A bill to authorize a circuit judge who has taken part in an in banc hearing of a case to continue to participate in that case after taking senior status, and for other purposes.
Public Law 104-175 · S. 531 · 104th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Aug 6, 1996 · Law
Sponsor: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Paul Simon
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Amends the Federal judicial code to authorize a senior circuit judge to continue to participate in the decision of a case or controversy that was heard or reheard by the court in banc at a time when such judge was in regular active service.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.
- Aug 6, 1996Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-175.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 1, 1996PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jul 29, 1996FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Moorhead moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jul 23, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 16, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Nov 6, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Sep 29, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Sep 28, 1995FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 29, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Mar 23, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Mar 10, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.