Evidence - As enacted, permits the introduction into evidence of a video recording of a child victim being interviewed by a forensic interviewer regarding sexual or physically violent contact with the child if the forens, the official text

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                             PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 162

                                                     SENATE BILL NO. 304

                                               By Haile, Reeves, Rose, White

                                             Substituted for: House Bill No. 583

           By Doggett, Atchley, McCalmon, Littleton, Davis, Lynn, Capley, Reneau, Clemmons

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 24, Chapter 7, relative to child forensic
          interviews.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 24-7-123(b)(1), is amended by deleting the
subdivision and substituting:

                    (1) The child or the forensic interviewer who conducted the interview testifies, under
          oath, that the offered video recording is a true and correct recording of the events contained in
          the video recording and the child is available for cross examination;

          SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 24-7-123(b)(3)(A), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting:

                    (i) Was employed by a child advocacy center that meets the requirements of § 9-4-
          213(a) or (b); provided, however, that an interview is not inadmissible solely because the
          interviewer is employed by a child advocacy center that:

                              (a) Is not a nonprofit corporation, if the child advocacy center is accredited by a
                    nationally recognized accrediting agency;

                              (b) Employs an executive director who does not meet the criteria of § 9-4-
                    213(a)(2), if the executive director is supervised by a publicly elected official; or

                              (c) Does not have a signed memorandum of understanding and working
                    protocol executed among all county and municipal law enforcement agencies within
                    the geographical area served by the center, so long as the child advocacy center, the
                    department of children's services, and any district attorney general have signed or
                    executed such a memorandum of understanding and working protocol; or

                    (ii) Was employed by a federal agency and conducted the forensic interview in the
          course of an investigation of a federal crime;

          SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
         SENATE BILL NO. 304

PASSED:  March 31, 2025

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                         '               ··~· RAND{ McNALLY

                            SPEAKER OF TilE SENA TE

                            CAMEROR'SEXTON, SPEAKER
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

@ i I APPROVED this ~ day of             2025

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         - - - - - -B-ILL LEE, GOVERNOR