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Higher Compensation for Victims of Accidents Involving Foreign Ships.

This law drastically increases the financial liability limits for owners of foreign vessels involved in maritime accidents. For citizens, this means a significantly higher chance of receiving full compensation for injuries or wrongful death caused by a foreign ship, especially if they were not passengers or crew on that vessel. The liability cap for foreign ships is increased tenfold.
Key points
Owners of foreign vessels will face financial liability up to 10 times greater than before for claims arising from maritime accidents.
The liability limit does not apply to injury or wrongful death claims for individuals who were not crew or passengers of the foreign vessel, making it easier to seek full damages.
These changes apply to liabilities arising on or after March 25, 2024.
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Status: Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 118_HR_9348
Sponsor: Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8]
Process start date: 2024-08-13
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure — full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source—always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-2025
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Justice for Victims of Foreign Vessel Accidents Act

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 118_HR_9348.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2024-08-13.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Owners of foreign vessels will face financial liability up to 10 times greater than before for claims arising from maritime accidents.
  • The liability limit does not apply to injury or wrongful death claims for individuals who were not crew or passengers of the foreign vessel, making it easier to seek full damages.
  • These changes apply to liabilities arising on or after March 25, 2024.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-26.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know—that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Courts and Law Transport