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House narrows bill on recording child interviews to investigative settings
Summary
Lawmakers amended first substitute House Bill 54 to limit required audio/video recording to investigative interviews with children, encourage use of Children's Justice Centers or 'soft interview' rooms where available, and add time/date stamping; members voiced concerns about rural access and the fiscal note.
The Utah House on Feb. 20 amended first substitute House Bill 54, changing language so that audio or video recording is required for investigative interviews with children rather than for every interaction.
Representative Pace, who offered the substitute amendment, said the change narrows the requirement to "investigative interviews" to avoid turning on a recorder for every contact with a child and to preserve opportunities for caseworkers to build trust. "When you're dealing with children who have been abused, you really need to spend some time regaining their confidence in an adult," Pace said on the floor during debate. The amendment also encourages, where feasible, videotaping at Children's Justice Centers or similar "soft interview" rooms and asks that recorded interviews include a visible time and date at the outset.
Sponsor Representative Harper supported the change, calling Pace’s substitute "an even better" approach that responds to concerns voiced previously. Representative Mascaro and others praised the use of established Children's Justice Center equipment and practices to improve interview quality.
Several lawmakers raised practical concerns about implementation, particularly in rural areas that lack Children's Justice Centers. Representative Pace acknowledged there are remote regions where travel to a center could be difficult but said the narrower requirement would allow transporting children for investigative interviews or setting up appropriate spaces in DCFS facilities where needed. Representative Mascaro asked about the fiscal note; floor discussion indicated a revised fiscal note would be prepared to reflect equipment and staffing implications.
Representative Dougal brought the substitute motion to a vote after a series of floor exchanges; members approved the amendment and the bill was marked "amended" on the record. The transcript does not include a final, explicit floor vote tally for the bill's ultimate passage later in the day.
Supporters said the amendment balances evidentiary value and victim sensitivity; critics worried about funding and access in remote counties. Next procedural steps recorded in the session indicate the bill remains on the reading calendar for further action.
