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HB1734 • 2026

Children's Services, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 24; Title 37 and Title 38, relative to children.

Children
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Moody, White
Last action
2026-03-25
Official status
Taken off notice for cal. in Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Children's Services Recording Requirements

This bill requires the Tennessee Department of Children's Services to create a pilot program where they record audio interviews with children during abuse and neglect investigations.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the department to start a pilot program that records all child interviews conducted by case managers as part of abuse or neglect investigations.
  • Limits the recordings to only audio format, not video.
  • Allows for exceptions if the recording equipment fails or unforeseen circumstances prevent recording.
  • Requires the department to select one county in which to operate the pilot program.
  • Requires the department to report on the results of the pilot program by December 1, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Tennessee Department of Children's Services
  • Children who are interviewed as part of abuse and neglect investigations

Terms To Know

Pilot Program
A small-scale test run to see how well a new idea or process works before it is fully implemented.
Confidentiality
Keeping information private and not sharing it with people who are not supposed to know about it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is unclear how much funding will be needed beyond the initial $102,800 allocated in the first year.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to SB2402

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that requires the Department of Children's Services to create and operate a pilot program in one county where they record interviews with children during abuse or neglect investigations.

  • Requires the Department of Children's Services (DCS) to start a pilot program in one county for recording interviews with children as part of abuse or neglect investigations.
  • Specifies that recordings can be audio and allows exceptions if technical issues prevent recording or unforeseen circumstances occur.
  • States that failure to record an interview does not affect the admissibility of evidence from the interview.
  • The amendment does not specify which county will host the pilot program, leaving this decision up to DCS.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  2. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal. in Judiciary Committee

  3. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  4. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 28, Nays 0

  6. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0617)

  7. 2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/23/2026

  8. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  9. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  10. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  11. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  12. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  13. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/10/2026

  14. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026

  15. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/3/2026

  16. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/3/2026

  18. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  19. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  20. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  21. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee

  22. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  23. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  24. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2402, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:



Requires the
department
of children's services to
create a pilot program by which the department

records all interviews of children conducted by department case managers as part of the department's investigation of claims of abuse or neglect.



Requires the
department
to
select one county in which to operate the pilot program.



Removes that the recordings may be audio or video recordings, and authorizes, instead, only audio recordings.



Exempts an interview from the recording requirement
if
the
department case manager in good faith believe
d
the interview was being recorded and a technical issue with the equipment prevented the recording
.



Requires, by December 1, 2027, the department to submit a report to the senate judiciary committee and the committee of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over subject matters pertaining to children on the results of the pilot program
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2402
By White

HOUSE BILL 1734
By Moody
HB1734
011329
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10,
Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 24; Title 37 and Title 38,
relative to children.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37, Chapter 5, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) The department shall record all interviews of children conducted by
department employees as part of the department's investigation of claims of abuse or
dependency and neglect. The recording may be an audio recording or a video
recording.
(b) It is an exception to the requirement of subsection (a) that:
(1) The employee in good faith believed the interview was being
recorded, and a technical issue with the equipment prevented the recording; or
(2) Circumstances that could not have been reasonably foreseen
prevented the recording of the interview.
(c) The failure of the department to record an interview pursuant to subsection
(a) does not affect the admissibility into evidence of any child statement or other
evidence resulting from the interview.
(d) All audio or video recordings generated pursuant to this section are
confidential pursuant to § 37-5-107.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.