	Introduction

The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 U.S.C. §§ 1346(b), 2671-2680, is the statute by which the United States authorizes tort suits to be brought against itself. With exceptions, it made the United States liable:
for injury or loss of property, or personal injury or death caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any employee of the government while acting within the scope of his office or employment, under circumstances where the United States, if a private person would be liable to the claimant in accordance with the law of the place where the act or omission occurred. Thus, the FTCA makes the United States liable for the torts of its employees to the extent that private employers are liable under state law for the torts of their employees. The FTCA, however, contains exceptions under which the United States may not be held liable even though a private employer could be held liable under state law. Three of these exceptions are examined in separate sections of this report: the Feres doctrine, which prohibits suits by military personnel for injuries sustained incident to service; the discretionary function exception; and the intentional tort exception. Suits Against Federal Employees

The Federal Employees Liability Reform and Tort Compensation Act of 1988, P.L. As for Congress, some Members in the past have shown interest in amending the Feres doctrine to the extent of authorizing medical malpractice suits. In the 111 th Congress, the Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009 ( H.R. 1478 / S. 1347 ) was introduced. Federal law, however, bars victims of atomic testing from suing federal government contractors.
The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) is the statute by which the United States authorizes tort suits to be brought against itself. With exceptions, it makes the United States liable for injuries caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any federal employee acting within the scope of his employment, in accordance with the law of the state where the act or omission occurred. Three major exceptions, under which the United States may not be held liable, even in circumstances where a private person could be held liable under state law, are the Feres doctrine, which prohibits suits by military personnel for injuries sustained incident to service; the discretionary function exception, which immunizes the United States for acts or omissions of its employees that involve policy decisions; and the intentional tort exception, which precludes suits against the United States for assault and battery, among some other intentional torts, unless they are committed by federal law enforcement or investigative officials.
This report discusses, among other things, the application of the Feres doctrine to suits for injuries caused by medical malpractice in the military, the prohibition of suits by victims of atomic testing, Supreme Court cases interpreting the discretionary function exception, the extent to which federal employees may be held liable for torts they commit in the scope of their employment, and the government contractor defense to products liability design defect suits.
In the 111th Congress, three bills have been introduced that would amend the Federal Tort Claims Act: H.R. 1478/S. 1347, the Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009, H.R. 3285, and S. 1578.