members of     
their families1 who are identified as   
class members in case number            
#a3jh-;,,cv-#jjdhg 7,,egs7 of the       
,united ,states ,district ,court for the
 ,district of ,columbia1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,justice for the    
,american ,diplomats ,held ,hostage in  
,tehran ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress  

finds the following3  7#a7 ,in #aigi1   
agents of the ,islamic ,republic of     
,iran stormed the ,united ,states       
,embassy in ,tehran1 taking ,american   
military and diplomatic personnel       
hostage4  7#b7 ,the ,iranian ,government
 then held ,united ,states ,embassy     
personnel as hostages for #ddd days1    
subjecting them to profound physical and
 mental abuse1 and forcing the ,united  
,states to negotiate their release1     
under duress4  7#c7 ,in the resultant   
agreement 7commonly known as the        
,algiers ,accords7 the ,united ,states  
agreed1 among other steps1 to bar and   
preclude the hostages from prosecuting  
any claim against ,iran in ,united      
,states courts4  7#d7 ,the ,algiers     
,accords were never submitted to        
,congress for ratification and none of  
the hostages or their family members was
 consulted by the ,united ,states       
,government or consented to these       
provisions precluding prosecution of    
their claims4  7#e7 ,notwithstanding the

 applicability of legal principles which
 allowed the ,united ,states to renounce
 this obligation to bar and preclude the
 prosecution of claims in ,united       
,states courts because they were so     
clearly negotiated under duress1 the    
,united ,states ,government has         
repeatedly intervened in ,united ,states
 courts to preclude the prosecution of  
any claim by the hostages against ,iran1
 arguing that1 in its opinion1          
compliance with this agreement served   
overriding national security interests  
which justified the taking of the       
hostages' right to pursue compensation  
from ,iran in ,united ,states courts4   
7#f7 ,the ,united ,states ,government   
has failed to propose any process by    
which the hostages and their family     
members could be compensated for the    
injuries and damages suffered by them by
 reason of the horrific and heinous     
treatment while in captivity4  7#g7     
,congress has determined that the       
provision of compensation to the        

hostages and their families through1    
among other sources1 funds obtained by  
vesting and liquidating property in     
which ,iran and its surrogates claim an 
interest 7including any funds held by   
the ,united ,states1 including in trust7
 is fully consistent with the ,algiers  
,accords4  7#h7 ,congress has determined
 that1 only upon the payment of such    
compensation1 should the agreement by   
the ,united ,states ,government to bar  
and preclude prosecution of such claims 
in ,united ,states courts be confirmed  
and ratified by legislation1            
notwithstanding the duress under which  
the ,united ,states originally          
negotiated that agreement4  #c4 ,justice
 for former ,american hostages in ,iran 
7a7 ,common fund for hostages ,not later
 than #ij days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of the ,treasury1 in consultation with  
the ,secretary of ,state1 shall         
establish a common fund to be           
administered by the class               

representatives and agents for the      
former ,american hostages in ,iran and  
their survivors 7as identified in case  
number #a3jh-;,,cv-#jjdhg 7,,egs7 of the
 ,united ,district ,court for the       
,district of ,columbia74 ,such common   
fund shall--  7#a7 be administered to   
pay claims to the ,americans held       
hostage in ,iran1 and to members of     
their families1 who are identified as   
class members in case number            
#a3jh-;,,cv-#jjdhg 7,,egs7 of the       
,united ,states ,district ,court for the
 ,district of ,columbia2 and  7#b7 be   
administered for purposes of satisfying 
such claims1 as approved by the class   
representatives and agents identified in
 that case number4  7b7 ,funding  7#a7  
,sources  7,a7 ,fines and penalties  7i7
 ,in general ,the ,president shall pay  
to the fund under subsection 7a7 an     
amount equal to #ej percent of all      
amounts collected as fines and penalties
 by reason of the application of clause 
7ii7 on or after the date of enactment  

of this ,act4 ,the total amount of      
payments that may be made into the fund 
under this clause may not exceed the    
estimated total amount of payments to be
 made under subsection 7d74  7ii7 ,fines
 and penalties ,the maximum fines and   
penalties authorized to be imposed1 in  
whole or in part1 for violations of any 
conduct or activities with respect to   
any government or person by reason of   
their connection with or sponsorship by 
,iran are hereby increased by #ajj      
percent4  7,b7 ,seized or frozen assets 
,the ,president is authorized to pay to 
the fund under subsection 7a7--  7i7 any
 funds or property in which ,iran has an
 interest1 and  7ii7 any funds or       
property in which any person or entity  
subject to any law providing for        
sanctions against ,iran by reason of    
such person's or entity's relationship  
to or connection with ,iran has an      
interest1  held by the ,united ,states  
7including in the form of a trust7 or   
subject to any prohibition or regulation

 with respect to any financial          
transactions in connection therewith4   
,the ,president is authorized to vest   
and liquidate any property identified in
 this subparagraph in order to make     
payment as provided in this             
subparagraph4  7#b7 ,timing of funding  
,payments of claims from the fund under 
subsection 7a7--  7,a7 using funds held 
by the ,united ,states or funds that    
become subject to prohibition or        
regulation as of the date of enactment  
of this ,act shall be made not later    
than #fj days of the date of enactment  
of this ,act2 and  7,b7 using funds     
which come into the possession of the   
,united ,states or funds that become    
subject to prohibition or regulation    
after the date of enactment of this ,act
 shall be paid not later than #fj days  
after coming into the possession of the 
,united ,states or funds that become    
subject to prohibition or regulation1 as
 the case may be4  7#c7 ,satisfaction of
 claims ,payments to the fund under     

subsection 7a7 shall be made until the  
amounts described in subsection 7d7 are 
satisfied in full4 ,if the ,president   
determines that the amounts can be fully
 satisfied within #a year after the date
 of enactment of this ,act from funds   
other than those held by the ,united    
,states as trustee1 the ,president may  
defer payment of funds held by the      
,united ,states as trustee until one    
year after such date of enactment1 but  
shall ensure during such #a-year period 
of deferral that any such funds held by 
the ,united ,states as trustee shall not
 be disbursed1 transferred or otherwise 
constrained for payment as otherwise may
 be required under this ,act4  7c7      
,distribution of funds  7#a7 ,in general
 ,funds paid to the fund under          
subsection 7b7 shall be distributed by  
the class representatives and agents to 
the former ,american hostages in ,iran  
and their survivors 7as identified in   
case number #a3jh-;,,cv-#jjdhg 7,,egs7  
of the ,united ,states ,district ,court 

for the ,district of ,columbia7 in the  
amounts described in subsection 7d74    
7#b7 ,priority ,subject to subsection   
7d71 payments from funds paid to the    
fund under subsection 7b7 shall be      
distributed as follows3  7,a7 ,first1 to
 each living former hostage identified  
as a class member under subsection      
7a77#a74  7,b7 ,second1 to the estate of
 each deceased former hostage identified
 as a class member under subsection     
7a77#a74  7,c7 ,third1 to each spouse or
 child of a former hostage identified as
 a class member under subsection 7a77#a7
 if the spouse or child is identified as
 a class member under subsection        
7a77#a74  7d7 ,amount of payments ,the  
amount of payments from funds paid to   
the fund under subsection 7b7 shall be  
distributed as follows3  7#a7 ,for each 
former hostage described in subsection  
7c77#b77;,a71 #aj1jjj for each day of   
captivity of the former hostage4  7#b7  
,for the estate of each deceased former 
hostage described in subsection         

7c77#b77;,b71 #aj1jjj for each day of   
captivity of the former hostage4  7#c7  
,for each spouse or child of a former   
hostage described in subsection         
7c77#b77;,c71 #e1jjj for each day of    
captivity of the former hostage4  7e7   
,subrogation ,the ,united ,states shall 
be fully subrogated1 with respect to    
payments under this ,act1 to all rights 
of each individual paid under subsection
 7d7 against the ,government of ,iran or
 the ,iranian ,revolutionary ,guard     
,corps or its affiliates or agents4 ,the
 ,president shall pursue these          
subrogated rights as claims or offsets  
of the ,united ,states in appropriate   
ways until such subrogated claims have  
been resolved to the satisfaction of the
 ,united ,states4  7f7 ,preclusion of   
,suit and ,waiver of ,claims ,upon      
payment of all amounts described in     
subsection 7d71 each person receiving   
such payment shall be precluded from    
bringing suit against ,iran of any claim
 arising out of events occurring between

 ,november #c1 #aigi1 and ,january #bj1 
#aiha1 and all such claims as against   
,iran shall be deemed waived and forever
 released4  7g7 ,reimbursement of seized
 or frozen assets ,upon payment of all  
amounts described in subsection 7d71 the
 ,president is authorized to make       
payments from amounts paid to the fund  
under subsection 7b77#a77;,a7 to any    
person or entity described in subsection
 7b77#a77;,b7 for purposes of           
reimbursing such person or entity for   
funds or property of such person or     
entity held by the ,united ,states as   
identified in subsection 7b77#a77;,b74  
7h7 ,deposit of funds in the ,treasury  
,any amounts in the fund under          
subsection 7a7 which remain after the   
date on which payments of all amounts   
described in subsection 7d7 are made1 or
 the date that is #b years after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act1     
whichever occurs later1 shall be        
deposited in the ,treasury of the       
,united ,states4