The program was established by the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism (Public Law 98-533),[5] and it is administered by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

Brad Smith, a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) special agent assigned to desk duty due to illness, served as the lone site administrator and program manager running the operation from his home.

The Secretary of State is currently offering rewards for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against U.S. persons or property worldwide.

[14] The largest reward offered was $25 million for the leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, which had "attracted hundreds of anonymous calls but no reliable leads.

[25] In April 2020, Rewards for Justice Program offered $5 million for information leading to identify North Korean hackers who target United States critical infrastructure.