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HR 3054 111th Congress House

Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009

Official title: To provide for media coverage of Federal court proceedings.

Introduced: January 19, 2010 See on congress.gov
Law Broadcasting, cable, digital technologiesEvidence and witnessesJudicial procedure and administrationPhotography and imaging
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Sound recordingTelevision and film
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This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) 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
Jul 23, 2009
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.
Jun 25, 2009
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Jun 25, 2009
Introduced in House
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 Latest action July 23, 2009

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009 - 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, except when such action would constitute a violation of the due process rights of any party.

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 the right to make such request.

Authorizes the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate mandatory guidelines with respect to the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 657 Related bill Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Democratic 2
D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · Mar 11, 2010
 D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · Jan 19, 2010
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3054: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-3054/
MLA
"H.R. 3054: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-3054/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3054, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-3054/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3054: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-3054/)
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