Florida Senate - 2025 SB 682 By Senator Rodriguez 40-01170A-25 2025682__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the recording of protective 3 investigations; amending s. 39.301, F.S.; requiring 4 that certain interviews be audio and video recorded; 5 providing exceptions; providing that a person charged 6 with a certain criminal offense does not have standing 7 to object to an investigator’s failure to record such 8 an interview; providing that an investigator’s failure 9 to record such an interview is not grounds for 10 precluding certain statements from certain 11 proceedings; providing an effective date. 12 13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14 15 Section 1. Subsection (25) is added to section 39.301, 16 Florida Statutes, to read: 17 39.301 Initiation of protective investigations.— 18 (25)(a) Any interview conducted pursuant to this section 19 must be audio and video recorded except in the following 20 circumstances: 21 1. The recording equipment malfunctions, and the 22 malfunction is not the result of a failure to maintain the 23 equipment properly or to provide adequate supplies for the 24 equipment. 25 2. Due to circumstances that could not reasonably be 26 foreseen by the investigator, he or she does not have the 27 necessary recording equipment available. 28 (b) A person who is charged with a criminal offense 29 involving the abuse or neglect of a child does not have standing 30 to object to an investigator’s failure to comply with paragraph 31 (a). An investigator’s failure to comply with paragraph (a) is 32 not grounds for precluding any statements made during an 33 interview which are otherwise admissible in a legal proceeding, 34 including a criminal or dependency proceeding. 35 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.