The GRACIE Act establishes a federal grant program through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to support states that require recording all child protective services interviews. To be eligible, states must have laws or policies mandating that child welfare agencies record interviews with children and adults about suspected abuse, neglect, or violence exposure—using audio, video, or other recording methods—and retain these recordings for at least five years with secure storage and access controls. Grant funding can only be used for the direct costs of recording and storing these interviews. The legislation specifies that recordings can be released only to investigators unless a caregiver or guardian requests them for a court proceeding, in which case they must be provided unless a judge orders otherwise, with penalties for violations. The bill does not authorize new funding; instead, the Director will use money already available within the agency to administer the grant program.
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