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H.R. 5865 119th Congress House

Thalidomide Survivors Compensation Act of 2025

Official title: To establish the Thalidomide Survivors Compensation Program, and for other purposes.

Introduced: October 28, 2025 Introduced by: Jefferson Van Drew Republican · New Jersey See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 28, 2025
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Education and Workforce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Oct 28, 2025
Introduced in House
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What's happening now October 28, 2025

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Education and Workforce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Thalidomide Survivors Compensation Act of 2025

This 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.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 9
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5865: Thalidomide Survivors Compensation Act of 2025. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5865/
MLA
"H.R. 5865: Thalidomide Survivors Compensation Act of 2025." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5865/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5865, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5865/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5865: Thalidomide Survivors Compensation Act of 2025](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5865/)
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