Today, U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Peter King (R-NY), authors of H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, released four new documents from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to help answer questions that members of the media and the public may have about the new law.  The Zadroga law provides health care for those exposed to toxins released by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, and reopens the federal September 11 Victim Compensation Fund to provide economic relief to those harmed by the attacks.  Below are links to the four documents:

•        A Q&A on eligibility for health and compensation benefits under the Zadroga Act <https://maloney.house.gov/documents/911recovery/AnswerstoPL111-347questionsMemo1-20-11.pdf>;

•        A timeline of dates by which the new law will be implemented <https://maloney.house.gov/documents/911recovery/MemoImplementationDatesPL111-347forRepMaloney1-6-11.pdf>;

•        A brief, plain-language summary of the law <https://maloney.house.gov/documents/911recovery/MemoSummaryofPL111-347forRepMaloney1-6-11.pdf>; and

•        A section-by-section summary of the law <https://maloney.house.gov/documents/911recovery/SecbySecSummaryofPL111-347Memo1-19-11.pdf>.

Maloney, Nadler, and King released a joint statement about the materials they released today:

“We hope that these materials will help begin to answer questions that 9/11 responders and survivors have had about the Zadroga law, which was recently signed by President Obama.  However, many details about the health and compensation programs must still be worked out by the Obama Administration.  We met recently with HHS Secretary Sebelius and look forward to meeting soon with Attorney General Holder to set up the strongest, most comprehensive programs to help those who lost their health because of 9/11.”

Background

The House passed the bill in September with a strong bipartisan majority.  On December 22nd, the Senate passed by voice vote an amended version of the bill that reduced the bill’s cost to $4.3 billion over five years.  The House approved the Senate’s changes shortly afterward by a vote of 206-60.  President Obama signed the bill into law on January 2, 2011.