BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1041
81R28614 KKA-F By: Parker (West)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In 2008, 78 percent of clients of the Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC) of Texas, Inc., were involved in sexual abuse cases. Ninety-eight percent of the victims served by a CAC last year knew their perpetrator. Training more people to identify the signs of child sexual abuse and to prevent further child sexual abuse from occurring better equips Texans to tackle the problem. Teachers and school personnel, as well as parents, interact with children daily in school districts throughout Texas and they should be equipped with the latest tools and information necessary to combat this problem.
H.B. 1041 requires each school district to adopt and implement a policy addressing sexual abuse of children to be included in the district improvement plan. This bill requires that the policy address methods for increasing teacher, student, and parent awareness of issues regarding sexual abuse of children, including knowledge of likely warning signs indicating that a child may be a victim of sexual abuse.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, by adding Section 38.0041, as follows:
Sec. 38.0041. POLICIES ADDRESSING SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN. (a) Requires each school district to adopt and implement a policy addressing sexual abuse of children to be included in the district improvement plan under Section 11.252 (District-Level Planning and Decision-Making).
(b) Requires that a policy required by this section address methods for increasing teacher, student, and parent awareness of issues regarding sexual abuse of children, including knowledge of likely warning signs indicating that a child may be a victim of sexual abuse, using resources developed by the Texas Education Agency under Section 38.004 (Child Abuse Reporting and Programs); actions that a child who is a victim of sexual abuse should take to obtain assistance and intervention; and available counseling options for students affected by sexual abuse.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.