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S 1700 106th Congress Senate

TRUTH Act

Official title: A bill to amend the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to allow a defendant to make a motion for forensic testing not available at trial regarding actual innocence.

Introduced: October 6, 1999 Introduced by: Durbin, Richard J. Democratic · Illinois See on congress.gov
Crime and Law Enforcement Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCriminal procedureDNA fingerprintsEvidence (Law)
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Forensic medicineHealthIdentification of criminalsLawPrisoners' rightsScience, Technology, CommunicationsSuspects' rightsTechnological innovations
This bill died when the 106th Congress ended
It never became law before the 106th Congress (1999–2000) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 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
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 Latest action October 6, 1999

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 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.
 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1700: TRUTH Act. 106th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/106-S-1700/
MLA
"S. 1700: TRUTH Act." 106th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/106-S-1700/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1700, 106th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/106-S-1700/.
Markdown link
[S. 1700: TRUTH Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/106-S-1700/)
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