Protecting Americans from Russian Litigation Act of 2025
The Protecting Americans from Russian Litigation Act of 2025 would curb the ability to enforce certain foreign judgments or arbitral awards in U.S. courts when those judgments arise from or are connected to actions taken to comply with U.S. sanctions. Specifically, it adds a new provision to Title 28 (Section 1660) that bars any civil action in federal or state courts to recognize or enforce a foreign judgment or award if the underlying claim arose from sanctions-related compliance or if the issuing court based jurisdiction on U.S. sanctions or export controls. It also authorizes removal and dismissal of such enforcement actions to U.S. district court. The bill preserves a narrow set of preexisting authorities and rights, notably those of U.S. government actions, victims of terrorism or related crimes with certain statuses, and contractual rights where disputes are to be resolved in U.S. courts or in U.S. arbitration (but not for enforcement of the foreign judgment or award described in the main prohibition). The act defines “United States sanctions” as prohibitions or restrictions imposed by the U.S. under law (e.g., the International Emergency Economic Powers Act or export-control authorities) and excludes import duties. The act applies prospectively to civil actions pending on or after enactment. In short, the bill aims to prevent foreign courts from leveraging sanctions-based claims to obtain enforcement of foreign judgments or arbitral awards in U.S. courts, and it provides a mechanism for U.S. courts to dismiss such actions.
Key Points
- 1What the law prohibits: No person (other than the U.S. itself or a U.S.-acting entity) may bring or pursue in U.S. courts a civil action to enforce a foreign judgment or foreign arbitral award if the claim arose from sanctions-related compliance or if the foreign court’s jurisdiction relied on U.S. sanctions or export controls.
- 2Removal and dismissal: Defendants can remove enforcement actions to a U.S. district court, which must dismiss the action.
- 3Narrow carve-outs (rule of construction): The act preserves certain U.S. government authorities and specific rights under chosen circumstances (e.g., rights of victims of terrorism or related crimes for U.S. nationals or certain U.S. government-related personnel, and contract rights where disputes are already designated to be resolved in U.S. courts or U.S. arbitration, but not for enforcement of the foreign judgment/award described in the main prohibition).
- 4What counts as “United States sanctions”: Broadly defined to include prohibitions, restrictions, or conditions on transactions involving foreign entities or nationals imposed to protect national security, foreign policy, or the U.S. economy, under the IEEA or other laws (excluding import duties).
- 5Applicability: The provision applies to civil actions pending on or after the date of enactment (not retroactive to actions filed before).
- 6Title and purpose framing: The act is titled to emphasize protecting Americans from litigation arising from or connected to sanctions-related actions, with specific focus on Russian-related policy framing in the title, though the text uses sanctions more generally.