Bill · S. 659· Senate(119-S-659)
GRACIE Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 2/20/2025
- Last activity
- 2/20/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Marsha Blackburn
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "GRACIE Act of 2025," aims to create a grant program within the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The program would provide grants to States that require the recording of all child welfare interviews involving children and adults. These interviews are conducted by child protective services agencies to gather information regarding abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence. To be eligible, States must have rules requiring these interviews to be recorded via audio, video, or other reasonable means. Additionally, the law requires that these recordings be stored for at least five years under secure protocols.
Yes· 3 of 12
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+6
Mandating the recording of child welfare interviews increases the documentation and transparency of agency actions.
Would children be better off under this?+5
Recording interviews provides a more accurate record of a child's statements regarding abuse or neglect.
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?+5
The bill enhances due process by allowing caregivers or guardians to access recordings for use in judicial proceedings.
The opposite
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?-2
The requirement to record all interviews may reduce the expectation of privacy for individuals during sensitive child welfare interactions.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased transparency in child welfare investigations: By requiring all interviews regarding concerns of abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence to be recorded, the bill aims to document information provided during child welfare interviews (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Access to information for families: The bill allows for a copy of a recording to be made available to a caregiver or guardian upon request in connection with a judicial proceeding, unless a court orders otherwise (Section 2(a)(3)(B)(i)(aa)).
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Security of sensitive information: The bill requires that the systems used to store and distribute recordings manage them securely through access controls and role-based permission management (Section 2(a)(3)(B)(iii)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on information sharing: The bill states that a copy of a recording may only be released to those who are investigating an allegation (Section 2(a)(3)(B)(i)(aa)).
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Potential for legal penalties: The bill requires that a penalty be imposed if the limitations regarding the release of recordings are violated (Section 2(a)(3)(B)(i)(II)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+5Good For Low Income Households+3Good For African Americans+2Good For Asian Americans+2Good For Hispanic Americans+2Good For Native Americans+2Good For White Americans+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+6Improves Due Process+5Increases Federal Power+2Improves Privacy Rights-2
- Education And Technology
- Improves Data Privacy+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Racial Equity+2
- 2/24/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/20/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in Senate
Jon OssoffDemocrat · Georgia