119-hr4145

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4145 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4145

 To amend the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 to make technical 
 corrections.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 25, 2025

 Mr. Murphy (for himself, Ms. Ross, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Knott, Mr. Hudson, 
 Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Harrigan, Mr. Moore of North Carolina, Mr. McDowell, 
Mr. Haridopolos, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mrs. Foushee, Ms. Adams, 
Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Hoyle of Oregon, Mr. Golden of 
 Maine, Mr. Conaway, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Mace, Mr. Barr, and Mr. Ivey) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 to make technical 
 corrections.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune 
Victims Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO THE CAMP LEJEUNE JUSTICE ACT OF 2022.

 

Section 804 of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (28 U.S.C. 2671 
note prec.) is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (b) --
        (A) by striking ``in the United States District 
 Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina'';

    (2) by amending subsection
            (c) to read as follows:
 ``
            (c) Burdens and Standard of Proof.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The party filing an action under this 
 section shall be entitled to appropriate relief upon showing--
 ``
        (A) the existence of 1 or more relationships 
 between the type of contaminant in any water at Camp 
 Lejeune and the type of harm suffered by the individual 
 harm; and
 ``
        (B) that the individual was present at Camp 
 Lejeune for a period of not less than 30 days, whether 
 or not consecutive.
 ``

    (2) Evidentiary standards.--To meet the causal 
 relationship described in paragraph

    (1) , a party shall produce 
 evidence showing that the relationship between exposure to any 
 level of contaminants of a type in any water at Camp Lejeune 
 and the type of harm is--
 ``
        (A) sufficient to conclude that a causal 
 relationship exists; or
 ``
        (B) sufficient to conclude that a causal 
 relationship is at least as likely as not.'';

    (3) by amending subsection
            (d) to read as follows:
 ``
            (d) Exclusive Jurisdiction and Venue.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The United States District Court for the 
 Eastern District of North Carolina shall have exclusive 
 jurisdiction and venue for coordinated or consolidated pretrial 
 administrative and procedural matters and resolution over any 
 action filed under subsection

    (b) .
 ``

    (2) Transfer.--A party filing an action under subsection

    (b) may transfer such action to any district court of the 
 Eastern, Middle or Western Districts of North Carolina or the 
 District of South Carolina for pretrial and trial of such 
 action, including the adjudication of all evidentiary motions.
 ``

    (3) Jury trial.--Any action against the United States 
 under subsection

    (b) shall, at the request of either party to 
 such action, be tried by the court with a jury.
 ``

    (4) Expedited disposition.--The court shall advance an 
 action filed under subsection

    (b) on the docket, and expedite 
 the disposition of such action to the greatest extent 
 possible.''; and

    (4) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (k) Attorney Fees.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The total amount of attorneys fees under 
 this section shall be in an amount that is not more than--
 ``
        (A) 20 percent of any settlement entered into 
 before a civil action under subsection

    (b) is 
 commenced; or
 ``
        (B) 25 percent of any judgement rendered or 
 settlement entered into after a civil action under 
 subsection

    (b) is commenced.
 ``

    (2) Division of fees.--A division of a fee under 
 paragraph

    (1) between attorneys who are not in the same firm 
 may be made only if the division is in proportion to the 
 services performed by each attorney.
 ``

    (3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection 
 shall prohibit an individual or the legal representative of an 
 individual and such individual's or representative's attorney 
 from agreeing to a fee award that is less than the maximum 
 percentage specified in paragraph

    (1) .''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect as 
if enacted on August 10, 2022, and shall apply to any claim or action 
under 

section 804 of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 that is 
pending on, or filed on or after, the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

 Nothing in this Act or an amendment made by this Act shall be 
construed to modify the applicability or statute of limitations 
provisions under 

section 804

    (j) of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 
(28 U.S.C. 2671 note prec.).
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