PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

People who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents generally cannot bring a U.S. maritime lawsuit for medical payments or for injury or death that happened in another country’s territorial waters or on its continental shelf if they were working on offshore mineral or energy jobs at the time. This covers work like drilling, surveying, diving, pipelaying, maintenance, construction, or moving supplies and people, but not hauling resources on ships built mainly to carry oil in bulk. A U.S. suit is allowed only if the worker proves there is no remedy under the laws of the country that controls the area where the incident happened or under the laws of the worker’s home country. Continental shelf: defined by the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf.

Title 46, §30105

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(a)Definition.—

In this section, the term “continental shelf” has the meaning given that term in article I of the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf.

(b)Restriction.—

Except as provided in subsection (c), a civil action for maintenance and cure or for damages for personal injury or death may not be brought under a maritime law of the United States if—

(1)the individual suffering the injury or death was not a citizen or permanent resident alien of the United States at the time of the incident giving rise to the action;

(2)the incident occurred in the territorial waters or waters overlaying the continental shelf of a country other than the United States; and

(3)the individual suffering the injury or death was employed at the time of the incident by a person engaged in the exploration, development, or production of offshore mineral or energy resources, including drilling, mapping, surveying, diving, pipelaying, maintaining, repairing, constructing, or transporting supplies, equipment, or personnel, but not including transporting those resources by a vessel constructed or adapted primarily to carry oil in bulk in the cargo spaces.

(c)Nonapplication.—

Subsection (b) does not apply if the individual bringing the action establishes that a remedy is not available under the laws of— (1)

(2)the country in which the individual suffering the injury or death maintained citizenship or residency at the time of the incident.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 30105(a)46 App.:688(b)(1) (last sentence).Mar. 4, 1915, ch. 153, § 20(b), as added Pub. L. 97–389, title V, § 503(a)(2), Dec. 29, 1982, 96 Stat. 1955. 30105(b)46 App.:688(b)(1) (less last sentence). 30105(c)46 App.:688(b)(2). In subsection (b), before paragraph (1), the words “civil action” are substituted for “action” for consistency with rule 2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (28 App. U.S.C.). The words “under subsection (a) of this section or under any other” are omitted as unnecessary. In paragraph (2), the words “its territories, or possessions” are omitted as unnecessary because of the definition of “United States” in chapter 1 of the revised title. In paragraph (3), the word “person” is substituted for “enterprise” for consistency in the revised title.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf, referred to in subsec. (a), was done at Geneva,

April 29, 1958, and entered into force for the United States,

June 10, 1964. See 15 UST 471; TIAS 5578.

§30105 Restriction on Recovery by Non-citizens and Non-resident Aliens for Incidents in Waters of Other Countries