BILL ANALYSIS |
C.S.H.B. 747 |
By: Raymond |
Human Services |
Committee Report (Substituted) |
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current state law mandates that various professionals and employees of certain state-regulated facilities who, in the normal course of official duties, have direct contact with children report suspected child abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse within 48 hours. There is concern that this reporting timeline is not sufficient. C.S.H.B. 747 seeks to ensure the protection of children by revising certain child abuse and neglect reporting requirements.
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RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
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ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 747 amends the Family Code to require a professional who has cause to believe that a child has been abused or neglected or may be abused or neglected, or that a child is a victim of an offense of indecency with a child, and who has cause to believe that the child has been abused as provided by statutory provisions relating to investigations of reports of child abuse or neglect, to immediately make a report of suspected child abuse or neglect, rather than make such a report not later than the 48th hour after the hour the professional first suspects the abuse or neglect.
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EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2013.
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COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 747 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and highlighted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
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