YourVoice.Now Summary
Your MoneyCivil LibertiesTransparency & AccountabilityPays $150,000 to about 100 Americans harmed before birth by thalidomide — tax-free, with no loss of other aid.
Your Money
Thalidomide was a nausea drug that caused birth defects in the 1950s and 1960s. A panel of doctors, lawyers, experts, and survivors would review each claim, and each person may file only one.
The bill adds a line to the tax code so this money is not taxed as income. It covers payments received after the bill becomes law.
The bill lists dozens of federal aid programs, including Medicaid, SNAP, food aid, housing help, and Supplemental Security Income, that must ignore the payment. Aid funded by a state alone is not covered.
After each yearly review, HHS may pay survivors more for ongoing medical or other needs. These extra payments depend on money being available.
No claim could be filed after May 31, 2034. Spending for the program is authorized only for 2028 through 2034.
Civil Liberties
Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents could file. They must have held that status both when they were exposed to thalidomide and when they apply.
Transparency & Accountability
HHS would review every payment each year, then send Congress a report within 60 days and post it publicly. It must cover money spent, how many people were paid, and whether the amount is enough.
More about this bill
Roughly 100 Americans still living were harmed before birth by thalidomide. Each could get a one-time federal payment of $150,000. Thalidomide was a drug given to pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s. Congress found that it caused missing or short limbs and organ damage. Most people would see no change from this bill. The Department of Health and Human Services would set up the program within one year. A survivor would file one claim, with a doctor's records showing exposure and harm. A panel of doctors, lawyers, thalidomide experts, and survivors would review each claim. Only U.S. citizens and green-card holders could apply. They must have held that status when they were exposed and when they file. No claims could be filed after May 31, 2034. The payment would not be taxed. It also would not count as income or savings for Medicaid, SNAP, Supplemental Security Income, and other federal aid named in the bill. So a survivor would not lose that aid by taking the money. Aid paid for by a state alone is not covered by that rule. HHS would review the program each year. It would then post a public report on spending, claim counts, and results. HHS could pay more later for ongoing medical needs, if Congress provides the money. Funding is authorized for 2028 through 2034.
Congressional Summary
Thalidomide Survivors Compensation Act of 2025This bill establishes a program to compensate individuals injured by exposure to thalidomide. (Thalidomide is a medication previously used to treat nausea in pregnant women until the 1960s when it was discovered thalidomide causes severe, life-threatening birth defects. Thalidomide is still used to treat multiple myeloma and leprosy, with federal restrictions to prevent use during pregnancy.)Specifically, individuals seeking compensation may submit a petition to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by May 31, 2034, with documentation from a health professional of an injury caused by exposure to thalidomide. HHS must provide $150,000 to individuals showing such injury, as determined by an expert panel. Eligible individuals must have been a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at the time of exposure and at the time the petition was submitted. HHS may pay individuals compensated under the program additional compensation for ongoing medical or other needs as funds allow after HHS' annual review of the program, as required by the bill.Compensation provided under the bill may not be considered when calculating income or assets under any federal program designed to provide assistance exclusively to low-income individuals (i.e., means-tested programs), including certain programs and funds specified in the bill. Compensation under the program is also excluded from gross income for federal tax purposes.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-10-28
- Date Added
- 2026-07-10
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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