The proposed bill, HB2402, mandates that the Department of Child Safety (DCS) must audiotape or videotape any interviews conducted with children, with exceptions only for equipment malfunctions that are not due to negligence or unforeseen circumstances preventing access to recording equipment. This requirement aims to enhance the integrity and accountability of child interviews in abuse or neglect cases.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that individuals charged with child abuse or neglect cannot contest the absence of recordings from these interviews, and such failures will not invalidate any statements made by the child that are otherwise admissible in legal proceedings. This contrasts with current law, which does not explicitly require recordings of interviews and does not address the legal standing of defendants regarding the absence of such recordings.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 8-456
House Engrossed Version: 8-456