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116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 6444

To amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to establish an exception to jurisdictional immunity for a foreign state that discharges a biological weapon, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 3, 2020

Mr. Gooden introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to establish an exception to jurisdictional immunity for a foreign state that discharges a biological weapon, 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 “Stop China-Originated Viral Infectious Diseases Act of 2020” or the “Stop COVID Act of 2020”.

SEC. 2. Exception to jurisdictional immunity of a foreign state.

(a) Exception to jurisdictional immunity.—Section 1605 of title 28, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsections (h) and (i), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection: “(g) A foreign state shall not be immune from the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States in any case where such foreign state is found, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to have discharged a biological weapon, as defined in section 2280(d)(3) of title 18, United States Code, in the United States or such discharge results in the bodily injury of an United States citizen.”.

(b) Effective date.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.