House Bill 1734, also known as Senate Bill 2402, amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to the investigation of child abuse and neglect. The bill mandates that the Department of Children’s Services must record all interviews of children conducted during investigations, allowing for either audio or video recordings. However, there are exceptions to this requirement if the employee believed the interview was being recorded but faced technical issues, or if unforeseen circumstances prevented the recording. Importantly, the failure to record an interview does not impact the admissibility of any statements made by the child or other evidence obtained during the interview.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that all recordings made under this new requirement will be treated as confidential in accordance with existing laws. The provisions of this act are set to take effect on July 1, 2026, ensuring that the necessary measures are in place to protect the integrity of child interviews during investigations of abuse or neglect.