A bill to amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act with respect to admiralty jurisdiction.
Public Law 100-640 · H.R. 1149 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 9, 1988 · Law
Sponsor: Rep. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD-3)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Royden Dyson
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Amends the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to restrict damages in admiralty cases for improper arrests to the damages incurred during the detention. Authorizes suits to enforce a maritime lien in rem. Provides that a decree against a foreign state may not be in an amount greater than the value of the vessel or cargo upon which the lien arose.
Grants to U.S. courts jurisdiction over a foreign state in a case brought to foreclose a preferred mortgage as defined by the Ship Mortgage Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee
Judiciary Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Nov 9, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-640.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 1, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 21, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Oct 5, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Sep 22, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
- Aug 22, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
- Aug 9, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- Aug 8, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- Aug 5, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Aug 2, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
- Dec 10, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- May 28, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Feb 25, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Feb 19, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.