[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1280 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1280

  To allow the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, and 
         televising to the public of Federal court proceedings.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 1997

 Mr. Chabot (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Coble, Mr. DeLay, Mr. Frank 
of Massachusetts, Mr. Gekas, Mr. Dellums, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Rothman, Mr. 
  Portman, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Lewis of Kentucky, Mrs. McCarthy of New 
York, and Mr. Dixon) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To allow the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, and 
         televising to the public of Federal court proceedings.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sunshine in the Courtroom Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF PRESIDING JUDGE TO ALLOW MEDIA COVERAGE OF COURT 
              PROCEEDINGS.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any presiding judge of 
a court of the United States may, in his or her discretion, permit the 
photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the 
public of court proceedings over which that judge presides, including 
civil and criminal trials and appeals.

SEC. 3. ADVISORY GUIDELINES.

    The Judicial Conference of the United States is authorized to 
promulgate advisory guidelines to which a presiding judge, in his or 
her discretion, may refer in making decisions with respect to the 
management and administration of photographing, recording, 
broadcasting, or televising described in section 2.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) Presiding judge.--The term ``presiding judge'' means 
        the judge presiding over the court proceeding concerned. In 
        proceedings in which more than one judge participates, the 
        presiding judge shall be the senior active judge so 
        participating or, in the case of a court of appeals, the senior 
        active circuit judge so participating, except that--
                    (A) in en banc sittings of any United States court 
                of appeals, the presiding judge shall be the chief 
                judge of the circuit whenever the chief judge 
                participates; and
                    (b) in en banc sittings of the Supreme Court of the 
                United States, the presiding judge shall be the Chief 
                Justice whenever the Chief Justice participates.
            (2) Court of the united states.--The term ``court of the 
        United States'' has the meaning given that term in section 451 
        of title 28, United States Code.
                                 <all>