1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the investigation and reporting of child abuse or

 1-3     neglect.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 261.101(b), Family Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           (b)  If a professional has cause to believe that a child has

 1-8     been or may be abused or neglected, the professional shall make a

 1-9     report not later than the 48th hour after the hour the professional

1-10     first suspects that the child has been or may be abused or

1-11     neglected.  A professional may not delegate to or rely on another

1-12     person to make the report.  In this subsection, "professional"

1-13     means an individual who is licensed or certified by the state or

1-14     who is an employee of a facility licensed, certified, or operated

1-15     by the state and who, in the normal course of official duties or

1-16     duties for which a license or certification is required, has direct

1-17     contact with children.  The term includes teachers, nurses,

1-18     doctors, [and] day-care employees, juvenile probation officers, and

1-19     juvenile detention or correctional officers.

1-20           SECTION 2.  Section 261.405, Family Code, is amended to read

1-21     as follows:

1-22           Sec. 261.405.  INVESTIGATIONS IN PRE-ADJUDICATION AND

1-23     POST-ADJUDICATION SECURE JUVENILE [COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION]

1-24     FACILITIES.  A report of alleged abuse or neglect in a public or

 2-1     private juvenile pre-adjudication secure detention facility,

 2-2     including hold-over facilities, or public or private [county]

 2-3     juvenile post-adjudication secure correctional [detention]

 2-4     facility, except for a facility operated solely for children

 2-5     committed to the Texas Youth Commission, shall be made to a local

 2-6     law enforcement agency for investigation.  The local law

 2-7     enforcement agency shall immediately notify the Texas Juvenile

 2-8     Probation Commission of any report the agency receives.

 2-9           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-10           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-11     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-12     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-13     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-14     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1929 was passed by the House on April

         18, 1997, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in

         Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1929 on May 8, 1997, by a non-record

         vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1929 was passed by the Senate, with

         amendments, on May 6, 1997, by a viva-voce vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor