Victims of Terrorism Tax Relief Act of 2001
Public Law 107-134 · H.R. 2884 · 107th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Jan 23, 2002 · Taxation
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA-21)
Cosponsors (129): Rep. Charlie Rangel, Rep. Phil Crane,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Victims of Terrorism Tax Relief Act of 2001 - Title I: Relief Provisions for Victims of Terrorist Attacks - Exempts from income taxes any individual who dies as a result of wounds or injury incurred from the terrorist attacks against the United States on April 19, 1995, or September 11, 2001, or who dies as a result of illness incurred from a terrorist attack involving anthrax occurring on or after September 11, 2001, and before January 1, 2002 (such attacks).
(Sec. 102) Excludes from gross income certain death benefits paid by an employer to a victim of such attacks.
(Sec. 103) Sets special (lowered) estate tax rates applicable to: (1) combat zone related deaths of members of the armed forces; and (2) victims of such attacks.
(Sec. 104) Provides for the treatment of payments by charitable organizations as a result of such attacks as exempt payments.
Title II: Other Relief Provisions - Excludes from gross income qualified disaster relief payments. Defines a qualified disaster as: (1) a disaster which results from a terroristic or military action; (2) a Presidentially declared disaster; (3) a disaster which results from an accident involving a common carrier, or from any other event, which is determined by the Secretary to be of a catastrophic nature; or (4) a disaster which is determined by a Federal, State, or local authority (as determined by the Secretary) to warrant assistance from a Federal, State, or local government or agency.
(Sec. 202) Provides for the extension of certain tax deadlines due to a presidentially declared disaster or terroristic or military actions.
(Sec. 203) Excludes from gross income disability income received due to a terroristic or military action which occurred either inside or outside the United States.
Removes the restriction applicable to the exclusion of taxes for certain U.S. military or civilian employees dying as a result of injuries that such injuries be sustained overseas, thus providing for nontaxation in the event of sustaining such injuries within the United States.
(Sec. 204) Amends the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to redefine the term airline-related deposit.
(Sec. 205) Imposes an excise tax on persons acquiring structured settlement payment rights in structured settlement factoring transactions, subject to exception.
(Sec. 206) Revises the special rules for credits and deductions concerning estates, trusts, and beneficiaries to allow each: (1) estate a $600 deduction; (2) trust a $100 deduction; (3) trust which, under its governing instrument, is required to distribute all of its income currently a deduction of $300; and (4) qualified disability trust a deduction equal to the personal exemption amount. States that such deductions shall be in lieu of personal exemptions.
Title III: Tax Benefits for Area of New York City Damaged in Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001 - Provides specified temporary tax benefits for the New York Liberty Zone (NYLZ) (September 11, 2001-damaged area). Allows through 2006: (1) additional depreciation (30 percent) as specified for qualified property acquired after September 10, 2001; and (2) a five-year recovery period for depreciation of certain qualified leasehold improvement property (interior of nonresidential real property), as specified.
Increases the aggregate dollar limitation for the expensing of certain depreciable business assets (section 179), as specified.
Treats qualified New York Liberty Bonds as tax-exempt facility bonds, subject to a maximum aggregate amount, as specified.
Extends the replacement period for nonrecognition of gain from two to five years for certain property involuntarily converted as a result of the terrorist attacks in the NYLZ.
Title IV: Disclosure of Tax Information in Terrorism and National Security Investigations - Sets forth rules permitting the disclosure of specified tax information to appropriate Federal agencies engaged in terrorism and national security investigations. Prohibits such disclosures after December 31, 2003.
Title V: No Impact on Social Security Trust Funds - States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter or amend title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.
- Jan 23, 2002Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 107-134.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jan 11, 2002PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 20, 2001Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Thomas asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendments.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the text of the bill, with a further amendment, by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 13, 2001Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree with an amendment to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Pursuant to a previous special order the House moved to agree with an amendment to the Senate amendments.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - Pursuant to a previous order of the House, the House proceeded with 40 minutes of debate on the motion to agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 2884, with an amendment.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Thomas asked unanimous consent that it be in order at any time to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 2884, with Senate amendments thereto, and to consider in the House, without any intervention of any point of order, any motion, or any demand for division of the question, a …
- Nov 16, 2001FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Finance Committee
- Sep 14, 2001CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Finance Committee
- Sep 13, 2001FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 418 - 0 (Roll no. 340).House roll call 340
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - At the conclusion of debate the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the rule, the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of final passage until later in the legislative day.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Thomas asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Ways and Means Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.