GRACIE Act of 2026

The Generate Recordings of All Child protective Interviews Everywhere (GRACIE) Act of 2026 aims to improve the accuracy and accountability of child welfare investigations. The bill would establish a federal program within the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to states that voluntarily choose to require digital recordings of Child Protective Services (CPS) interviews. These funds would be used to cover the costs of recording equipment and the secure storage of these digital files for at least five years.

Supporters of the legislation argue that relying on handwritten notes from initial interviews can lead to inaccuracies that either harm families through false accusations or allow abusers to escape prosecution due to a lack of evidence. By creating a digital record, the bill proposes to protect children from the trauma of repeated interviews and ensure the justice system has reliable evidence. The bill does not mandate that states record interviews; instead, it offers financial support only to those states that implement their own recording requirements.