PART 192—VICTIMS OF TERRORISM COMPENSATION Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5569 and 5570 and E.O. 12598 (52 FR 23421). Source: 54 FR 12597, Mar. 28, 1989, unless otherwise noted. Subpart A—General § 192.1 Declarations of hostile action. (a)(1) The Secretary of State shall declare when and where individuals in the Civil Service of the United States, including members of the Foreign Service and foreign service nationals, or a citizen, national or resident alien of the United States rendering personal services to the United States similar to the service of an individual in the Civil Service, have been placed in captive status commencing on or after November 4, 1979, for purposes of § 192.11(b) or January 21, 1981, for all other purposes under this part, which arises because of hostile action abroad and is a result of the individual's relationship with the U.S. Government as provided in the Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act, codified in 5 U.S.C. 5569 and 5570 and Executive Order 12598. (2) The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall also declare when and where individuals in the Civil Service of the United States including members of the Foreign Service and foreign service nationals, including individuals rendering personal services to the United States similar to the service of an individual in the Civil Service, and family members of these individuals are eligible to receive compensation for disability or death occurring after January 21, 1981. Such determination shall be based on the decision by the Secretary of State that the disability or death was caused by hostile action abroad and was a result of the individual's relationship with the Government. (3) Declarations of hostile action in domestic situations shall be made by the Secretary of State in consultation with the Attorney General of the United States and the head of the employing agency or agencies. (b) The Secretary of State for actions abroad, or Agency Head for domestic actions, upon his or her own initiative, or upon application under § 192.2 shall determine which individuals in captive or missing status as so declared shall be considered captives eligible for benefits under the Act. The Secretary or Agency Head shall also determine who is eligible under the Act for benefits as a member of a family or household of a captive. The determination of the Secretary or Agency Head shall be final for purposes of determining captive status and cash payments, and not subject to judicial review, but any interested person may request reconsideration on the basis of information not considered at the time of original determination. The criteria for determination are set forth in sections 5569 and 5570 of title 5 of U.S.C., and in these regulations. § 192.2 Application for determination of eligibility. (a) Any person who believes that that person or other persons known to that person are either captives as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5569(a)(1), individuals who have suffered disability or death caused by hostile action which was a result of the individual's relationship with the U.S. Government, members of the family or household of such individuals as defined in § 192.3(a)(1), or a child eligible for benefits under subchapter D, may apply for benefits under this subchapter for that person, or on behalf of others entitled thereto. (b) The application in connection with hostile action abroad shall be in writing, shall contain all identifying and other pertinent data available to the person applying about the person or persons claimed to be eligible, and shall be addressed to the Director General of the Foreign Service, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520. Applications may be filed within 60 days after the latest of: a declaration under § 192.1(a), the hostile action, or release from captivity. Later filing may be considered when in the opinion of the Secretary of State there is good cause for the late filing. Applications in connection with hostile action in domestic situations shall conform to these same requirements and be filed with the Agency Head. § 192.3 Definitions. When used in this subchapter, unless otherwise specified, the terms— (a) Secretary of State (b) Family member (c) Agency head (d) Captive (e) Captive status (f) Principal (g) Individual rendering personal services to the United States similar to the (h) Pay and allowances (1) Basic pay; (2) Special pay; (3) Incentive pay; (4) Basic allowances for quarters; (5) Basic allowance for subsistence; and (6) Station per diem allowances for not more than 90 days. (i) Child § 192.4 Notification of eligible persons. The Director General of the Foreign Service for the Department of State, or other Agency Head in domestic situations, shall be responsible for notifying each individual determined to be eligible for benefits under the Act, or if that person is not available, a representative or family member of the eligible individual. § 192.5 Relationships among agencies. (a) To assist in ensuring that eligible persons receive compensation, each Agency Head shall notify the Director General of the Foreign Service of the Department of State of any incident which he or she believes may be appropriately declared a hostile action under § 192.1. (b) The Director General of the Foreign Service for the Department of State shall promptly inform the head of any agency whenever an employee of that agency, or Family Member of such employee, is determined to be eligible for benefits under this subchapter in connection with hostile action. (c) In accordance with inter-agency agreements between the Department of State and relevant agencies— (1) The Department of Veterans Affairs will periodically bill the Department of State for expenses it pays for each eligible person under subpart E of this subchapter plus the administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities under this part. (2) The Department of State will, on a periodic basis, determine the cost for services and benefits it provides to all eligible persons under this subchapter, and bill each agency for the medical service costs (in connection with hostile action abroad) and educational benefits attributable to Principals and Family Members, plus a proportionate share of related administrative expenses. Subpart B—Payment of Salary and Other Benefits for Captive Situations § 192.10 Eligibility for benefits. A person designated as a captive under subpart A of this subchapter shall be eligible for benefits under this subpart. § 192.11 Applicable benefits. (a) Captives are entitled to receive or have credited to their account, for the period in captive status, the same pay and allowances to which they were entitled at the beginning of that period or to which they may have become entitled thereafter. (b) A person designated as a captive (or a family member of a principal) under subpart A of this subchapter whose captivity commenced on or after November 4, 1979, is also entitled to receive a cash payment from the captive's employing agency, for each day held captive, in an amount equal to but not less than one-half of the amount of the world-wide average per diem rate established under 5 U.S.C. 5702. § 192.12 Administration of benefits. (a) The amount deducted from the pay and allowances of captives must be recorded in the individual accounts of the agency concerned. A Treasury designated account, set up on the books of the agency concerned, may be utilized by the head of an agency to report the net amount of pay, allowances and interest credited to captives pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5569(b). Interest payments under this section shall be paid out of funds available for salaries and expenses of the agency. Interest shall be computed at a rate for any calendar quarter equal to the average rate paid on United States Treasury bills with 3-month maturities issued during the preceding calendar quarter, with quarterly compounding. (b) Cash payments to captives for each day of captivity shall be made by the head of an agency before the end of the one-year period beginning on the date on which the captive status terminates. In the event the captive dies in captivity or prior to payment of these benefits, payment shall be made to the eligible survivors under § 192.51(c) or the estate. A payment under this subchapter may be deferred or denied by the head of an agency pending determination of an offense committed by the captive under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8312. Subpart C—Application of Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act to Captive Situations § 192.20 Eligibility for benefits. A person designated as a captive under subpart A of this subchapter, shall be eligible for benefits under this part. § 192.21 Applicable benefits. (a) Eligible persons are entitled to the benefits provided by the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 (50 U.S.C. App. 501, et seq. (b) In applying such Act for purposes of this section— (1) The term person in the military service (2) The term period of military service (3) References therein to the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, the Adjutant General of the Army, the Chief of Naval Personnel, and the Commandant, United States Marine Corps, or other officials of government are deemed, in the case of any captive, to be references to the Secretary of State; and (4) The term dependents § 192.22 Description of benefits. The following material is included to assist persons affected, by providing a brief description of some of the provisions of the Civil Relief Act. Note that not all of the sections applicable to captives have been included here. References to sections herein are references to the Civil Relief Act of 1940, as amended, followed by references in parentheses to the same section in the United States Code. (a) Guarantors, endorsers. (b) Written agreements. (c) Protection in court. (d) Court postponement. (e) Relief against penalties. (f) Postponement of action. (g) Period of postponement. (h) Extended time limits. (i) Interest rates. (j) Misuse of benefits. (k) Further relief. (l) Stay of eviction. (m) Contract and mortgage obligations. (n) Termination of a lease. (o) Assignment of life insurance policy. (p) Storage lien. (q) Extension of benefits to dependents. (r) Real and personal property taxes. (s) Income taxes. (t) Certification of captive. (u) Interlocutory orders. (v) Power of attorney. § 192.23 Administration of benefits. (a) The Director General of the Department of State or Agency Head will issue certifications or other documents when required for purposes of the Civil Relief Act. (b) The Director General of the Department of State or Agency Head shall whenever possible promptly inform the chief legal officer of each U.S. State in which captives maintain residence of all persons determined to be captives eligible for assistance under this subpart. Subpart D—Medical Benefits for Captive Situations § 192.30 Eligibility for benefits. A person designated as a captive or family member of a captive under subpart A of this subchapter, shall be eligible for benefits under this subpart. § 192.31 Applicable benefits. A person eligible for benefits under this part shall be eligible for authorized physical and mental health care at U.S. Government expense (through either or advancement or reimbursement), and for payment of other authorized expenses related to such care or for obtaining such care for any illness or injury, to the extent, as determined by the Secretary of State or Agency Head, that such care is incident to an individual being held captive and is not covered by— (a) Any other Government health or medical program, including, but not limited to, the programs administered by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Veteran Affairs; or (b) Reimbursement by any private or Government health insurance or comparable plan. In the case of coverage by a private or Government health insurance plan, that carrier will be designated as the primary carrier, and benefits under this subpart will serve only to supplement expenses not paid by the primary carrier. § 192.32 Administration of benefits. (a)(1) A person eligible due to hostile action abroad, who desires medical or health care under this subpart or any person acting on behalf thereof, shall submit an application to the Office of Medical Services, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520 (hereafter referred to as the “Office”). That office will handle and process medical applications and claims using the criteria in this subpart. Persons eligible in connection with domestic situations shall make application with the Agency Head, and the Agency Head shall apply the following procedures in a similar manner in administering medical benefits in domestic situations involving the respective agency. (2) The applicant shall supply all relevant information, including insurance information, requested by the Director of the Office. An eligible person may also submit claims to the Office for payment for emergency care when there is not time to obtain prior authorization as prescribed by this paragraph. (b) The Office shall evaluate all requests for care and claims for reimbursement and determine, on behalf of the Secretary of State, whether the care in question is authorized under § 192.31 of this subpart. The Office will authorize care or payment of care, when it determines the criteria of § 192.31 are met. Authorization shall include a determination as to the necessity and reasonableness of medical or health care. (c) The Office will refer applicants eligible for benefits under other Government health programs to the Government agency administering those programs. Any portion of authorized care not provided or paid for under another Government program or private insurance will be reimbursed under this subpart, subject to a determination of the reasonableness of charges. Such determination shall be made by applying the fee schedule established by the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), Department of Labor, which is used in paying medical benefits for work-related injuries to employees who are fully covered by OWCP. (d) Eligible persons may obtain authorized care from any licensed facility or health care provider of their choice approved by the Office. To the extent possible, the Office will attempt to arrange for authorized care to be provided in a Government facility at no cost to the patient. (e) Authorized care provided by a private facility or health care provider will be paid or reimbursed under this subpart to the extent that the Office determines that costs do not exceed reasonable and customary charges for similar care in the locality. (f) All bills for authorized medical or health care covered by insurance shall be submitted to the patient's insurance carrier for payment prior to submission to the Office for payment of the balance authorized by this part. The Office will request the health care providers to bill the insurance carrier and the Department of State for authorized care, rather than the patient. (g) Eligible persons will be reimbursed by the Office for authorized travel to obtain an evaluation of their claim under paragraph (b) of this section and for other authorized travel to obtain medical or health care authorized by this subpart. § 192.33 Dispute. Any dispute between the Office and eligible persons concerning whether medical or health care is required in a given case, whether required care is incident to the captivity, or whether the cost for any authorized care is reasonable and customary, shall be referred to the Medical Director, Department of State, for a determination. If the person bringing the claim is not satisfied with the decision of the Medical Director, the dispute shall be referred to a medical board composed of three physicians, one appointed by the Medical Director, one by the eligible person and the third by the first two members. A majority decision by the board shall be binding on all parties. Subpart E—Educational Benefits for Captive Situations § 192.40 Eligibility for benefits. (a) A spouse or unmarried dependent child (including an unmarried dependent stepchild or adopted child) under 21 years of age of a captive as determined under subpart A of the subchapter shall be eligible for benefits under 192.41 of this subpart. (Certain limitations apply, however, to persons eligible for direct assistance through other programs of the Department of Veterans' Affairs under chapter 35 of title 38, United States Code). (b) A Principal designated as a captive under subpart A of this subchapter, who intends to change jobs or careers because of the captive experience and who desires additional training for this purpose, shall be eligible for benefits under § 192.42 of this part, unless the Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs determines that such person is eligible to receive educational assistance for the additional training under either chapters 30, 32, 34, or 35, title 38 U.S.C. § 192.41 Applicable family benefits. (a) An eligible spouse or child shall be paid (by advancement or reimbursement) for expenses incurred for subsistence, tuition, fees, supplies, books and equipment, and other educational expenses while attending an educational or training institution approved in accordance with procedures established by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, which shall be comparable to procedures established pursuant to chapters 35 and 36 of title 38 U.S.C. (b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) or (d) of this section, payments shall be available under this subsection for an eligible spouse or child for educational training which occurs— (1) 90 days after the Principal is placed in a captive status, and (i) Through the end of any semester or quarter which begins before the date on which the Principal ceases to be in a captive status, or (ii) If the educational or training institution is not operated on a semester or quarter system, the earlier of the end of any course which began before such date or the end of the sixteen-week period following that date. (c) In special circumstances and within the limitation of § 192.44, the Secretary of State, under the criteria and procedures set forth in § 192.43, may approve payments for education or training under this subsection which occurs after the date determined under paragraph (b) of this section. (d) In the event a Principal dies and the death is determined by the Agency Head to be incident to that individual being a captive, payments shall be available under this subsection for education or training of a spouse or child of the Principal which occurs after the date of death, up to the maximum that may be authorized under § 192.44. (e) Family benefits under this subsection shall not be available for any spouse or child who is eligible for assistance under chapter 35 of title 38 U.S.C., or similar assistance under any other law. § 192.42 Applicable benefits for captives. (a) When authorized by the Agency Head, a Principal, following release from captivity, may be paid (by advancement or reimbursement) for expenses incurred for subsistence, tuition, fees, supplies, books and equipment, and other educational expenses while attending an educational or training institution approved in accordance with procedures established pursuant to chapter 35 and 36 of title 38 U.S.C. Payments shall be available under this subsection for education or training which occurs on or before— (1) The end of any semester or quarter (as appropriate) which begins before the date which is 10 years after the day on which the Principal ceases to be in a captive status, or (2) If the educational or training institution is not operated on a semester or quarter system, the earlier of the end of any course which began before such date or the end of the sixteen-week period following that date. (b) A person eligible for benefits under this subsection shall not be required to separate from Government service in order to undertake the training or education. However, no educational assistance allowance shall be paid to any eligible person who is attending a course of education or training paid for under the Government Employees' Training Act and whose full salary is being paid to such person while so training. § 192.43 Administration of benefits. (a) Any person desiring benefits under this part, shall apply in writing to the Director General of the Foreign Service, Department of State, Washington, DC 20502. The application shall specify the benefits desired and the basis of eligibility for those benefits. The Director General of the Foreign Service, on behalf of the Secretary of State, shall make determinations of eligibility for benefits under this part, and shall forward certified applications to the Department of Veterans' Affairs and advise the applicant of the name and address of the office in the Department of Veterans' Affairs that will counsel the eligible persons on how to obtain the benefits that have been approved. Persons whose applications are disapproved shall be advised in writing of the reason for the disapproval. Applications for foreign service nationals and their dependents shall be made with the Office of Foreign Service National Personnel, Department of State. That office will handle the administrative details and benefits using the criteria specified in this subchapter. (b) The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall provide the same level and kind of assistance, including payments (by advancement or reimbursement) for authorized expenses up to the same maximum amounts, to spouses and children of captives, and to Principals following their release from captivity as it does to eligible spouses and children of veterans and to eligible veterans, respectively, under chapters 35 and 36 of title 38 U.S.C. The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall, under procedures it has established to administer section 1724 of title 38, U.S.C., discontinue assistance for any individual whose conduct or progress is unsatisfactory under standards consistent with those established pursuant to such section 1724. (c) An Advisory Board shall be established to advise on eligibility for benefits under paragraphs (c) and (d) of § 192.41. The Board shall be composed of the Under Secretary of State for Management as Chair, the Director of the Office of Medical Services of the Department of State, the Executive Director of the regional bureau of the Department of State in whose region the relevant hostile action occurred, the Director of Personnel or other designee of the applicable employing agency, and a representative of the Department of Veterans' Affairs designated by the Secretary. (d) If an application is received from a spouse or child for extended training under § 192.41(c), the Director General of the Foreign Service of the Department of State shall determine with the advice of the Advisory Board whether the Principal, following release from captivity, is incapacitated by the captive experience— (1) To the extent that he or she has not returned to full-time active duty and is unlikely to be able to resume the normal duties of his or her position or career, or (2) In the event of a separation from Government service, that the Principal is unable to assume a comparable position or career, for at least six months from the date of release from captivity. If the Secretary makes such a determination, he or she may approve, within the limits of § 192.44, an application under § 192.41(c) for up to one year of education or training. If the Principal remains incapacitated, the Secretary may approve additional training or education up to the maximum authorized under 192.44. § 192.44 Maximum limitation on benefits. (a) In no event may assistance be provided under this subpart for any individual for a period in excess of 45 months, or the equivalent thereof in part-time education or training. (b) The eligibility of a spouse for benefits under paragraph (c) or (d) of § 192.41 shall expire on a date which is 10 years after the date of the release of the captive or the death of the captive while in captivity, respectively. The eligibility of a dependent child for benefits under § 192.41 (c) and (d) shall expire on the 21st birthday of such child. Subpart F—Compensation for Disability or Death § 192.50 Eligibility for benefits. (a)(1) The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq. (2) In the case of foreign service national employees covered for work related injury or death under the local compensation plan established pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 3968, such applications should be filed with the organizational authority in the country of employment which provides such coverage. Benefit levels payable to foreign service national employees under this subpart shall be no less than comparable benefits payable to U.S. citizen employees under FECA. Eligibility determination and payment of supplemental benefits, if any, is the responsibility of the Director General of the Foreign Service for the State Department. (b) Any death or disability benefit payment made under this section shall be reduced by the amount of any other death or disability benefits funded in whole or in part by the United States, except that the amount shall not be reduced below zero. The cash payment under § 192.11(b) of subpart B is excluded from the offset requirement. (c) Compensation under this section may include payment (whether advancement or reimbursement) for any medical or health expenses relating to the death or disability involved to the extent that such expenses are not covered under subpart D of these regulations. Procedures of subpart D of these regulations shall apply in making such determinations. § 192.51 Death benefit. (a) The Secretary of State or Agency Head may provide for payment, by the employing agency, of a death benefit to the surviving dependents of any eligible individual under § 192.1(a) who dies as a result of injuries caused by hostile action whose death was the result of the individual's relationship with the Government. (b) The death benefit payment for an employee shall be equal to one year's salary at the time of death. Such death benefit is subject to the offset provisions under § 192.50(b) including the Federal Employees' Compensation Act. The death benefit for an employee's spouse and other eligible individuals under § 192.1(b) of subpart A shall be equal to one year's salary of the principal at the time of death. (c) A death benefit payment for an adult under this section shall be made as follows: (1) First, to the widow or widower. (2) Second, to the dependent child, or children in equal shares, if there is no widow or widower. (3) Third, to the dependent parent, or dependent parents in equal shares, if there is no widow, widower, or dependent child. (4) Fourth, to adult, non-dependent children in equal shares. If there is no survivor entitled to payment under this paragraph (c), no payment shall be made. (d) A death benefit payment for a child under this section shall be made as follows: To the surviving parents or legal guardian. If there are no surviving parents or legal guardian, no payment shall be made. (e) As used in this section—each of the terms “widow”, “widower”, and “parent” shall have the same meaning given such term by section 8101 of title 5, U.S.C.; “child” has the meaning given in § 192.3(b)(2). § 192.52 Disability benefits. (a) Principals who qualify for benefits under § 192.1 and are employees of the U.S. Government are considered for disability payments under programs administered by the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), Department of Labor, or in the case of foreign service national employees, the programs may be administered by either OWCP or the organizational authority in the country of employment which provides similar coverage under the local compensation plan established pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 3968. Normal filing procedures as specified by either OWCP or the local organizational authority which provides such coverage should be followed in determining eligibility. Duplicate benefits may not be received from both OWCP and the local organizational authority for the same claim. Additional benefits to persons qualifying for full FECA or similar benefits would not normally be payable under this subpart, except to foreign service national employees whose benefit levels are below comparable benefits payable to U.S. citizen employees under FECA. Foreign service national employees whose benefit levels are below comparable benefits payable to U.S. citizens under FECA may receive benefits under this subpart so that total benefits received are comparable to the benefits payable to U.S. citizen employees under FECA. (b) Family members who do not qualify for either OWCP benefits or benefits from the organizational authority in the country of employment which provides similar coverage, and anyone eligible under § 192.1(a) who does not qualify for full benefits from OWCP, must file an application for disability benefits with the Office of Medical Services, Department of State, for a determination of eligibility under this subpart, if connected with hostile action abroad. Applications made in connection with hostile action in domestic situations will be directed to the Agency Head. Such applications for disability payments will be considered using the same criteria for determination as established by OWCP. (c) Family members who are determined to be disabled by the Office of Medical Services, or Agency Head using the OWCP criteria, are eligible to receive a lump-sum payment based on the following guidelines: (1) Permanent total disability rate. (2) Temporary total disability rate. 2/3 (3) Partial disability rate. 2/3 2/3 (4) Special loss schedule. Cash payments under this subpart are the responsibility of the employing agency. [54 FR 12597, Mar. 28, 1989; 54 FR 16195, Apr. 21, 1989]