S. 2782: Lieutenant Colonel Dominic "Rocky" Baragona Justice for American Heroes Harmed by Contractors Act

111th Congress · introduced 2009-11-17 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 682.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-11-17 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 682. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Lieutenant Colonel Dominic "Rocky" Baragona Justice for American Heroes Harmed by Contractors Act

Plain summary

Lieutenant Colonel Dominic "Rocky" Baragona Justice for American Heroes Harmed by Contractors Act - Directs the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to: (1) permit the debarment or suspension of U.S. government contractors for evading service of process in civil or criminal proceedings brought against them by a U.S. citizen or national in connection with an obligation under the terms of a government contract or for failing to appear in federal court in such proceedings; and (2) require such contractors performing federal contracts of $5 million or more outside the United States to consent to personal jurisdiction over them in any future civil action brought by the United States alleging wrongdoing associated with contract performance and in any future civil action alleging a rape or sexual assault of or serious bodily injury to a member of the Armed Forces, a federal civilian employee, or an employee of a company performing work for the United States who is a U.S. citizen or national. Requires the contractor to: (1) consent to personal jurisdiction in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for a covered civil action in which the events giving rise to the cause of action occurred outside the United States and where personal jurisdiction cannot be established in another federal court; and (2) designate an agent located in the United States for service of process in any covered civil action if the covered contract was awarded to a contractor that does not maintain an office in the United States. Requires: (1) a covered civil action to be analyzed in accordance with U.S. law; and (2) the substantive law of the state (including the District of Columbia) in which the covered civil action is brought to be the law applicable to a covered civil action if the substantive law otherwise applicable to the covered civil action would be the law of the location where the events giving rise to the cause of action occurred and if the location is designated as a hazardous duty zone by the Secretary of Defense (DOD). Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit: (1) the ability of a contractor to assert any settled right under the U.S. Constitution; and (2) any other jurisdictional basis for a civil action against or criminal prosecution of a contractor.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s)), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Lieutenant Colonel Dominic "Rocky" Baragona Justice for American Heroes Harmed by Contractors Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO] · 9 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 2782, Lieutenant Colonel Dominic 'Rocky' Baragona Justice for American Heroes Harmed by Contractors Act (2010-05-25); CBO cost estimate: S. 2782, Lieutenant Colonel Dominic 'Rocky' Baragona Justice for American Heroes Harmed by Contractors Act (2010-05-25)

Cosponsors on this site

Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s2782.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s2782 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111