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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 to report child abuse |
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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 reasonable cause to believe that a |
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child has been abused or neglected or may be abused or neglected, or |
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that a child is a victim of an offense under Section 21.11, Penal |
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Code, and the professional has reasonable cause to believe that the |
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child has been abused as defined by Section 261.001, the |
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professional shall make a report not later than the 48th hour after |
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the hour the professional first has reasonable cause to believe |
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that the child has been or may be abused or neglected or is a victim |
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of an offense under Section 21.11, Penal Code. A professional may |
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not delegate to or rely on another person to make the report. In |
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this subsection, "professional": |
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(1) means: |
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(A) an individual who is licensed or certified by |
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the state or who is an employee of a facility licensed, certified, |
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or operated by the state and who, in the normal course of official |
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duties or duties for which a license or certification is required, |
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has direct contact with children; or |
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(B) an individual who: |
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(i) is a member of a board of directors, |
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board of trustees, or other governing body of a nonprofit |
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organization, religious organization or church, or school |
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district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school; and |
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(ii) in the normal course of official |
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duties, may receive reports regarding misconduct against children |
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by individuals employed by or otherwise affiliated with the entity |
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that the board or governing body manages; and |
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(2) [. 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. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |