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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the duty of certain professionals, including employees |
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of public or private institutions of higher education, to report |
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child abuse or neglect. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 261.101(b), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) If a professional has cause to believe that a child has |
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been abused or neglected or may be abused or neglected, or that a |
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child is a victim of an offense under Section 21.11, Penal Code, and |
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the professional has cause to believe that the child has been abused |
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as defined by Section 261.001 or 261.401, the professional shall |
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make a report not later than the 24th [48th] hour after the hour the |
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professional first suspects that the child has been or may be abused |
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or neglected or is a victim of an offense under Section 21.11, Penal |
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Code. A professional may not delegate to or rely on another person |
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to make the report. In this subsection, "professional" means an |
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individual who: |
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(1) is licensed or certified by the state or who is an |
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employee of a facility licensed, certified, or operated by the |
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state and who, in the normal course of official duties or duties for |
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which a license or certification is required, has direct contact |
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with children. The term includes teachers, nurses, doctors, |
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day-care employees, employees of a clinic or health care facility |
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that provides reproductive services, juvenile probation officers, |
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and juvenile detention or correctional officers; or |
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(2) is an employee of an institution of higher |
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education or a private or independent institution of higher |
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education, as those terms are defined by Section 61.003, Education |
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Code. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |