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2011 SESSION

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HB 2199 Journalists; prohibits a body authority to issue a subpoena to testify regarding any information.

Introduced by: Barbara J. Comstock | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Journalists as witnesses.  Prohibits a body with the authority to issue a subpoena or other compulsory process from compelling a journalist to testify regarding or to produce or disclose in an official proceeding any confidential or nonconfidential information, document, or item obtained or prepared while the person was acting as a journalist or to produce or disclose in an official proceeding the source of any such material. The bill prohibits a subpoena or other compulsory process from compelling the parent, subsidiary, division, or affiliate of a communication service provider or news medium to disclose the information, documents, or items, or the source of such material, that is privileged from disclosure under the provisions of the bill. The bill further authorizes a court, in limited circumstances, to compel a journalist, a journalist's employer, or a person with an independent contract with a journalist to testify regarding or to produce or disclose any information, document, or item or the source of any such material obtained while the person was acting as a journalist.


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