# 119-hr-3596: Rape Shield Enhancement Act of 2025

119-hr-3596, Rape Shield Enhancement Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1] (R-SC); status introduced (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3596
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-3596
- Congress: 119
- Title: Rape Shield Enhancement Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-05-23
- Sponsor: Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1] (R-SC)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Law
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**This bill would push federal courts to tighten and clarify privacy rules to strengthen** privacy protections for alleged victims of sexual assault. It would prompt formal reviews of evidence and discovery rules to narrow what sexual history and private records can be used or disclosed in federal cases. - Alleged victims: Would aim to limit admission of evidence about a victim's sexual behavior or predisposition and to tighten how any admissible material is handled to protect privacy. - Parties and lawyers in civil and criminal cases: Would face narrower discovery rules that restrict demands for personal, financial, social, psychological, sexual, medical, or other private records unless those records are directly relevant to the case. - Courts and the Judicial Conference: Would require the Judicial Conference to identify proposed amendments for Rules 412, 26, and 16 and to submit three reports within 180 days, following the process in chapter 131 of title 28.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stronger privacy for alleged sexual assault victims: benefit, low. If enacted, the Judicial Conference would have to send Congress three reports within 180 days. The reports would review Rule 412 and Rules 26 and 16 about evidence and discovery. They would propose ways to limit using an alleged victim’s sexual history as evidence. They would narrow requests for pr…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4706: Protecting Our Farms and Homes from China Act
- 119-hr-3756: FISH Act of 2025
- 119-hr-833: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025
- 119-hr-5457: Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act
- 119-hr-9298: Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act
- 119-hr-740: Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-3596 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3596)

## Related
- [119-hr-4706: Protecting Our Farms and Homes from China Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4706)
- [119-hr-3756: FISH Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3756)
- [119-hr-833: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-833)
- [119-hr-5457: Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5457)
- [119-hr-9298: Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9298)
- [119-hr-740: Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-740)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3596 (as of 2025-12-21).