By: Swanson, Noble, Hull, Oliverson, Klick H.B. No. 63
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to reports of child abuse or neglect and certain
  preliminary investigations of those reports.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 261.104, Family Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 261.104.  CONTENTS OF REPORT; NOTICE.  (a) The
  individual [person] making a report shall identify, if known:
               (1)  the name and address of the child;
               (2)  the name and address of the person responsible for
  the care, custody, or welfare of the child; [and]
               (3)  the facts that caused the individual to believe
  the child has been abused or neglected and the source of the
  information;
               (4)  the individual's name and telephone number;
               (5)  the individual's:
                     (A)  home address; or
                     (B)  if the individual is a professional as
  defined by Section 261.101(b), the individual's business address
  and profession; and
               (6)  any other pertinent information concerning the
  alleged or suspected abuse or neglect.
         (b)  If the individual making a report of child abuse or
  neglect uses the toll-free telephone number the department operates
  for reporting child abuse or neglect and the individual is
  unwilling to provide the information described by Subsection
  (a)(4), the department representative receiving the report shall
  notify the individual that:
               (1)  the department is not authorized to accept an
  anonymous report of abuse or neglect;
               (2)  the individual may report the abuse or neglect by
  making a report to any local or state law enforcement agency; and
               (3)  the identity of an individual making a report
  under this subchapter is confidential and may be disclosed only:
                     (A)  as provided by Section 261.201; or
                     (B)  to a law enforcement officer for the purposes
  of conducting a criminal investigation of the report.
         (c)  The department representative or other person receiving
  a report of child abuse or neglect shall use the person's best
  efforts to obtain the information described by Subsection (a).
         (d)  If a report of abuse or neglect is made orally, the
  department or local or state law enforcement agency receiving the
  report shall:
               (1)  notify the individual making the report that:
                     (A)  the report is being recorded; and 
                     (B)  making a false report is a criminal offense
  under Section 261.107 punishable as a state jail felony or a third
  degree felony; and
               (2)  make an audio recording of the report.
         SECTION 2.  Section 261.201, Family Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (m) and (n) to read as follows:
         (m)  An employee of the department may only have access to
  the identity of the person making a report of alleged or suspected
  abuse or neglect under this chapter if:
               (1)  the employee is directly involved with an
  investigation, case, or other process involving the child who is
  the subject of the report or the child's parent or other person
  having legal custody of the child;
               (2)  the employee supervises, directly or indirectly,
  an employee described by Subdivision (1); or
               (3)  the employee has any other legitimate professional
  interest in an investigation, case, or other process involving the
  child who is the subject of the report or the child's parent or
  other person having legal custody of the child that necessitates
  access to the identity of the person who made the report. 
         (n)  The department shall adopt rules to implement
  Subsection (m).
         SECTION 3.  Section 261.304(a), Family Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  If an individual makes [the department receives] an
  anonymous report of child abuse or neglect by a person responsible
  for a child's care, custody, or welfare to a local or state law
  enforcement agency and the agency refers the report to the
  department, the department shall conduct a preliminary
  investigation to determine whether there is any evidence to
  corroborate the report.
         SECTION 4.  Section 261.307, Family Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  Before taking any action under Section 261.304, a
  department representative must provide to a parent or other person
  having legal custody of a child who is under investigation:
               (1)  information regarding the representative's
  identity;
               (2)  the summary described by Subsection (a)(1); and 
               (3)  a reasonable amount of time to read or review the
  summary. 
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.