This bill would create a grant program in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The grants would go to State child protective services agencies that require recording every child welfare interview with children and adults. "Child welfare interview" means a documented interview to gather information about suspected abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence.
The law defines eligible agencies as those with a statute, ordinance, policy, or practice that: (1) requires interviews be recorded by electronic audio, body camera video, or another reasonable recording method; (2) keeps recordings for at least 5 years; and (3) has state protocols that limit release of recordings to investigators, allow a caregiver or guardian to get a copy for a court case unless the court orders otherwise, impose penalties for improper release, and use secure storage with access controls.
The OJJDP Director may award grants to eligible agencies. Grants must be used only for costs directly tied to recording and keeping interviews for 5 years, including initial interviews done during a family assessment. Applications must be submitted in the form the Director requires. The Director will use amounts otherwise available to carry out the grants.
No specific funding amounts are provided in the bill text. The bill says the Director shall carry out the grant program using "amounts otherwise available to the Director." Grants must be used exclusively for costs directly associated with conducting and retaining recordings for 5 years.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.