Bill Details
S.659 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-02-20 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced Date
2025-02-20
Policy Area
Crime and Law Enforcement
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
Cosponsors
View cosponsors (1)
6
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would create a federal grant program to help states that require child welfare interviews to be recorded. The goal is to make sure interviews with children and adults about possible abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence are saved in a clear and secure way. States that already require these recordings could get money to help pay for recording and storing them. The bill also says the recordings must be kept for at least five years and protected so only approved people can access them.
- Recordings could be made by audio, body camera video, or another reasonable method.
- States must keep the recordings secure, use access controls, and limit who can see them. In general, they may be shared only with people investigating the case.
- A caregiver or guardian can request a copy for a court case, unless a court orders otherwise.
- Grant money can be used only for the direct costs of recording and storing these interviews, including initial interviews done during a family assessment.
Official Summaries
No summaries available
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 659 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 659
To establish a grant program within the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention to award grants to States that require the
recording of all child welfare interviews with children and adults, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 20, 2025
Mrs. Blackburn introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a grant program within the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention to award grants to States that require the
recording of all child welfare interviews with children and adults, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Generate Recordings of All Child
protective Interviews Everywhere Act'' or the ``GRACIE Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICE INTERVIEW RECORDING GRANTS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Child welfare interview.--The term ``child welfare
interview'' means a documented interview with all relevant
parties, including a child and an adult, conducted by a child
protective services agency of a State in order to elicit
information regarding concerns of abuse, neglect, or exposure
to violence.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of
the Department of Justice.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
child protective services agency of a State that has in effect
a statute, ordinance, policy, or practice that requires--
(A) any child welfare interview conducted by a
child protective services agency of the State to be
recorded through--
(i) electronic audio recording;
(ii) body camera video; or
(iii) any other reasonable means of
recording; and
(B) the retention and storage of a recording
described in subparagraph (A)--
(i) for not less than 5 years; and
(ii) in a manner consistent with the
protocols established by the State for such
recordings, which shall include that--
(I) a copy of such a recording--
(aa) subject to item (bb),
may only be released to those
investigating an allegation;
and
(bb) upon a request by a
caregiver or guardian in
connection with a judicial
proceeding, shall be made
available to the caregiver or
guardian, unless the court
orders otherwise;
(II) a penalty is imposed for a
violation of a limitation described in
subclause (I); and
(III) the retention systems of the
child protective services agency
securely manage the storage and
distribution of such a recording with
access controls and role-based
permission management.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) each of the several States;
(B) the District of Columbia;
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
(D) any territory or possession of the United
States.
(b) Grants.--The Director may award a grant to an eligible entity
for the purpose of recording and storing all child welfare interviews
conducted by the eligible entity.
(c) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this
section shall submit to the Director an application at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Director may
require.
(d) Use of Funds.--Amounts received under a grant under this
section shall be used exclusively for costs directly associated with
conducting and retaining for 5 years the recording of all child welfare
interviews by a child protective services agency of a State, including
initial interviews conducted during a family assessment.
(e) Funding.--The Director shall carry out this section using
amounts otherwise available to the Director.
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