UPDATE: Full Senate to Tackle Proposed Shield Law

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Better late, than never.  The Senate Judiciary Committee voted this week to pass along a proposed federal shield law to the full Senate for consideration.

The measure, which was introduced in February 2009, would protect journalists against having to disclose confidential sources in federal courts. See "TUOL post 11/6/09 for an account of the arduous struggle to move the bill, which is backed by the Obama Administration and a myriad of news organizations, forward.

The Judiciary Committee resolved a final hang-up on the proposed legislation involving the definition of the term journalist. Proposed amendments were voted down, and the committee settled on a definition of a journalist as a person who has the intent to disseminate information to the public, which allows for the inclusion of uncompensated bloggers.