HB 348: "An Act requiring that all official interviews with children who are alleged to have been abused or neglected be videotaped or audiotaped."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 348 01 "An Act requiring that all official interviews with children who are alleged to 02 have been abused or neglected be videotaped or audiotaped." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 47.17.027(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) If the department or a law enforcement agency provides written 06 certification to the child's school officials that (1) there is reasonable cause to suspect 07 that the child has been abused or neglected by a person responsible for the child's 08 welfare or as a result of conditions created by a person responsible for the child's 09 welfare; (2) an interview at school is a necessary part of an investigation to determine 10 whether the child has been abused or neglected; and (3) the interview at school is in 11 the best interests of the child, school officials shall permit the child to be interviewed 12 at school by the department or a law enforcement agency before notification of, or 13 receiving permission from, the child's parent, guardian, or custodian. A school official 14 shall be present during an interview at the school unless the child objects or the
01 department or law enforcement agency determines that the presence of the school 02 official will interfere with the investigation. The interview shall be videotaped or 03 audiotaped as required by AS 47.17.035. Immediately after conducting an interview 04 authorized under this section, and after informing the child of the intention to notify 05 the child's parent, guardian, or custodian, the department or agency shall make every 06 reasonable effort to notify the child's parent, guardian, or custodian that the interview 07 occurred unless it appears to the department or agency that notifying the child's parent, 08 guardian, or custodian would endanger the child. 09 * Sec. 2. AS 47.17 is amended by adding a new section to read: 10 Sec. 47.17.035. VIDEOTAPING OR AUDIOTAPING OF INTERVIEWS. 11 Upon receiving a report that a child has been abused or neglected, an officer, 12 employee, or agent of the department, a local government health or social services 13 agency, a law enforcement agency, or another state or local government agency or unit 14 may not interview the child concerning the alleged abuse or neglect unless the initial 15 interview and each subsequent interview is videotaped. If videotaping of the initial 16 interview or a subsequent interview is impractical, the interview shall be audiotaped.