# 119-s-1656: Vieques Recovery and Redevelopment Act

119-s-1656, Vieques Recovery and Redevelopment Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] (R-MS); status introduced (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1656
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1656
- Congress: 119
- Title: Vieques Recovery and Redevelopment Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-05-07
- Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] (R-MS)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Compensation and a level three trauma center for Vieques residents linked to health and environmental harms from U.S. military activity.** This bill would create a Special Master settlement process and fund awards and health and cleanup projects from the Judgment Fund up to $1.0 billion. - Residents and claimants: People who lived in Vieques at least five years would be eligible for payments if medical records link certain chronic diseases to military readiness activities. Awards would be scheduled at $50,000 for one disease, $80,000 for two, and $110,000 for three or more, with heirs and death adjustments and attorney fees capped at 20 percent. - Health care and community services: The bill would fund construction and operation of a level three trauma center with cancer care and renal dialysis. It would also pay for interim urgent transport, telemedicine, screening programs for cancer, cirrhosis, diabetes, and heavy metals, and fund environmental studies and remediation with an academic partner. - Claims process and timelines: An Attorney General appointed Special Master would manage claims, treat certain prior disposed claims as filed, and decide claims within 150 days. The bill would allow additional awards over a 10 year window and limits filing to 15 years. *It would authorize up to $1.0 billion from the Judgment Fund for settlements and health and environmental projects, increasing federal outlays by up to $1.0 billion.*

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-05-07T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-2287: Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
- 119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-1656 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1656)

## Related
- [119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2296)
- [119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4784)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3597)
- [119-s-2287: Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2287)
- [119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5025)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1656 (as of 2026-08-11).