A flurry of new disclosure related legislation from the Senate Judiciary Committee:

The Sunshine in Litigation Act requires that judges consider public health in deciding whether to release the results of litigation.

The bipartisan “Sunshine in Litigation Act� was prompted by dozens of cases in which hazards and threats to public health were not disclosed during court lawsuits or out of court settlements and subsequently resulted in additional fatalities, serious injuries and illnesses.

The Free Flow of Information Act deals with media figures’ handling of confidential sources:

Last month, a former USA Today reporter was held in contempt of court for refusing to reveal confidential sources cited in two articles written in 2002, and she is now facing fines of $500 to $5,000 a day. In recent years, dozens of reporters have been questioned by federal prosecutors about their sources.

The legislation is supported by a wide array of media organizations including the Newspaper Association of America, the Associated Press, the American Society of Newspaper Editors, The New York Times Company, The Washington Post, the New England Press Association, the Vermont Press Association, and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.

The Sunshine in Courtroom Act deals with cameras in the courts:

Federal courts lag behind all 50 state judiciaries, which have all allowed some form of audio or video coverage of court proceedings. Many Americans are unable to travel to witness some of the most important public arguments and actions of our Federal judiciary, including attending proceedings at the nation’s 13 appellate courts and the Supreme Court. The Sunshine in the Courtroom Act (S. 352), passed by the Committee today, would help increase public access through emerging technologies.