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S 1636 112th Congress Senate

Federal Courts Jurisdiction and Venue Clarification Act of 2011

Official title: A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to clarify the jurisdiction of the Federal courts, and for other purposes.

Introduced: October 3, 2011 Introduced by: Klobuchar, Amy Democratic · Minnesota See on congress.gov
Law Civil actions and liabilityCriminal procedure and sentencingFederal district courtsForeign and international corporations
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Immigration status and proceduresInsurance industry and regulationJudicial procedure and administrationJurisdiction and venue
This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) 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 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 17, 2011
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 198.
Oct 17, 2011
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
Oct 13, 2011
Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Oct 3, 2011
Introduced in Senate
Oct 3, 2011
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
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 Latest action October 17, 2011

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 198.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Federal Courts Jurisdiction and Venue Clarification Act of 2011 - Title I: Jurisdictional Improvements - (Sec. 101) Amends the federal judicial code to declare that, with respect to diversity of citizenship, the U.S. district courts shall not have original jurisdiction of any civil action between citizens of a state and citizens or subjects of a foreign state who are lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States and are domiciled in the same state.

(Sec. 102) Modifies the citizenship rules to treat corporations as citizens of any foreign state: (1) by which it has been incorporated, and (2) where it has its principal place of business. Treats insurers as citizens of any foreign state: (1) of which the insured is a citizen, (2) by which the insurer has been incorporated, and (3) where the insurer has its principal place of business.

(Sec. 103) Separates the removal requirements governing civil cases and those governing criminal cases into two separate categories.

Declares that, upon removal of any civil action with both removable and nonremovable claims, the district court shall sever from the action all nonremovable claims and remand them to the state court from which the action was removed. Requires only defendants against whom a removable claim has been asserted to join in or consent to removal of the action.

Prescribes requirements for filing notices of removal, including assertion in the notice of the amount in controversy, when it exceeds the necessary amount, if the initial pleading seeks: (1) nonmonetary relief; or (2) a money judgment, but the state practice either does not permit demand for a specific sum or permits recovery of damages in excess of the amount demanded.

Allows removal of a case based on diversity of citizenship more than one year after commencement of the action if the district court finds that the plaintiff has acted in bad faith in order to prevent a defendant from removing the action.

Title II: Venue and Transfer Improvements - (Sec. 202) Revises general requirements for the scope of venue of civil actions. Requires the proper venue of any civil action brought in a U.S. district court to be determined without regard to whether the action is local or transitory in nature.

(Sec. 203) Repeals the "local action" rule that any civil action, of a local nature, involving property located in different districts in the same state, may be brought in any of such districts.

(Sec. 204) Allows a district court to transfer a civil action to any district or division to which all parties have consented.

Prohibits transfers from a U.S. district court to the District Court of Guam, the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, or the District Court of the Virgin Islands.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1636: Federal Courts Jurisdiction and Venue Clarification Act of 2011. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1636/
MLA
"S. 1636: Federal Courts Jurisdiction and Venue Clarification Act of 2011." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1636/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1636, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1636/.
Markdown link
[S. 1636: Federal Courts Jurisdiction and Venue Clarification Act of 2011](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1636/)
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