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Committee debates ban on compelling or asking sexual‑assault victims to take polygraph tests; amendment passes but sponsor asks to hold
Summary
The committee heard competing views on whether government actors should be allowed to request — as opposed to compel — that sexual‑assault victims submit to polygraph tests. Supporters said requests hinder reporting and are not trauma‑informed; some senators and defense advocates said requests can be a useful investigatory tool in narrow cases.
Representative Sandra Romero presented House Bill 17, which would prohibit law‑enforcement officers, prosecutors and government employees from requesting or compelling sexual‑assault victims to take polygraph (lie‑detector) tests.
Romero said the measure “prohibits law enforcement prosecutors and government officials from requesting or compelling … assault victims to undergo a polygraph exam.” She and proponents described the bill as a codification of current best practices for handling trauma‑informed interviews and noted ties to Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funding considerations.
Supporters…
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