It provides aid to the families of Public Safety Officers who were injured or killed in terrorist attacks, and amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984.
Section 611 of the Patriot Act expedited such payments and they are now to be made not later than 30 days after the injury has been certified if it was sustained while investigating, undertaking rescue or recovery efforts related to a terrorist attack.
The amendment included "permanent and total disability" in the allowable reasons an officer may receive benefits.
These changes were later rolled back by section 111 of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 (H.R.
The Patriot Act also changed the distribution percentages of the remaining amount in the Fund in a particular fiscal year.
[11] Previously it stated that "the Director may retain any portion of the Fund that was deposited during a fiscal year that was in excess of 110 percent of the total amount deposited in the Fund during the preceding fiscal year as an emergency reserve" so long as the amount does not exceed $100,000,000.
The Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act[13] created the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, and this was made one of the Federal benefits that should be a primary payer to the States.