Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
Latest action · Nov 23, 2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedOct 23, 2015
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
This bill amends the federal judicial code to narrow the scope of foreign sovereign immunity by authorizing U.S. courts to hear cases involving claims against a foreign state for injuries, death, or damages that occur inside the United States as a result of a tort, including an act of terrorism, committed anywhere by a foreign state or official.
It amends the federal criminal code to permit civil claims against a foreign state or official for injuries, death, or damages from an act of international terrorism. Additionally, the bill authorizes federal courts to exercise personal jurisdiction over and impose liability on a person who commits, or aids, abets, or conspires to commit, an act of international terrorism against a U.S. national.
Cosponsors 61
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Oct 23, 2015 to Sep 9, 2016; 8 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-NJ | Christopher H. Smith | Original | Oct 23, 2015 |
| D-CA | Eric Swalwell | Original | Oct 23, 2015 |
| D-NY | Jerrold Nadler | Original | Oct 23, 2015 |
| R-PA | Michael G. Fitzpatrick | Original | Oct 23, 2015 |
| R-PA | Patrick Meehan | Original | Oct 23, 2015 |
| R-NJ | Rodney P. Frelinghuysen | Original | Oct 23, 2015 |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Original | Oct 23, 2015 |
| D-NY | Steve Israel | Original | Oct 23, 2015 |
| R-NC | Walter B. Jones | Oct 28, 2015 | |
| D-NY | Kathleen M. Rice | Nov 3, 2015 | |
| D-VT | Peter Welch | Nov 16, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Ted Poe | Nov 16, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Randy K. Weber, Sr. | Nov 18, 2015 | |
| D-NY | Carolyn B. Maloney | Dec 2, 2015 | |
| D-MA | Stephen F. Lynch | Apr 18, 2016 | |
| D-NJ | Albio Sires | Apr 20, 2016 | |
| R-NJ | Leonard Lance | Apr 20, 2016 | |
| R-FL | Vern Buchanan | Apr 20, 2016 | |
| D-MN | Richard M. Nolan | Apr 21, 2016 | |
| R-NY | Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. | Apr 26, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Sean Patrick Maloney | Apr 27, 2016 | |
| R-VA | Barbara Comstock | May 17, 2016 | |
| R-SC | Mick Mulvaney | May 18, 2016 | |
| R-FL | Ileana Ros-Lehtinen | May 24, 2016 | |
| R-TX | Lamar Smith | May 24, 2016 | |
| R-ME | Bruce Poliquin | May 26, 2016 | |
| R-NY | Chris Collins | May 26, 2016 | |
| R-NY | Christopher P. Gibson | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Joseph Crowley | May 26, 2016 | |
| R-NY | Elise M. Stefanik | Jun 7, 2016 | |
| D-CT | Rosa L. DeLauro | Jun 7, 2016 | |
| R-NJ | Scott Garrett | Jun 7, 2016 | |
| R-NJ | Frank A. LoBiondo | Jun 16, 2016 | |
| R-PA | Bill Shuster | Jun 21, 2016 | |
| D-FL | Gwen Graham | Jun 22, 2016 | |
| D-CT | James A. Himes | Jun 22, 2016 | |
| D-CT | Elizabeth H. Esty | Jun 28, 2016 | |
| D-MA | James P. McGovern | Jun 28, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Louise McIntosh Slaughter | Jun 28, 2016 | |
| R-NY | John Katko | Jul 5, 2016 | |
| D-CT | John B. Larson | Jul 6, 2016 | |
| D-MA | Michael E. Capuano | Jul 6, 2016 | |
| D-PA | Robert A. Brady | Jul 6, 2016 | |
| R-PA | Ryan A. Costello | Jul 6, 2016 | |
| R-PA | Scott Perry | Jul 6, 2016 | |
| D-CT | Joe Courtney | Jul 7, 2016 | |
| R-NY | Lee M. Zeldin | Jul 7, 2016 | |
| D-CO | Jared Polis | Jul 12, 2016 | |
| R-PA | Tom Marino | Jul 12, 2016 | |
| R-PA | Lou Barletta | Jul 13, 2016 | |
| D-NJ | Bill Pascrell, Jr. | Jul 14, 2016 | |
| D-ME | Chellie Pingree | Jul 14, 2016 | |
| D-RI | David N. Cicilline | Jul 18, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Anna G. Eshoo | Sep 6, 2016 | |
| R-FL | Carlos Curbelo | Sep 6, 2016 | |
| R-MI | David A. Trott | Sep 6, 2016 | |
| D-RI | James R. Langevin | Sep 6, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Nita M. Lowey | Sep 6, 2016 | |
| D-PA | Brendan F. Boyle | Sep 7, 2016 | |
| R-NJ | Thomas MacArthur | Sep 8, 2016 | |
| R-NH | Frank C. Guinta | Sep 9, 2016 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Oct 23, 2015 |
| Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee | Referred Nov 23, 2015 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Nov 23, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
- Oct 23, 2015Introduced in House
- Oct 23, 2015Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Lists H7174H.R. 3815–3827 | — | Oct 23, 2015 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 156, October 23, 2015, page H7174.
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL34726 | In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001: Claims Against Saudi Defendants Under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) Archived | Report | May 17, 2016 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2040 | Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act | Identical bill | Sep 28, 2016 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To deter terrorism, provide justice for victims, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
- Popular Titles
- JASTA bill
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Oct 23, 2015Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
