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HR 5163 112th Congress House Law Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies Evidence and witnesses Judicial procedure and administration Photography and imaging Sound recording Television and film

Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2012

Introduced: April 27, 2012 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) 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
May 18, 2012
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law.
Apr 27, 2012
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Apr 27, 2012
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2012 - Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court (including the Supreme 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 to promulgate mandatory guidelines with respect to the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act.

Terminates a district court's authority under this Act two years after enactment of this Act.

What's happening now May 18, 2012

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • HR 2802 Related bill Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2011
  • S 410 Related bill Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2011
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1
D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · Apr 27, 2012
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5163: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2012. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-5163/
MLA
"H.R. 5163: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2012." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-5163/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5163, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-5163/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5163: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2012](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-5163/)
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