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S 1700 106th Congress Senate Crime and Law Enforcement Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Criminal procedure DNA fingerprints Evidence (Law) Forensic medicine Health Identification of criminals Law Prisoners' rights Science, Technology, Communications Suspects' rights Technological innovations

TRUTH Act

Introduced: October 6, 1999 Introduced by: Durbin, Richard J. Democratic · Illinois See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 6, 1999
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Oct 6, 1999
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12107-12108)
Oct 6, 1999
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Right to Use Technology in the Hunt for Truth Act or TRUTH Act - Amends the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to allow a court, on a motion of a defendant, to order forensic DNA testing on evidence that was secured in the defendant's trial which resulted in the defendant's conviction, but that was not subject to such testing because the technology was not available at the time of trial. Requires the defendant to present a prima facie case that: (1) identity was an issue in the trial; and (2) the evidence has been subject to a chain of custody sufficient to establish that it has not been substituted, tampered with, replaced, or altered in any material aspect. Directs the court to allow the testing upon a determination that: (1) the result of the testing has the scientific potential to produce new, noncumulative evidence materially relevant to the defendant's assertion of actual innocence; and (2) the testing requested employs a scientific method generally accepted within the relevant scientific community.
What's happening now October 6, 1999

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1