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This bill would make it easier for terrorist attack survivors and their family members to sue foreign governments and officials (that sponsor or otherwise supported the attackers) in federal court.

Under current law, the Foreign Service Immunities Act (FSIA) gives foreign governments “sovereign immunity” from lawsuits filed in the U.S. under most circumstances — but this bill would change that law to exempt terrorist attacks carried out on U.S. soil thus allowing lawsuits to proceed.

Foreign governments and employees acting in an official capacity for them would no longer be able to use “sovereign immunity” as a defense against lawsuits seeking damages for acts of terrorism they helped facilitate. The new exceptions to the FSIA would include providing material or financial support to the attackers, or knowingly aiding and abetting them.

District courts would have jurisdiction over lawsuits filed against foreign governments in cases covered by this legislation after its enactment.

This legislation would retroactively apply to attacks that injured a person, property, or business on or after the attacks of September 11, 2001 and would be effective immediately upon enactment. It wouldn’t apply to U.S. government officials, and includes a severability clause that allows the remainder of this bill to remain intact if a portion of it is found to be invalid.

","official_title":"A bill to deter terrorism, provide justice for victims, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act","popular_title":"JASTA bill","short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on May 17, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)\n\nJustice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act\n\n(Sec. 3) This bill amends the federal judicial code to narrow the scope of foreign sovereign immunity (i.e., a foreign state's immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts).\n\nSpecifically, it authorizes federal court jurisdiction over a civil claim against a foreign state for physical injury to a person or property or death that occurs inside the United States as a result of: (1) an act of international terrorism, and (2) a tort committed anywhere by an official, agent, or employee of a foreign state acting within the scope of employment.\n\nInternational terrorism does not include an act of war. Federal court jurisdiction does not extend to a tort claim based on an omission or an act that is merely negligent.\n\n A U.S. national may file a civil action against a foreign state for physical injury, death, or damage a...","summarized":true,"cost":0,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that enacting this bill wouldn’t have a significant effect on the federal budget.","impact":"Victims of terror attacks carried out on U.S. soil and their families; foreign governments and their officials that support a terror attack being carried out; and federal courts.","argument_for":"Foreign governments and their officials that sponsor or otherwise aid and abet terrorist attacks on U.S. soil shouldn’t have immunity from lawsuits filed by the victims of the attack or their survivors. 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Should U.S. Victims of Terror Attacks be Able to Sue Responsible Foreign Governments?