Summary

Makes targeted technical changes to how Camp Lejeune water-exposure civil claims are handled in court. It changes where coordinated pretrial matters are heard, clarifies the proof plaintiffs must present (including a 30-day presence rule and a causal-relationship standard), limits how later awards are offset by VA/Medicare/Medicaid benefits, caps attorney fees for settlements and judgments, and makes these changes retroactive to August 10, 2022. Also preserves existing statute-of-limitations rules for these claims. The goal is to standardize venue and proof rules, speed case handling, and restrict certain fee and offset practices in Camp Lejeune litigation going forward.

• Centralizes coordinated pretrial matters in the Eastern District of North Carolina but allows transfer within the Fourth Circuit for trial.
• Requires plaintiffs to show a relationship between contaminant type and harm and at least 30 days of presence at Camp Lejeune.
• Permits causation proof either by evidence of an existing causal relationship or by showing a causal relationship is at least as likely as not.
• Pre-filing settlements are not offset; post-filing settlements or judgments can be offset by VA, Medicare, or Medicaid payments to the extent allowed by law.
• Caps attorney contingency fees at 20% for pre-filing settlements and 25% for post-filing settlements or judgments, with proportional fee division rules across firms.
• Directs courts to advance and expedite Camp Lejeune actions and preserves the right to a jury trial.
• Makes the changes retroactive to August 10, 2022 and applicable to pending and future claims under the Camp Lejeune provision.
• Preserves existing statute-of-limitations rules for Camp Lejeune claims, leaving timing rules intact.
• Focuses on litigation procedure and financial rules rather than creating new benefits or changing entitlement programs.