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Vol. 35, Number 8—August 2003

It's Recess; Where are the Bills Now?
Congress has been on its August recess. Here's the current status of key legislation the Judiciary is following.

Bill Name Status
S. 554 Sunshine in the Courtroom Act would allow media coverage of court proceedings Reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Pending in the Senate
H.R. 1302 Federal Courts Improvement Act would make improvements in the operation and administration of the federal courts Marked-up by House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property and sent to full Committee. No action in the Senate
H.R. 1303 Amends the E-Government Act of 2002 and would protect privacy and security concerns relating to the electronic filing of documents Marked up and reported by the House Judiciary Committee
S.787 Fair and Independent Federal Judiciary Act of 2003 would increase salaries for justices and judges, and prohibit the solicitation or acceptance of anything of value in connection with a private judicial seminar, among other provisions Referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee
S. 1023 would increase annual salaries of justices and judges 16.5 percent; amended to include a cameras in the courtroom provision as well as a repeal of Section 140 of P.L. 97-92 Reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Pending in the Senate
H.R. 2118 would increase annual salaries of justices and judges 16.5 percent Referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts
S. 1100 Security Judicial Independence Act of 2003 would adjust judicial salaries equal to 25 percent of current salaries Referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee
S. 878 would add 14 district court judgeships and 36 bankruptcy judgeships Passed by the Senate. Referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts
S. 920 Federal Judgeship Act of 2003 would create 11 circuit and 46 district judgeships Introduced in the Senate, referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Hearing on judgeships held by House Subcommittee on the Courts
H.R. 1428 Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2003 would authorize 36 bankruptcy judgeships Introduced in the House. Referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law
H.R. 975 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2003 would create 28 new bankruptcy judgeships, and require bankruptcy clerks to maintain and control access to federal tax returns filed by debtors, among other provisions Passed by the House. Pending in the Senate
H.R. 1529 Involuntary Bankruptcy Improvement Act of 2003 would amend federal bankruptcy law to direct the court, upon motion of a debtor that is an individual, to dismiss an involuntary bankruptcy petition containing a materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement; and expunge from court records all records and references pertaining to such petition Passed by the House. Received in Senate and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee
S. 274 Class Action Fairness Act of 2003 would amend the procedures that apply to consideration of interstate class actions Reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee and pending in the Senate
H.R. 1115 Class Action Fairness Act would amend the procedures that apply to consideration of interstate class actions Passed by the House; received in the Senate and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee

More on individual bills is available in the April and June issues of The Third Branch, online at www.uscourts.gov/ttb/apr03ttb/life.html and www.uscourts.gov/ttb/june03ttb/billsmoving.html, or on Thomas, the Library of Congress website, at thomas.loc.gov.

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