§1346 United States as defendant

1948 ActBased on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 41(20), 931(a), 932 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 24, par. 20, 36 Stat. 1093; Nov. 23, 1921, ch. 136, § 1310(c), 42 Stat. 311;

June 2, 1924, ch. 234, § 1025(c), 43 Stat. 348; Feb. 24, 1925, ch. 309, 43 Stat. 972; Feb. 26, 1926, ch. 27, §§ 1122(c), 1200, 44 Stat. 121, 125; Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 753, §§ 410(a), 411, 60 Stat. 843). Section consolidates provisions of section 41(20) conferring jurisdiction upon the district court, in civil actions against the United States, with the first sentence of section 931(a) relating to jurisdiction of the district courts in tort claims cases, and those provisions of section 932 making the provisions of said section 41(20), relating to counterclaim and set-off, applicable to tort claims cases, all of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed. Provision in section 931(a) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., for trials without a jury, is incorporated in section 2402 of this revised title. For other provisions thereof, see Distribution Table. Words “commencing an action under this section” in subsec. (c) of this revised section cover the provision in section 932 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., requiring that the same provisions “for counterclaim and set-off” shall apply to tort claims cases brought in the district courts. The phrase in section 931(a) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., “accruing on and after

January 1, 1945” was omitted because executed as of the date of the enactment of this revised title. Provisions in section 41(20) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to time for commencing action against United States and jury trial constitute section 2401 and 2402 of this title. (See reviser’s notes under said sections.) Words in section 41(20) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., “commenced after passage of the Revenue Act of 1921” were not included in revised subsection (a)(1) because obsolete and superfluous. Actions under this section involving erroneous or illegal assessments by the collector of taxes would be barred unless filed within the 5-year limitation period of section 1113(a) of the Revenue Act of 1926, 44 Stat. 9, 116. (See United States v. A. S. Kreider Co., 1941, 61 S.Ct. 1007, 313 U.S. 443, 85 L.Ed. 1447.) Words in section 41(20) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., “if the collector of internal revenue is dead or is not in office at the time such action or proceeding is commenced” were omitted. The revised section retains the language of section 41(20) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with respect to actions against the United States if the collector is dead or not in office when action is commenced, and consequently maintains the long existing distinctions in practice between actions against the United States and actions against the collector who made the assessment or collection. In the latter class of actions either party may demand a jury trial while jury trial is denied in actions against the United States. See section 2402 of this title. In reality all such actions are against the United States and not against local collectors. (See Lowe v. United States, 1938, 58 S.Ct. 896, 304 U.S. 302, 82 L.Ed. 1362; Manseau v. United States, D.C.Mich. 1943, 52 F.Supp. 395, and Combined Metals Reduction Co. v. United States, D.C.Utah 1943, 53 F.Supp. 739.) The revised subsection (c)(1) omitted clause: “but no suit pending on the 27th day of June 1898 shall abate or be affected by this provision,” contained in section 41(20) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., as obsolete and superfluous. The words contained in section 41(20) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., “claims growing out of the Civil War, and commonly known as ‘war-claims,’ or to hear and determine other claims which had been reported adversely prior to the 3d day of March 1887 by any court, department, or commission authorized to have and determine the same,” were omitted for the same reason. The words “in a civil action or in admiralty,” in subsection (a)(2), were substituted for “either in a court of law, equity, or admiralty” to conform to Rule 2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Words in section 41(20) “in respect to which claims the party would be entitled to redress against the United States, either in a court of law, equity, or admiralty, if the United States were suable” were omitted from subsection (a)(2) of this revised section as unnecessary. See reviser’s note under section 1491 of this title. For jurisdiction of The Tax Court to review claims for refunds of processing taxes collected under the unconstitutional Agriculture Adjustment Act, see section 644–659 of title 7, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Agriculture, and the 1942 Revenue Act, Act Oct. 21, 1942, ch. 610, title V, § 510(a), (c), (d), 56 Stat. 667. (See, also, Lamborn v. United States, C.C.P.A. 1939, 104 F.2d 75, certiorari denied 60 S.Ct. 115, 308 U.S. 589, 84 L.Ed. 493.) See, also, reviser’s note under section 1491 of this title as to jurisdiction of the Court of Claims in suits against the United States generally. For venue of actions under this section, see section 1402 of this title and reviser’s note thereunder. Minor changes were made in phraseology. Senate Revision AmendmentThe provision of title 28, U.S.C., § 932, which related to application of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, were originally set out in section 2676 of this revised title, but such section 2676 was eliminated by Senate amendment. See 80th Congress

2013—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 113–4 inserted “or the commission of a sexual act (as defined in section 2246 of title 18)” before period at end. 2011—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 111–350 substituted “section 7104(b)(1) and 7107(a)(1) of title 41” for “section 8(g)(1) and 10(a)(1) of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978”. 1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–134 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2). Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 104–331 added subsec. (g). 1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–572 substituted “United States Court of Federal Claims” for “United States Claims Court”. 1986—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–514 substituted “Internal Revenue Code of 1986” for “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”. 1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–164 substituted “United States Claims Court” for “Court of Claims”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97–248 substituted “section 6226, 6228(a), 7426, or” for “section 7426 or section”. 1978—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 95–563 excluded from the jurisdiction of district courts civil actions or claims against the United States founded upon any express or implied contract with the United States or for damages in cases not sounding in tort subject to section 8(g)(1) and 10(a)(1) of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978. 1976—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 94–455 inserted “or section 7429” and “or section 7428 (in the case of the United States district court for the District of Columbia)”, after “section 7426”. 1972—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 92–562 added subsec. (f). 1970—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 91–350 specified that the term “express or implied contracts with the United States” includes express or implied contracts with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Navy Exchanges, Marine Corps Exchanges, Coast Guard Exchanges, or Exchange Councils of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 1966—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 89–719 added subsec. (e). 1964—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 88–519 struck out provisions which prohibited district courts from exercising jurisdiction of civil actions or claims to recover fees, salary, or compensation for official services of officers or employees of the United States. 1958—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 85–508 struck out reference to District Court for Territory of Alaska. See section 81A of this title which establishes a United States District Court for the State of Alaska. 1954—Subsec. (a)(1). Act

July 30, 1954, struck out language imposing jurisdictional limitation of $10,000 on suits to recover taxes. 1951—Subsec. (d). Act Oct. 31, 1951, inserted references to “claim” and “employees”. 1949—Subsec. (a)(1). Act

May 24, 1949, § 80(a), inserted “, (i) if the claim does not exceed $10,000 or (ii)”. Subsec. (b). Acts Apr. 25, 1949, and

May 24, 1949, § 80(b), made a technical change to correct “chapter 173” to read “chapter 171”, and inserted “on and after

January 1, 1945” after “for money damages”.

of 1970 Amendment Pub. L. 91–350, § 2,

July 23, 1970, 84 Stat. 449, provided that: “(a) In addition to granting jurisdiction over suits brought after the date of enactment of this Act [

July 23, 1970], the provisions of this Act [amending this section and section 1491 of this title and section 724a of former Title 31, Money and Finance] shall also apply to claims and civil actions dismissed before or pending on the date of enactment of this Act if the claim or civil action is based upon a transaction, omission, or breach that occurred not more than six years prior to the date of enactment of this Act [

July 23, 1970]. “(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall apply notwithstanding a determination or judgment made prior to the date of enactment of this Act that the United States district courts or the United States Court of Claims did not have jurisdiction to entertain a suit on an express or implied contract with a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the United States described in section 1 of this Act.”