This part implements the provisions of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, Title IV of Public Law 107-42, 115 Stat. 230 (Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act), as amended by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, Title II of Public Law 111-347, and as amended by the James Zadroga 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Reauthorization Act, Division O, Title IV of Public Law 114-113 (the “Act”) to provide full compensation to eligible individuals who were physically injured (as defined herein) as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, or the rescue and recovery efforts during the immediate aftermath of such crashes or debris removal during the immediate aftermath of those crashes, and to the “personal representatives” of those who were killed as a result of the crashes or the rescue and recovery efforts during the immediate aftermath of such crashes or debris removal during the immediate aftermath of such crashes. All compensation provided through the Victim Compensation Fund will be on account of personal physical conditions, physical injuries or death. The provisions of these regulations that relate to filing and evaluation of claims, determination of eligibility, and determination of compensable loss shall apply to all claims that are defined as Group B claims in the Act and in these regulations. Eligibility and compensation for Group A claims has been determined prior to the effective date of these regulations, pursuant to the regulations previously in effect.

(a) Categories of claims—(1) Group A claims. A claim is a Group A claim if the Special Master has transmitted a final award determination by sending a letter postmarked and transmitted on or before December 17, 2015 indicating the total amount of compensation to which the claimant is entitled for that claim, pursuant to the regulations and methodology in effect on December 17, 2015.

(2) Group B claims. A claim is a Group B claim if it is not a Group A claim. An individual can have both Group A claims and Group B claims.

(b) Eligible claimants. The term eligible claimants means:

(1) Individuals present at a 9/11 crash site at the time of or in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes and who suffered physical harm, as defined herein, as a direct result of the crashes or the rescue and recovery efforts or debris removal;

(2) The Personal Representatives of deceased individuals aboard American Airlines flights 11 or 77 and United Airlines flights 93 or 175; and

(3) The Personal Representatives of individuals who were present at a 9/11 crash site at the time of or in the immediate aftermath of the crashes and who died as a direct result of the terrorist-related aircraft crash or the rescue and recovery efforts during the immediate aftermath of such crashes or the debris removal during the immediate aftermath of such crashes.

(4) The term eligible claimants does not include any individual or representative of an individual who is identified to have been a participant or conspirator in the terrorist-related crashes of September 11.

(c) Immediate aftermath. The term immediate aftermath means any period beginning with the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, and ending on May 30, 2002.

(d) Physical harm. The term physical harm shall mean:

(1) A WTC-Related Physical Health Condition; or

(2) A physical injury to the body resulting from the 9/11 attacks that was treated by a medical professional within a reasonable time from the date of discovering such harm and is verifiable by medical records created by or at the direction of the medical professional who provided the medical care contemporaneously with the care; but

(3) Not including any Mental Health Condition.

(e) Mental Health Condition. The term Mental Health Condition shall mean a mental health condition described in paragraph (1)(A)(ii) or (3)(B) of section 3312(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300 mm-22(a)), or any mental health condition certified under section 3312(b)(2)(B)(iii) of such Act (including such certification as applied under section 3322(a) (42 U.S.C. 300mm-32(a) of such Act), or a mental health condition described in section 3322(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 300mm-32(b)(2)) of such Act, or any other mental health condition.

(f) Personal Representative. The term Personal Representative shall mean the person determined to be the Personal Representative under § 104.4 of this part.

(g) WTC Health Program. The term WTC Health Program means the World Trade Center Health Program established by Title I of Public Law 111-347 (codified at Title XXXIII of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 300mm through 300mm-61).

(h) WTC Program Administrator. The WTC Program Administrator shall mean the WTC Program Administrator as defined in section 3306 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300mm-5).

(i) WTC-Related Physical Health Condition. The term WTC-Related Physical Health Condition means a WTC-related health condition listed in Section 3312(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300mm-22(a)), including the conditions listed in section 3322(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 300mm-32(b)), and including those health conditions added by the WTC Program Administrator through rulemaking pursuant to the Public Health Service Act, 42 CFR part 88, except that such term shall not include any Mental Health Condition.

(j) 9/11 crash site. The term 9/11 crash site means:

(1) The World Trade Center site, Pentagon site, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania site; or

(2) The buildings or portions of buildings that were destroyed as a result of the terrorist-related airplane crashes of September 11, 2001; or

(3) The area in Manhattan that is south of the line that runs along Canal Street from the Hudson River to the intersection of Canal Street and East Broadway, north on East Broadway to Clinton Street, and east on Clinton Street to the East River; and

(4) Any area related to, or along, routes of debris removal, such as barges and Fresh Kills.

(a) Beneficiary. The term beneficiary shall mean a person to whom the Personal Representative shall distribute all or part of the award under § 104.52 of this part.

(b) Dependents. The Special Master shall identify as dependents those persons so identified by the victim on his or her Federal tax return for the year prior to the year of the victim's death (or those persons who legally could have been identified by the victim on his or her Federal tax return for the year prior to the year of the victim's death) unless:

(1) The claimant demonstrates that a minor child of the victim was born or adopted on or after January 1 of the year of the victim's death;

(2) Another person became a dependent in accordance with then- applicable law on or after January 1 of the year of the victim's death; or

(3) The victim was not required by law to file a Federal income tax return for the year prior to the year of the victim's death.

(c) Spouse. The Special Master shall identify as the spouse of a victim the person reported as spouse on the victim's Federal tax return for the year prior to the year of the victim's death (or the person who legally could have been identified by the victim on his or her Federal tax return for the year prior to the year of the victim's death) unless:

(1) The victim was married or divorced in accordance with applicable state law on or after January 1 of the year of the victim's death; or

(2) The victim was not required by law to file a Federal income tax return for the year prior to the year of the victim's death.

(3) The Special Master shall identify as the spouse of a victim any same-sex spouse who was lawfully married to the victim under applicable state law.

(d) The Act. The Act, as used in this part, shall mean Public Law 107-42, 115 Stat. 230 (“Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act”), 49 U.S.C. 40101 note, as amended by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, Title II of Public Law 111-347 and as further amended by the James Zadroga 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Reauthorization Act, Division O, Title IV of Public Law 114-113.

(e) Victim. The term victim shall mean an eligible injured claimant or a decedent on whose behalf a claim is brought by an eligible Personal Representative.

(f) Substantially Complete. A claim becomes substantially complete when, in the opinion of the Special Master or her designee, the claim contains sufficient information and documentation to determine both the claimant's eligibility and, if the claimant is eligible, an appropriate award.

(a) In general. The Personal Representative shall be:

(1) An individual appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction as the Personal Representative of the decedent or as the executor or administrator of the decedent's will or estate.

(2) In the event that no Personal Representative or executor or administrator has been appointed by any court of competent jurisdiction, and such issue is not the subject of pending litigation or other dispute, the Special Master may, in her discretion, determine that the Personal Representative for purposes of compensation by the Fund is the person named by the decedent in the decedent's will as the executor or administrator of the decedent's estate. In the event no will exists, the Special Master may, in her discretion, determine that the Personal Representative for purposes of compensation by the Fund is the first person in the line of succession established by the laws of the decedent's domicile governing intestacy.

(b) Notice to beneficiaries. (1) Any purported Personal Representative must, before filing an Eligibility Form, provide written notice of the claim (including a designated portion of the Eligibility Form) to the immediate family of the decedent (including, but not limited to, the decedent's spouse, former spouses, children, other dependents, and parents), to the executor, administrator, and beneficiaries of the decedent's will, and to any other persons who may reasonably be expected to assert an interest in an award or to have a cause of action to recover damages relating to the wrongful death of the decedent.

(2) Personal delivery or transmission by certified mail, return receipt requested, shall be deemed sufficient notice under this provision. The claim forms shall require that the purported Personal Representative certify that such notice (or other notice that the Special Master deems appropriate) has been given. In addition, as provided in § 104.21(b)(5) of this part, the Special Master may publish a list of individuals who have filed Eligibility Forms and the names of the victims for whom compensation is sought, but shall not publish the content of any such form.

(c) Objections to Personal Representatives. Objections to the authority of an individual to file as the Personal Representative of a decedent may be filed with the Special Master by parties who assert a financial interest in the award up to 30 days following the filing by the Personal Representative. If timely filed, such objections shall be treated as evidence of a “dispute” pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.

(d) Disputes as to identity. The Special Master shall not be required to arbitrate, litigate, or otherwise resolve any dispute as to the identity of the Personal Representative. In the event of a dispute over the appropriate Personal Representative, the Special Master may suspend adjudication of the claim or, if sufficient information is provided, calculate the appropriate award and authorize payment, but place in escrow any payment until the dispute is resolved either by agreement of the disputing parties or by a court of competent jurisdiction. Alternatively, the disputing parties may agree in writing to the identity of a Personal Representative to act on their behalf, who may seek and accept payment from the Fund while the disputing parties work to settle their dispute.

In the case of claims brought by or on behalf of foreign citizens, the Special Master may alter the requirements for documentation set forth herein to the extent such materials are unavailable to such foreign claimants.

All claims will be processed in accordance with the current provisions of this part.