Bill > HR3596

This bill directs the Judicial Conference (the primary policymaking body for federal courts) to submit three separate reports to Congress within 180 days of enactment, each focusing on enhancing privacy protections and limiting invasive evidence in sexual assault cases. Specifically, the bill requires reports reviewing three key sets of legal rules: Federal Rules of Evidence (Rule 412), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Rule 26), and Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure (Rule 16). For each ruleset, the Judicial Conference must propose amendments that would more strictly control how an alleged sexual assault victim's personal information can be discovered or presented in court, including narrowing the scope of permissible discovery requests about the victim's private records (such as medical, psychological, sexual, or financial history), establishing stronger privacy protections, and ensuring that any such inquiries are directly relevant to the case. The overall aim is to protect sexual assault victims from unnecessary invasions of privacy during legal proceedings while maintaining the integrity of the judicial process. The bill would be known as the "Rape Shield Enhancement Act of 2025" and represents an effort to further shield sexual assault victims from potentially traumatizing or prejudicial legal proceedings.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3596/all-info