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HR 1877 104th Congress House Law Air piracy Alien property Americans in foreign countries Assassination Claims Crime and Law Enforcement Damages Finance and Financial Sector Foreign Trade and International Finance Government liability (International law) Hostages Immunities of foreign states International Affairs International arbitration Jurisdiction Kidnapping Liens Murder Sabotage

To amend title 28, United States Code, to allow suits against foreign states for damages caused by torture, extrajudicial killing, and other terrorist acts.

Introduced: June 16, 1995 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 104th Congress ended
It never became law before the 104th Congress (1995–1996) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 28, 1995
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.
Jun 16, 1995
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Jun 16, 1995
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Amends the Federal judicial code to make an exception to foreign sovereign immunity in cases in which money damages are sought against a foreign state for personal injury or death or economic harm that was caused by an act of torture, extrajudicial killing, aircraft sabotage, hostage taking, or the provision of material support or resources to terrorists.

Specifies that such an action shall not be maintained unless: (1) the claimant first affords the foreign state a reasonable opportunity to arbitrate the claim in accordance with accepted international rules of arbitration; and (2) the act upon which the claim is based occurred while the individual bringing the claim was a U.S. national and while a determination was in effect under the Export Administration Act of 1979 or the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 that the government of that foreign state repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.

Makes an exception to immunity from attachment or execution where the judgment relates to a claim for which the foreign state is not immune under this Act, regardless of whether the property is or was involved with the act upon which the claim is based.

What's happening now July 28, 1995

Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1877: To amend title 28, United States Code, to allow suits against foreign states for damages caused by torture, extrajudicial killing, and other terrorist acts.. 104th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/104-HR-1877/
MLA
"H.R. 1877: To amend title 28, United States Code, to allow suits against foreign states for damages caused by torture, extrajudicial killing, and other terrorist acts.." 104th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/104-HR-1877/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1877, 104th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/104-HR-1877/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1877: To amend title 28, United States Code, to allow suits against foreign states for damages caused by torture, extrajudicial killing, and other terrorist acts.](https://openamerica.io/bill/104-HR-1877/)
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