Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate Judiciary Committee rejects bill to make victim‑advocate communications privileged, then expunges the vote
Summary
A bill to create a privilege for confidential communications between domestic violence victims and shelter advocates failed on a 3–2 committee vote after defenders warned it could block disclosure of potentially exculpatory statements; the committee later voted to expunge that failed vote and the sponsor said he will work with critics.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 27 considered House Bill 13 80, which would establish a confidential‑communications privilege between victims of domestic violence and advocates at domestic‑violence shelters and centers. Representative Faught, presenting the bill, said the measure “makes that possible” and would align Arkansas with other states that protect victim‑advocate communications.
“Confidentiality between advocates and victims of violence is the key principle of success for domestic violence and sexual assault programs,” Representative Faught said, adding the bill clarifies…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
