GRACIE Act of 2026
Child Welfare: Recording Abuse and Neglect Interviews
The GRACIE Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced and sent to the House Committee on Ways and Means for review. The bill is actively moving forward as it awaits further consideration by the committee.
Legislative Progress
The bill has support from both parties and addresses a clear need for better records in child safety cases. However, many bills like this struggle to get a final vote in a busy schedule.
Key Points
- This bill would give states money to record all interviews done during child abuse or neglect investigations. This includes talking to children and adults to find out if a crime happened.
- States that get these grants must keep the audio or video files for at least five years. This helps make sure there is an accurate record if someone questions what happened during the interview later on.
- The recordings are kept private and can only be shared with government agencies or with parents and guardians during a court case. There are penalties for anyone who shares these sensitive files without permission.
- The government would spend up to $30 million each year from 2026 through 2031 to pay for this program. This money helps states buy cameras or audio gear and pay for secure digital storage.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
GRACIE Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(4)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.