PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Oct 6, 1999
Right to Use Technology in the Hunt for Truth Act or TRUTH Act - Amends the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to allow a court, on a motion of a defendant, to order forensic DNA testing on evidence that was secured in the defendant's trial which resulted in the defendant's conviction, but that was not subject to such testing because the technology was not available at the time of trial. Requires the defendant to present a prima facie case that: (1) identity was an issue in the trial; and (2) the evidence has been subject to a chain of custody sufficient to establish that it has not been substituted, tampered with, replaced, or altered in any material aspect. Directs the court to allow the testing upon a determination that: (1) the result of the testing has the scientific potential to produce new, noncumulative evidence materially relevant to the defendant's assertion of actual innocence; and (2) the testing requested employs a scientific method generally accepted within the relevant scientific community.
People & committees
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] · D–IL
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12107-12108)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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