Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
Sponsor: John Cornyn (R-TX)
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on May 17, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (Sec. 3) This bill amends the federal judicial code to narrow the scope of foreign sovereign immunity (i.e., a foreign state's immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts). Specifically, it authorizes federal court jurisdiction over a civil claim against a foreign state for physical injury to a person or property or death that occurs inside the United States as a result of: (1) an act of international terrorism, and (2) a tort committed anywhere by an official, agent, or employee of a foreign state acting within the scope of employment.
Crime and Law Enforcement Topic assigned by the Congressional Research Service.
Who won, and how much of the country was behind them
The dotted gap is 1.4% of U.S. adults whose member did not vote, voted “present,” or whose seat was vacant.
| Side | Outcome | Votes | Share of U.S. adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yea | Won | 97 | 98.1% |
| Nay | Lost | 1 | 0.5% |
| Not represented on this question | No position taken | 0 | 1.4% |
Senate The winning side was inferred from the vote count because the chamber's result wording could not be classified.