Congress would create a new federal program to compensate Americans harmed before birth by thalidomide, a drug that caused limb and organ birth defects in the 1950s and 1960s. Within one year of enactment, the Department of Health and Human Services would set up the Thalidomide Survivors Compensation Program, and eligible survivors could file a petition backed by a physician's documentation showing they were exposed to thalidomide and injured as a result. An expert panel of doctors, lawyers, thalidomide specialists, and survivors would review each petition, and approved applicants would receive a one-time payment of $150,000. Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents — both at the time of exposure and at the time they apply — could qualify, each person may file just one petition, and no petitions would be accepted after May 31, 2034. The compensation would be exempt from federal income tax and would not count as income or assets for means-tested benefit programs like Medicaid, SNAP, or Supplemental Security Income, so survivors would not lose other aid they rely on. HHS would review the program every year, report to Congress and the public on spending and results, and could make additional payments for ongoing medical needs if funding is available. Congress would authorize whatever sums HHS certifies are needed for each year from 2028 through 2034.
Transparency & Accountability
- Annual program review — HHS must evaluate all compensation payments each year
- Public reporting requirement — Accounting of funds and recipient counts submitted to Congress and made public
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 →
Like reading a bill in plain English?
We're building an app that does this for every bill in Congress and lets you tell your reps how you want them to vote. We're a small team getting ready to launch, and we're trying to show investors that real people want this. Be one of them. Help us get it built. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment the app is ready.