Senate Bill 485 proposes to amend existing laws regarding video surveillance in residential care settings for children and youth, specifically group homes, shelter care facilities, and child welfare agencies. The bill allows these facilities to utilize video monitoring in common areas, entrances, and exits without obtaining consent from the children being recorded. However, it mandates that the children and their guardians must be informed about the surveillance. Additionally, the bill requires these facilities to adopt safety monitoring policies that may include video surveillance, while emphasizing that such surveillance cannot replace one-on-one monitoring for children at high risk of self-harm.

The bill also modifies the rights of patients receiving mental health services, allowing those placed in residential care centers for children and youth, group homes, or shelter care facilities to be subject to video surveillance without their consent, as specified in the newly created statute 48.672. This change is significant as it alters the current law that generally protects individuals from being filmed without consent. Furthermore, the bill maintains the confidentiality of video data, aligning it with existing laws regarding records kept by child welfare agencies, while allowing the Department of Children and Families to review any recordings made under this new provision.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 51.61(1)(o), 51.61