S. 3909: Accountability for Defense Contractors Act

111th Congress · introduced 2010-09-29 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-09-29 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. 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

Accountability for Defense Contractors Act

Plain summary

Accountability for Defense Contractors Act - Amends the Act authorizing the making, amending, or modification of federal contracts in order to facilitate the national defense (P.L. 85-804) to direct the Secretary of Defense, if the Department of Defense (DOD) takes any action under the authority of such Act during any year, to report to Congress on all such actions taken by DOD during the preceding year. Requires additional report information with respect to an action taken that involves actual or potential costs to the United States in excess of $1 million. Prohibits a DOD contractor from being indemnified for: (1) government claims against the contractor; (2) a claim, loss, or damage caused by gross negligence, willful misconduct, or lack of good faith on the part of any of the contractor's principal officials; or (3) a claim, loss, or damage resulting from an unusually hazardous or nuclear risk not specified in the contract terms and discovered on the site where the contract is performed, or that reasonably should have been discovered there. Allows a DOD contract to provide for contractor indemnification as the Secretary determines necessary only if the contract complies with: (1) the congressional notification requirements of this Act; and (2) the prohibitions on indemnifications described above.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Accountability for Defense Contractors Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] reported raising $1.9 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s3909.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s3909 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111