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S 554 108th Congress Senate

A bill to allow media coverage of court proceedings.

Introduced: June 3, 2003 Introduced by: Grassley, Chuck Republican · Iowa See on congress.gov
Law Administration of justiceAppellate courtsArts, Culture, ReligionCivil procedure
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Court reportingCrime and Law EnforcementCriminal procedureDistrict courtsGovernment Operations and PoliticsJudgesPhotographyRadio broadcastingScience, Technology, CommunicationsSound recording and reproducingSupreme CourtTelevision broadcastingVideo tape recordingWitnesses
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This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) 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 6 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 22, 2003
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 107.
May 22, 2003
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Hatch without amendment. Without written report.
May 22, 2003
Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Mar 6, 2003
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3276-3277)
Mar 6, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3276)
Mar 6, 2003
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action May 22, 2003

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 107.

 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.

 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 4
All 4 Democratic 2 Republican 2
D
Durbin, Richard J.
Illinois · Jun 3, 2003
 R
Cornyn, John
Texas · Apr 1, 2003
 R
Graham, Lindsey
South Carolina · Mar 6, 2003
 D
Schumer, Charles E.
New York · Mar 6, 2003
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 554: A bill to allow media coverage of court proceedings.. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-554/
MLA
"S. 554: A bill to allow media coverage of court proceedings.." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-554/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 554, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-554/.
Markdown link
[S. 554: A bill to allow media coverage of court proceedings.](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-554/)
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