S 3250 United States Senate · 118th Congress

A bill to provide remote access to court proceedings for victims of the 1988 Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

This bill requires U.S. district courts to provide remote video or phone access to victims of the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing (including their immediate family members) during the criminal trial of Abu Agila Mohammed Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi and any co-conspirators charged in the attack. It mandates that courts make reasonable efforts to offer this remote access without restricting it based on the victim’s location. The provision overrides standard court rules to ensure victims can participate in proceedings, while courts retain discretion to limit access for safety or courtroom integrity reasons. The law applies specifically to the ongoing trial related to the Lockerbie bombing.
Sub-Topics: Courts
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2023
Committee Review
Dec 2023
Senate Passage
Dec 2023
House Passage
Jan 2024
Signed into Law
Jan 2024
Introduced Nov 8, 2023 Signed Jan 26, 2024
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in Senate Engrossed in Senate · 1 edit · Dec 6, 2023
MINOR
The Senate engrossed version weakens the requirement for remote video and telephonic access to Pan Am Flight 103 criminal proceedings. Instead of mandating that the court make such access available to victims, it now only requires the court to order that 'reasonable efforts be made' to provide it. This shifts the obligation from a guaranteed right to a best-efforts standard.
REQUIREMENT

The court's obligation changed from mandating that remote video and telephonic access be made available to victims, to only requiring that reasonable efforts be made to make such access available. This is a weaker standard that does not guarantee victims will actually receive remote access.

Floor votes · House Jan 18, 2024

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
5
Committee
2
Jan 26, 2024
Signed into law
Signed by President.
executive
Jan 18, 2024
Lower · Passed
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 413 - 7 (Roll no. 14). (text: 1/16/2024 CR H145)
lower
Dec 6, 2023
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S5803)
upper
Dec 6, 2023
Upper · Passed
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S5803)
upper
Dec 6, 2023
Upper · Passed
Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
upper
Nov 8, 2023
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
upper
Nov 8, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors