Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to privileged communications between spouses
Sponsored by Rep. Sean Bagniewski (D), Rep. Brian K. Lohse (R)
Topics:Courts & civil law
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedMarch 11, 2025
- Stopped: SubcommitteeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by February 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: Senate committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Spouses and former spouses normally cannot be forced to testify about private conversations they had while married. This law would change that by allowing these conversations to be used in court cases involving child neglect, abandonment, or child endangerment. Even with this change, a person still has the right to refuse to share those private details if they are called to testify.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to privileged communications between spouses. Under current law, a person cannot be examined in any case as to any communication made between the person and the person’s spouse while the person was married to the spouse. After the marriage relation ends, neither spouse is permitted to reveal in testimony any communication between the spouses made while they were married. Subject to certain provisions of law to the contrary relating to a child’s injuries and criminal prosecutions related to neglect, abandonment, nonsupport, and child endangerment, the bill permits a spouse or former spouse to be examined in such cases, but maintains that the spouse or former spouse cannot be required to be examined. If subpoenaed, a person may assert spousal privilege and refuse to reveal any information relating to a communication between the person and another person made while the person and the other person were married.