S. 5478Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

GRANITE Act

A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to limit the enforcement of foreign censorship judgments, and for other purposes.

Also known as Guaranteeing Rights Against Novel International Tyranny and Extortion Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated September 29, 2026 at 5:22 AM UTC

The GRANITE Act would stop U.S. courts from recognizing or enforcing any foreign court judgment, fine, order, or demand that is based on a foreign law aimed at restricting speech, expression, or association. It defines such foreign censorship laws and gives people in the United States a way to challenge those judgments in federal court. The bill also updates sovereign‑immunity rules to include this new protection.

Key Provisions

Adds a new Section 4106 to Title 28 that defines a “foreign censorship law” as any foreign law that restricts or penalizes expression based on content, viewpoint, or speaker identity, or forces disclosure that would chill expression, and that would conflict with the U.S. First Amendment.
Requires domestic courts to refuse to recognize or enforce any foreign judgment, fine, order, or demand that enforces such a censorship law, regardless of other federal or state laws.
Allows any U.S. person affected by such a foreign judgment to file a declaratory‑relief action in federal court to have the judgment declared unenforceable.
Amends the sovereign‑immunity provisions of Title 28 to include the new limitation on enforcement of foreign censorship judgments.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

September 23, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 23, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

September 23, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued September 23, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5478

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 23, 2026

Mr. Lee introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend title 28, United States Code, to limit the enforcement of foreign censorship judgments, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Guaranteeing Rights Against Novel International Tyranny and Extortion Act or the GRANITE Act.

Limitation on enforcement of foreign censorship judgments

(a)

In general

Chapter 181 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

4106.

Limitation on enforcement of foreign censorship judgments

(a)

Definition

In this section:

(1)

Foreign censorship law

The term foreign censorship law means any law of a foreign state that—

(A)

(i)

has the primary purpose or substantial effect of restricting or penalizing expression, expressive conduct, or expressive association;

(ii)

targets expression, expressive conduct, or expressive association based on its content, viewpoint, or speaker identity; or

(iii)

compels disclosure that would reasonably chill that expression, expressive conduct, or expressive association; and

(B)

would conflict with the protections of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States if recognized in the United States.

(2)

Foreign state

The term foreign state has the meaning given the term in section 1603.

(b)

Limitation on enforcement

Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal or State law, a domestic court shall not recognize or enforce a foreign judgment, or a fine, order, or demand issued by a foreign court or a foreign state, enforcing a foreign censorship law.

(c)

Right of action

A United States person against whom a foreign judgment described in subsection (b) is entered, or upon whom a judgment, fine, order, or demand described in subsection (b) is served or purportedly served, may bring an action in an appropriate district court of the United States seeking declaratory relief that such judgment, fine, order, or demand is unenforceable under subsection (b).

(b)

No sovereign immunity

Section 1605(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (5)(B), by striking or at the end;

(2)

in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(7)

under section 4106.

(c)

Technical and conforming amendment

The table of sections for chapter 181 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

4106. Limitation on enforcement of foreign censorship judgments.