End Foreign Abuse of United States Courts Act
Sponsored By: Senator Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create a fast federal procedure to dismiss SLAPPs brought by certain foreign governments and actors. It targets foreign lawsuits that aim to chill First Amendment speech and political activity.
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- People and groups sued by covered foreign actors would get a special motion to dismiss with a 60 day filing deadline and courts required to issue an expedited ruling within 90 days, with limited discovery and possible stays of related proceedings.
- Winning defendants would face a rebuttable presumption of reasonable attorneys' fees and costs and could obtain punitive damages when suits were brought to harass or increase litigation costs, and foreign states may be held liable for those awards; a denied motion can be appealed immediately and certain cases may be removed to federal court.
- The bill defines who counts as a covered foreign person or covered country and excludes certain claims, including disputes over sales or leases of commercial goods or services, suits by U.S. government officials acting in their official capacity, and claims for bodily injury, wrongful death, or survival damages.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Fast dismissal for foreign-initiated suits
If enacted, this bill would add a new federal rule letting defendants move early to dismiss civil suits brought by certain foreign governments, foreign agents, or specified foreign persons. It would define which lawsuits count as "covered claims" and which foreign actors count as "covered" (including certain foreign adversaries or those the Secretary of State names). The rule would not apply to claims about selling or leasing goods, to official U.S. government claims, or to injury and wrongful-death suits. The new chapter would take effect when the bill is enacted and apply to any claim filed on or after that date.
Faster court rules for foreign suits
If enacted, the bill would set fast timelines for special dismissal motions in covered foreign-actor cases. A filer must give 5 days' notice and file the motion within 60 days of service or removal. Most related proceedings would be stayed while the motion is pending and courts would be directed to rule within 90 days. Defendants could remove on a colorable special-motion basis, and denials of the motion could be appealed immediately to an appellate court.
Fee awards and penalties against foreign plaintiffs
If enacted, a defendant who wins the special motion would generally be presumed entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees and costs unless the presumption is rebutted. Courts could also award punitive damages if a covered claim was filed to harass, delay, or inflate litigation costs, but punitive awards would be limited to what deters repetition. The bill would make foreign states not immune from fee, cost, or punitive-damage awards under this chapter.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
LA • R
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov