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S. 183: Deepwater Horizon Survivors' Fairness Act

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S. 183: Deepwater Horizon Survivors' Fairness Act

112th Congress · introduced 2011-01-25 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: By Senator Rockefeller from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 112-245.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2011-01-25 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: By Senator Rockefeller from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 112-245. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

Deepwater Horizon Survivors' Fairness Act

Plain summary

Deepwater Horizon Survivors' Fairness Act - (Sec. 2) Amends federal maritime law formerly known as the Shipowners' Liability Act of 1851 to exclude a claim for personal injury or wrongful death arising from the blowout and explosion of the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon that occurred on April 20, 2010 (the Deepwater Horizon incident), from provisions limiting a vessel owner's liability in specified instances to the value of the vessel and its pending freight. (Sec. 3) Amends the Death on the High Seas Act to allow a civil action in law or in admiralty against the person or vessel responsible for a Deepwater Horizon incident death. (Current law allows only a civil action in admiralty when death is caused by a wrongful act, neglect, or default.) Authorizes any related recovery to include fair compensation for nonpecuniary loss (care, comfort, companionship, and society) plus a fair compensation for the decedent's pain and suffering. (Current law allows only fair compensation for pecuniary loss sustained by the individuals for whose benefit the action is brought.) (Sec. 4) Amends the Jones Act to authorize any recovery in a civil action at law against the employer of a seaman who dies from the Deepwater Horizon incident to include fair compensation for nonpecuniary loss, plus a fair compensation for the decedent's pain and suffering. (Current law allows only certain wrongful death and survival claims as is available to railway employees.) (Sec. 5) Applies this Act to: (1) causes of action and claims arising after April 19, 2010; and (2) actions commenced prior to, on, or after enactment of this Act that have not been finally adjudicated, including appellate review, as of such date.

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

Deepwater Horizon Survivors' Fairness Act

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

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), 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 (1)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-s183 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112