Relating to: video monitoring or recording in residential care centers for children and youth, group homes, and shelter care facilities.

SB 485 allows residential care centers for children and youth, group homes, and shelter care facilities to use video surveillance in common areas, entrances, and exits without a child’s consent. Facilities must inform children and their parents/guardians about the monitoring and adopt written safety policies that may include video. The law prohibits using video as a substitute for one-on-one supervision of children at high risk for self-harm and requires all video data to remain confidential, with limited exceptions for department review. This directly affects staff and children in these facilities by standardizing monitoring practices while maintaining privacy protections.