Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) has introduced the Fairness for 9/11 Families Technical Fix Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing procedural issues in current law that have prevented certain 9/11 families from receiving payments through the Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism (VSST) Fund. The legislation seeks to ensure that Havlish Settling Judgment Creditors—families with final federal court judgments—obtain both previously allocated payments and restored eligibility for future distributions.
Fitzpatrick is recognized for his advocacy on behalf of 9/11 families and aviation security. He said, “Nothing can ever repay the families who lost so much on September 11th, but we can — and must — ensure they receive every benefit and protection this nation promised them. This legislation honors that duty. By releasing VSST payments held in escrow and restoring full eligibility for future distributions, this bill sets right what has been wrong for far too long and ensures that no 9/11 family is ever left at the margins of the law again. It is keeping faith with those we pledged never to forget.”
Ellen Saracini, a resident of Lower Makefield and widow of Captain Victor J. Saracini of United Flight 175, also expressed support for the bill: “Congressman Fitzpatrick and I have worked together for many years now to ensure 9/11 families are never left behind—not in memory, not in policy, and not in the support they are owed. Yet a small group of Havlish plaintiffs have waited far too long for VSST payments already allocated to them. The Fairness for 9/11 Families Technical Fix Act finally makes this right by releasing those funds and restoring their full access going forward. I urge every Member of Congress to join us in this bipartisan commitment to fairness and deliver relief the families should have received long ago.”
The proposed legislation would release all VSST Fund payments currently held in escrow for Havlish Settling Judgment Creditors, restore full eligibility for these plaintiffs in future payment rounds, clarify statutory exceptions so that prior elections or conditional applications do not restrict rights under the program, apply retroactively to address any administrative delays or timing issues, and authorize no new federal spending.
Fitzpatrick has served as U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania’s 1st District since 2017 https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/about. He was born in Philadelphia in 1973 and resides in Levittown https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/brian-fitzpatrick-pennsylvania-congress-house-republican-20221108.html. Fitzpatrick holds degrees from La Salle University (BS) and Pennsylvania State University (JD) https://www.lasalle.edu/alumni/blog/alumni-profile-brian-fitzpatrick-96/.
He has also worked closely with Ellen Saracini on aviation safety reforms following September 11. Fitzpatrick authored the Saracini Aviation Safety Act (2018), requiring secondary cockpit barriers on newly manufactured commercial aircraft. In 2023, he led efforts extending this requirement to all existing U.S. commercial aircraft as part of broader FAA reauthorization legislation.
