Official Summary Text
Present law provides that
a video recording of a child by a forensic interviewer containing a statement made by the child under 18
describing an act of sexual or physically violent contact performed with or on the child by a person
,
or describing an act of sexual or physically violent contact performed by a person with or on another and witnessed by the child
,
is admissible and may be considered for its bearing on any matter to which it is relevant in evidence at any stage of a criminal proceeding of the p
erson for any offense arising from the contact if
certain
requirements are met
.
One such criterion is that the
interview was conducted by a forensic interviewer who met
certain
qualifications at the time the video recording was made, as determined by the court
, including either:
Was employed by a child advocacy center that meets
certain
requirements
.
Was employed by a federal agency and conducted the forensic interview in the course of an investigation of a federal crime
.
Until July 1, 2031, this bill adds as another possible option to the two options above that the forensic interviewer w
as employed by the department of children's services and the interview was conducted under the supervision of a child advocacy center that meets
certain
requirement
s.
A department employee conducting a forensic interview must meet all of the
following
requirements
:
Had g
raduated from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in a field related to social service, education, criminal justice, nursing, psychology or other similar profession
.
Ha
d
either (i)
experience equivalent to
three
years of full-time professional work in
c
hild protective services
, c
riminal justice
, c
linical evaluation
, c
ounseling
,
or
f
orensic interviewing
,
or other comparable work with children; or (ii) been supervised by an experienced forensic interviewer for a minimum of 20 forensic interviews, in addition to the
required hours of interviewing described below.
Had completed a minimum of 40 hours of forensic training in interviewing traumatized children and 15 hours of continuing education annually
.
Had completed a minimum of
eight
hours of interviewing under the supervision of a qualified forensic interviewer of children
.
Had knowledge of child development through coursework, professional training or experience
.
Had no criminal history as determined through a criminal records background check
.
Had actively participated in peer review
.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 1636
By Lamberth
SENATE BILL 1867
By Johnson
SB1867
010020
- 1 -
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9,
Chapter 4, Part 2 and Title 24, Chapter 7, Part 1,
relative to forensic interviews.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 24-7-123(b)(3)(A), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:
(iii) Was employed by the department of children's services and the interview
was conducted under the supervision of a child advocacy center that meets the
requirements of § 9-4-213(a) or (b). A department of children's services employee
conducting a forensic interview under this subdivision (b)(3)(A)(iii) must meet all of the
requirements of subdivisions (b)(3)(B)-(H). This subdivision (b)(3)(A)(iii) terminates on
July 1, 2031.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.