I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6642 
To authorize video teleconferencing and telephone conferencing of proceedings 
during the COVID–19 emergency period, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 28, 2020 
Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself, Ms. NORTON, and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To authorize video teleconferencing and telephone confer-
encing of proceedings during the COVID–19 emergency 
period, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Court Access Amid 
the Pandemic Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CIRCUIT COURT TELECONFERENCING. 
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 
Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–136) is amended by insert-
ing after section 15002 the following: 
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‘‘TELECONFERENCING FOR CIRCUIT COURT PROCEEDINGS 
‘‘SEC. 15002A. (a) IN GENERAL.—During the period 
in which there is in effect a declaration of a national emer-
gency by the President under the National Emergencies 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) with respect to the Coronavi-
rus Disease 2019— 
‘‘(1) a chief judge of a circuit, or, if the chief 
judge is unavailable, the most senior available active 
judge of the circuit court, may authorize that cases 
and controversies be disposed of without oral argu-
ment; or 
‘‘(2) in the event that litigants in a case or con-
troversy file a joint motion to proceed with oral ar-
gument, or a chief judge of a circuit (or, if the chief 
judge is unavailable, the most senior available active 
judge of the circuit court) wishes to proceed with 
oral argument, with the consent of the litigants, the 
chief judge of the circuit (or the most senior avail-
able active judge of the circuit court) shall so pro-
ceed and shall authorize the use of video teleconfer-
encing, or telephone conferencing if video teleconfer-
encing is not reasonably available, for such argu-
ment. 
‘‘(b) REAL-TIME STREAMING.—An oral argument 
that is conducted by video teleconference or telephone con-
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ference pursuant to subsection (a)(2) shall be made avail-
able for public transmission in real time, during such oral 
argument, on the website of the court in which the pro-
ceeding occurred and shall be permanently archived on 
such website. 
‘‘(c) PARTNERSHIP PERMITTED.—The chief judge of 
a circuit may use a third-party streaming platform, linked 
to or embedded in a court’s website, in order to comply 
with the requirements under subsection (b).’’. 
SEC. 3. MEDIA ACCESS FOR DISTRICT COURT PROCEED-
INGS. 
Section 15002(b) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
Economic Security Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–136) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) REAL-TIME STREAMING.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Judicial Con-
ference of the United States shall promulgate 
rules whereby any proceeding described in this 
section for which video teleconferencing and 
telephone conferencing is authorized shall— 
‘‘(i) be made available for public 
transmission in real time, during the oral 
argument, on the website of the court in 
which the proceeding occurs; and 
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‘‘(ii) be permanently archived on the 
website of the court in which the pro-
ceeding occurred or on the website of the 
Administrative Office of the United States 
Courts. 
‘‘(B) 
EXCEPTION.—Subparagraph 
(A) 
shall not apply to any proceeding in which the 
chief judge of a district court (or, if the chief 
judge is unavailable, the most senior available 
active judge of the court) specifically finds, 
upon application of the Attorney General or the 
designee of the Attorney General, or on motion 
of a litigant, that the proceedings cannot be dis-
seminated without seriously jeopardizing public 
health and safety.’’. 
Æ 
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