Video monitoring or recording in residential care centers for children and youth, group homes, and shelter care facilities

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill authorizes group homes, shelter care facilities, and child welfare agencies that operate a residential care center for children and youth to use video surveillance and recordings in common areas, entrances, and exits without the consent of the child being surveilled or recorded, but must inform the child and the child's parent, guardian, legal custodian, or Indian custodian about the video surveillance and recording. The bill requires all child welfare agencies that operate a residential care center for children and youth, all group homes, and all shelter care facilities to adopt a policy for monitoring safety, which may include the use of video surveillance and recording in common areas, entrances, and exits. The bill provides that the video surveillance and recording authorized under the bill may not be used as a substitute for one-on-one monitoring of a child who is at high risk for self-harm.

The bill provides that, generally, such video data is confidential and not open to public inspection. However, the bill provides that all exceptions to confidentiality that apply under current law with respect to records and information kept by DCF, county departments of human or social services, licensed child welfare agencies, and licensed child care centers about individuals in their care or legal custody also apply to this video data. Under the bill, DCF may review any authorized video recording.

Who's behind it

9 representatives are its authors⁠. All 9 are Republicans.

2 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.