Federal Judiciary Emergency Special Sessions Act of 2005
Latest action · Sep 9, 2005 Became Public Law No: 109-63.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedSep 6, 2005
- Passed HouseSep 7, 2005
- Passed SenateSep 8, 2005
- To the PresidentSep 8, 2005
- Became lawSep 9, 2005Public Law 109-63
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on September 8, 2005. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Federal Judiciary Emergency Special Sessions Act of 2005 - Allows federal circuit courts of appeals, district courts, bankruptcy courts, and magistrate judges to hold special sessions outside their circuits or districts upon a finding by a chief judge or judicial council that, because of emergency conditions, no location within the courts' regular circuits or districts is reasonably available. Authorizes such courts to transact any business, except certain district court criminal proceedings, at a special session outside their circuits or districts which they might transact at a regular session.
Requires special session courts, through the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, to notify the Judiciary Committees of Congress of any order issued in a special session. Requires the Administrative Office to report to such congressional committees describing the reasons for the issuance of a special session order, the duration of such order, the impact of such order on litigants, and the costs to the judiciary resulting from such order. Requires special session courts to provide reasonable notice to the U.S. Marshals Service before the commencement of any special session.
Prohibits a criminal trial from being conducted at a special session outside the state in which the crime was committed unless the defendant consents to trial outside the state. Restricts criminal jury pools to the district in which a crime was committed unless the defendant consents to be tried by jurors from the district in which the trial court is holding a special session.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 456 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass | Passed409–0 | Sep 7, 2005 |
Cosponsors 4
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Sep 6, 2005.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Howard L. Berman | Original | Sep 6, 2005 |
| D-MI | John Conyers, Jr. | Original | Sep 6, 2005 |
| R-TX | Lamar Smith | Original | Sep 6, 2005 |
| R-TX | Louie Gohmert | Original | Sep 6, 2005 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Sep 6, 2005 |
Actions 15
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 9, 2005Signed by President.
- Sep 9, 2005Became Public Law No: 109-63.
- Sep 8, 2005Passed/agreed to in Senate: Received in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S9774-9776)
- Sep 8, 2005Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 8, 2005Cleared for White House.
- Sep 8, 2005Presented to President.
- Sep 7, 2005Mr. Sensenbrenner moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Sep 7, 2005Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7689-7692)
- Sep 7, 2005DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3650.
- Sep 7, 2005At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- Sep 7, 2005Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H7695-7696)
- Sep 7, 2005Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 - 0 (Roll no. 456). (text: CR H7689-7690)
- Sep 7, 2005Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Sep 6, 2005Introduced in House
- Sep 6, 2005Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In the Congressional Record 2
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9774–S9776 | Arlen Specter D-PA, Barbara A. Mikulski D-MD, Patrick J. Leahy D-VT, William H. Frist R-TN | Sep 8, 2005 |
| House · Senate | Debate and remarks H7689–H7692, S9719Text printed H7689Recorded votes H7695enact | F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. R-WI, John Conyers, Jr. D-MI, John Cornyn R-TX, Lamar Smith R-TX, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX | Sep 7, 2005 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
CRS reports 4
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 4
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL34619 | Use of the Capitol Rotunda, Capitol Grounds, and Emancipation Hall: Concurrent Resolutions, 101st to 119th Congresses | Report | Feb 6, 2026 |
| RL33894 | Election Reform: Issues and Legislative Proposals in the 109th Congress Archived | Report | Feb 28, 2007 |
| RS22360 | Venue for Federal Criminal Prosecution: Proposals in the 109th Congress Archived | Report | Jan 16, 2007 |
| RL31956 | European Views and Policies Toward the Middle East Archived | Report | Dec 21, 2005 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1634 | Federal Judiciary Emergency Special Sessions Act of 2005 | Related bill | Sep 8, 2005 |
Titles 5
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To allow United States courts to conduct business during emergency conditions, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Federal Judiciary Emergency Special Sessions Act of 2005
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Federal Judiciary Emergency Special Sessions Act of 2005
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Federal Judiciary Emergency Special Sessions Act of 2005
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Federal Judiciary Emergency Special Sessions Act of 2005
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Law.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Sep 8, 2005Received in Senate
- Sep 7, 2005Engrossed in House
- Sep 6, 2005Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.