United States · Bill · HR
H.R. 5503 (111th)
Securing Protections for the Injured from Limitations on Liability Act
Introduced
10 June 2010
Last action
13 July 2010 · Introduced
Status
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sponsors
JOHN CONYERS, Rep. Melancon, Charlie [D-LA-3], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Sheila Jackson Lee, Maxine Waters, Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Theodore Deutch, Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9], Linda Sánchez, Rep. Braley, Bruce L. [D-IA-1], LUIS GUTIERREZ, Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22], Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5], Gerald Connolly, Rep. Berman, Howard L. [D-CA-26], Rep. Sanchez, Loretta [D-CA-46], Rep. Maffei, Daniel B. [D-NY-24], Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7], Rep. Baca, Joe [D-CA-43], Bennie Thompson, Rep. Holt, Rush [D-NJ-12], Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10], CAROLYN MALONEY, Brad Sherman, Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Subjects
Healthcare, Environment, Transport
Source updated
7 April 2025
Healthcare · Environment · Transport
Summary
Securing Protections for the Injured from Limitations on Liability Act - Amends the Death on the High Seas Act to permit a decedent's spouse, parent, child, or dependent relative (the decedent's personal representative under current law) to bring a civil action in admiralty or law (limited to admiralty under current law) against the person or vessel responsible for the decedent's death when the death was caused by wrongful act, neglect, or default occurring on the high seas beyond 12 nautical miles (3 nautical miles under current law) from the shore of the United States. Allows recovery in such an action for fair compensation for nonpecuniary loss (limited to pecuniary loss under current law), plus a fair compensation for the decedent's pain and suffering. Defines "nonpecuniary loss" as loss of care, comfort, and companionship. Allows substitution of the decedent's spouse, parent, child, or dependent relative (personal representative under current law) as a plaintiff in an action for personal injury caused by wrongful act, neglect, or default under the Act, if the plaintiff dies during the action as a result of the wrongful act. Amends the Jones Act to allow recovery for the loss of the care, comfort, and companionship of a seaman who died in the course of employment Repeals specified general limitations on a shipowner's liability (the Limitation of Liability Act) for personal injury or death on seagoing vessels. Amends the federal judicial code with respect to the right to remove class actions and mass actions to federal court (the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005) to deny such right with respect to any action brought by a state or a state subdivision in its own state court on behalf of its citizens. Declares void and unenforceable any agreement, promise, or directive to restrict the dissemination of information (except by a government agency to protect public health or safety) regarding the cause, nature, or extent of, or damage caused by, or efforts to remediate any discharge into waters off the U.S. shore of a substance that contaminates a marine or coastal environment or endangers public health. Amends the bankruptcy code to prohibit a trustee in bankruptcy from selling or leasing, except in the ordinary course of business, any property of the estate of a debtor that is liable for a claim arising from an incident under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, to a purchaser (together with any affiliate) in an aggregate dollar amount exceeding a specified amount under the Clayton Act unless: (1) the purchaser (and affiliate) agree as a condition of the sale to pay the amount of allowed unsecured claims arising from the incident not paid by the debtor; or (2) all classes of unsecured claims approve the sale of such assets.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
10 June 2010
Introduced
Referred to House Judiciary
Source: IntroReferral
10 June 2010
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
10 June 2010
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Source: IntroReferral
10 June 2010
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
11 June 2010
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Source: Committee
23 June 2010
Vote
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 16 - 11.
Source: Committee
23 June 2010
Committee
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Source: Committee
30 June 2010
Calendars
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 296.
Source: Calendars
30 June 2010
Discharge
Committee on Transportation discharged.
Source: Discharge
30 June 2010
Committee
Committee on Transportation discharged.
Source: Committee
30 June 2010
Reported
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-521, Part I.
Source: Committee
30 June 2010
Reported
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-521, Part I.
Source: Committee
1 July 2010
Passed
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Source: Floor
1 July 2010
Passed
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5330)
Source: Floor
1 July 2010
Passed
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5330)
Source: Floor
1 July 2010
Floor
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5503.
Source: Floor
1 July 2010
Floor
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5330-5336)
Source: Floor
1 July 2010
Floor
Mr. Conyers moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Source: Floor
13 July 2010
Introduced
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Source: IntroReferral
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Referred in Senate · 13 July 2010 · Official file
- Engrossed in House · 1 July 2010 · Official file
- Reported in House · 30 June 2010 · Official file
- Introduced in House · 10 June 2010 · Official file
Documents
11 official files
Referred in Senate (text)
Referred in Senate (text)
Referred in Senate · EN · 13 July 2010
Referred in Senate (PDF)
Referred in Senate · EN · 13 July 2010
Engrossed in House (text)
Engrossed in House · EN · 1 July 2010
Engrossed in House (PDF)
Engrossed in House · EN · 1 July 2010
Passed House amended
summary · EN · 1 July 2010
Reported in House (text)
Reported in House · EN · 30 June 2010
Reported in House (PDF)
Reported in House · EN · 30 June 2010
Reported to House amended, Part I
summary · EN · 30 June 2010
Introduced in House (text)
Introduced in House · EN · 10 June 2010
Introduced in House (PDF)
Introduced in House · EN · 10 June 2010
Introduced in House
summary · EN · 10 June 2010
Sponsors
- JOHN CONYERS · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Melancon, Charlie [D-LA-3] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] · D · Sponsor
- Sheila Jackson Lee · D · Sponsor
- Maxine Waters · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] · D · Sponsor
- Theodore Deutch · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9] · D · Sponsor
- Linda Sánchez · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Braley, Bruce L. [D-IA-1] · D · Sponsor
- LUIS GUTIERREZ · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] · D · Cosponsor
- Gerald Connolly · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Berman, Howard L. [D-CA-26] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Sanchez, Loretta [D-CA-46] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Maffei, Daniel B. [D-NY-24] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Baca, Joe [D-CA-43] · D · Cosponsor
- Bennie Thompson · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Holt, Rush [D-NJ-12] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10] · D · Cosponsor
- CAROLYN MALONEY · D · Cosponsor
- Brad Sherman · D · Cosponsor
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] · D · Cosponsor
- · sscm00 · Standing
- · hspw00 · Standing
- · hsju00 · Standing
Related records
- related to ← Fairness in Admiralty and Maritime Law Act
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/5503
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/111/hr/5503
- us · 111-hr-5503 · source updated 7 April 2025