Parent-Child Privilege Act of 2005

H.R. 3433, the Parent-Child Privilege Act of 2005, proposes a change to federal law that would allow parents and children to refuse to testify against one another in federal civil and criminal court proceedings. Under this bill, a person could not be forced to share confidential conversations held between a parent and child unless both parties agree to waive that right.

The bill is designed to protect family privacy by extending legal protections similar to those currently held by spouses or attorneys. However, these protections would not apply in cases involving child abuse, neglect, custody disputes, or legal actions between the parent and child. While the bill was introduced in 2005, it did not advance past the committee stage and has not become law.