This bill proposes to amend the Arizona Revised Statutes by adding a new section, 25-407.01, which outlines specific guidelines for expert testimony in parenting time proceedings involving allegations of domestic violence or abuse. Under the new law, expert witnesses must demonstrate both expertise and clinical experience in working with victims of domestic violence or abuse, and their expertise cannot be solely forensic in nature. Additionally, the bill restricts the types of psychological testing and principles that can be utilized by these experts to those that are empirically established and generally accepted as valid and reliable.

Furthermore, the bill explicitly prohibits the court from allowing evidence related to polygraph examinations, voice-stress analysis, or other psychological measures. It also defines key terms such as "abuse" and "domestic violence" by referencing existing statutes, and clarifies the meaning of "forensic" in the context of parenting time proceedings. Overall, these updates aim to ensure that only qualified expert testimony is considered in cases involving serious allegations of domestic violence or abuse.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 25-407.01