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HR 1281 106th Congress House Law Appellate courts Arts, Culture, Religion Civil procedure Court reporting Crime and Law Enforcement Crime and the press Criminal procedure District courts Government Operations and Politics Judges Photography Radio broadcasting Science, Technology, Communications Sound recording and reproducing Supreme Court Television broadcasting Video tapes in courtroom proceedings Witnesses

To allow media coverage of court proceedings.

Introduced: March 25, 1999 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 106th Congress ended
It never became law before the 106th Congress (1999–2000) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 7, 1999
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.
Mar 25, 1999
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Mar 25, 1999
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings over which that judge presides.

Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable to the broadcast audience of the trial proceeding; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of his or her right to make such request.

Authorizes the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate advisory guidelines to which a presiding judge may refer in making decisions regarding the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act.

What's happening now April 7, 1999

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 721 Identical bill A bill to allow media coverage of court proceedings.
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1
R
Graham, Lindsey
South Carolina · Mar 25, 1999
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1281: To allow media coverage of court proceedings.. 106th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-1281/
MLA
"H.R. 1281: To allow media coverage of court proceedings.." 106th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-1281/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1281, 106th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-1281/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1281: To allow media coverage of court proceedings.](https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-1281/)
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