I 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5511 

To amend title 28, United States Code, to ensure that the validity of foreign 

judgments against United States citizens is adjudicated in Federal courts. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 25, 2006 

Mr. ROHRABACHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 28, United States Code, to ensure that the 

validity of foreign judgments against United States citizens is adjudicated in Federal courts. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as ‘‘The Fair Enforcement of 

5 Foreign Judgments Amendment of 2006’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DIVERSITY JURISDICTION. 

7 Section 1332 of title 28, United States Code, is 

8 amended by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(f)(1) The district court shall have original and ex10 clusive jurisdiction of any action to enforce a foreign judgVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:55 Jun 02, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5511.IH H5511

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1 ment against a citizen of the United States, in which the 

2 matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of 

3 $75,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and in which— 

4 ‘‘ 

5 ‘‘(A) any plaintiff is a citizen of a State dif6 ferent from any defendant; 

7 ‘‘(B) any plaintiff is a foreign state or a citizen 

8 or subject of a foreign state and any defendant is a 

9 citizen of a State; or 

10 ‘‘(C) any plaintiff is a citizen of a State and 

11 any defendant is a foreign state or a citizen or sub12 ject of a foreign state. 

13 ‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘for14 eign judgment’ means any judgment or order of the court 

15 of a foreign state granting or denying a sum of money, 

16 or determining a legal controversy.’’. 

17 SEC. 3. REMOVAL. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 89 of title 28, United 

19 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol20 lowing: 

21 ‘‘§ 1454. Removal of actions to enforce foreign judge22 ments. 

23 ‘‘An action to enforce a foreign judgment over which 

24 a district court may exercise jurisdiction under section 

25 1332(f) may be removed to a district court of the United 


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1 States in accordance with section 1446, without regard to 

2 whether any defendant is a citizen of the State in which 

3 the action is brought, except that such action may be re4 moved by any defendant without the consent of all defend5 ants.’’. 

6 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec7 tions for chapter 89 of title 28, United States Code, is 

8 amended by adding at the end the following new item: 

‘‘1454. Renewal of actions to enforce foreign judgments.’’. 

9 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

10 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 

11 take effect on the date of enactment of this Act, and shall 

12 apply to any action to enforce a foreign judgment against 

13 a citizen of the United States that is brought on or after 

14 March 1, 2006. 

Æ 


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