Children's Services, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to record, by audio recording or video recording, all interviews of children conducted by department employees as part of the department's investigation of claims of abuse or dependency and neglect. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 24; Title 37 and Title 38.

HB 1734 requires Tennessee's Department of Children's Services to record all interviews with children during investigations of alleged abuse, neglect, or dependency using audio or video. This applies to department employees conducting such interviews, with limited exceptions for technical issues or unforeseen circumstances that prevent recording. Recordings must be kept confidential under existing law, and the bill specifies that unrecorded interviews remain admissible as evidence in court. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and amends multiple Tennessee Code sections related to child welfare.