HB2322

THE CONTEXT: DCS is responsible for protecting the children of Arizona by: 1) investigating reports of abuse and neglect; 2) assessing, promoting and supporting the safety of a child in a safe and stable family or other appropriate placement in response to allegations of abuse or neglect; 3) working cooperatively with law enforcement regarding reports that include criminal conduct allegations; and 4) without compromising child safety, coordinating services to achieve and maintain permanency on behalf of the child, strengthen the family and provide prevention, intervention and treatment services ( A. R.

WHAT THE BILL DID: Requires the Department of Child Safety (DCS), if federal grant funding for recording child safety interviews is enacted, to record, by audio or video, any interview conducted with a child who is the subject of an investigation and to apply for federal funding grants to support implementation.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to give the people who rely on the rule clearer information and a defined reporting process. It would require DCS to record, by audio or video, any interview conducted with a child who is the subject of an investigation unless: a) the recording equipment malfunctions and the malfunction is not due to a failure to maintain the equipment or provide adequate supplies; or b) due to unforeseen circumstances, DCS does not have the necessary recording equipment, and would also specifies that a person charged with a criminal offense involving abuse or neglect of a child does not have standing to object to DCS's failure to comply with the recording requirement, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.