Ukrainian Sovereignty Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.7205 | Sponsor: Rep. Dingell, Debbie (D-MI)
Policy area: Law

Summary:
Ukrainian Sovereignty Act of 2022
This bill authorizes civil actions in federal court against a foreign state in which money damages are sought for certain injuries caused by the foreign state's invasion of a sovereign European nation when that invasion has been condemned by the General Assembly of the United Nations and by congressional resolution. This bill is retroactively applicable for activity occurring one year before enactment.

To amend title 28, United States Code, to ensure those who incur losses 
  as a result of hostile invasion in Europe have access to the United 
       States courts to recover damages, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ukrainian Sovereignty Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZING CERTAIN ACTIONS IN UNITED STATES COURTS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 97 of title 28, United States Code, is 
amended by adding after section 1605B the following:
``Sec. 1605C. Authorizing certain actions in United States courts
    ``(a) Civil Action.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a 
foreign state shall not be immune from the jurisdiction of the courts 
of the United States in any case in which money damages are sought 
against the foreign state for physical injury, including death, 
property damage, or loss of property caused by the foreign state's 
invasion of another sovereign nation located in Europe if such 
invasion--
            ``(1) was by or at the direction of the foreign state 
        irrespective of where such injury, death, damage, or loss 
        occurred; and
            ``(2) has been, at any time, condemned by the General 
        Assembly of the United Nations and by a concurrent resolution 
        or separate resolutions of the United States House of 
        Representatives and the United States Senate.
    ``(b) Attachment.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
including the limitations in section 1610, the property in the United 
States of the aggressor foreign state shall not be immune from 
attachment in aid of execution, or from execution, upon a judgment 
entered by a court of the United States or of a State after the 
effective date of this Act.
    ``(c) Jurisdiction.--The district courts of the United States shall 
have original jurisdiction, without regard to the amount in 
controversy, of any civil action made under this section. Personal 
jurisdiction over a foreign state shall exist as to each claim for 
relief where service has been made pursuant to section 1608.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section, the term:
            ``(1) Foreign state.--The term `foreign state' includes--
                    ``(A) a foreign state as defined by section 
                1603(a);
                    ``(B) an agency or instrumentality of a foreign 
                state as defined by section 1603(b); and
                    ``(C) any official of a foreign state and any 
                citizen of such state subject to any sanction by the 
                United States through the Department of Commerce, the 
                Department of Justice, or the Department of State.
            ``(2) Europe.--The term `Europe' includes the following 
        sovereign nations:
                    ``(A) Each sovereign nation that is a member of the 
                European Union.
                    ``(B) United Kingdom.
                    ``(C) Norway.
                    ``(D) Switzerland.
                    ``(E) Danish autonomous territory of Greenland.
                    ``(F) Bulgaria.
                    ``(G) Romania.
                    ``(H) Ukraine, including Crimea, Luhansk, and 
                Donetsk.
                    ``(I) Croatia.
                    ``(J) Republic of North Macedonia.
                    ``(K) Albania.
                    ``(L) Bosnia and Herzogovina.
                    ``(M) Montenegro.
                    ``(N) Moldova.
                    ``(O) Andorra.
                    ``(P) Iceland.
                    ``(Q) Liechtenstein.
                    ``(R) San Marino.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 97 of 
title 28, United States Code, is amended by inserting before the item 
relating to section 1605B the following new item:

``1605C. Authorizing certain actions in United States courts.''.
    (c) Effective Date; Applicability.--The amendments made by this Act 
shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall 
apply with respect to any invasion of a sovereign nation occurring one 
year prior to, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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