House adopts SJR 1 to broaden evidence rules in sexual-assault cases

The Utah House on Feb. 26 passed Substitute SJR 1, a joint resolution revising rules of evidence to allow limited prior-act or related-evidence arguments in sexual-assault and similar trials so judges and juries can consider a broader factual record.

Representative Clancy, the House sponsor, told colleagues the resolution aims to ensure “judges and juries have the full truth of this full scope of information about what happened.” He said the standard already exists in federal courts and that the change is intended to give courts more tools to assess admissibility in weighty trials.

Clancy framed the measure as a survivor-centered reform. In his summation he quoted Rachel Denhollander — a prominent survivor and advocate — saying, in effect, that victims deserve “the truth” and that the resolution will help ensure “we have all the facts, all the evidence, and the truth.”

There was no extended floor debate after the sponsor’s presentation; the House voted with a wide margin. The clerk recorded the final tally as 67 yays, 2 nays and 6 absent. The resolution will be signed by the Speaker and transmitted to the Senate.

Supporters said the change would allow judges to make more complete admissibility determinations and better inform juries; opponents raised procedural cautions during committee review but did not sustain a floor hold. Because this is a joint resolution about rules of evidence rather than a statutory change, it operates through the legislature’s rulemaking and court-procedure mechanisms rather than creating a new criminal offense or penalty.

The next procedural step is transmittal to the Senate for its concurrence and any separate action the upper chamber may take.