Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act

Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act

This bill limits third-party financing of civil litigation by foreign entities in federal courts and establishes related disclosure requirements.

The bill makes it unlawful for a foreign state or sovereign wealth fund to provide any monetary support for a civil action in which it is not a named party. The bill also makes it unlawful for any party or counsel to receive monetary support for civil litigation from a foreign state or sovereign wealth fund that is not a party.

The bill also prohibits third-party litigation funding agreements involving money from a foreign state or sovereign wealth fund in which someone other than named parties or counsel of record receives a payment that is contingent on the outcome or proceeds from the civil action or from any matter within a portfolio that includes the civil action.

The bill requires any party or counsel in a civil action to disclose the name of any foreign person, state, or sovereign wealth fund that has agreed to provide monetary support for the civil action, has a right to receive a payment contingent upon the outcome of the civil action, or has the right to receive payment that is contingent on proceeds from any matter within a portfolio that includes the civil action.

The bill also requires parties to produce the agreement creating a contingent right to payment.

These requirements apply to claims that are pending on or commenced after this bill's date of enactment.

Summary by the Congressional Research Service.