S. 546: Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-02-25 · Law · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-02-25 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act

Plain summary

Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act This bill funds through FY2090 the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Additionally, the bill modifies the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF): to allow claims to be filed until October 2089, to require VCF policies and procedures to be reassessed at least once every five years (currently, at least once annually), to require claimants to be paid for the amount by which a claim was reduced on the basis of insufficient funding, to remove the cap on noneconomic damages in certain circumstances, and to adjust the annual limit on economic loss compensation for inflation.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] · 75 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Rick Scott (R-FL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Steve Daines (R-MT), James E. Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jack Reed (D-RI), Patty Murray (D-WA), John Boozman (R-AR) and 15 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] reported raising $3.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s546.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s546 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116