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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to notification and disclosure of records and information |
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concerning an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect to |
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county or district attorneys. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 261.1055, Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 261.1055. NOTIFICATION AND RELEASE OF CERTAIN |
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INFORMATION TO COUNTY OR DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. (a) A county or |
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district attorney may inform the department that the county or |
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district attorney wishes to receive notification of some or all |
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reports of suspected abuse or neglect of children who were in the |
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county at the time the report was made or who were in the county at |
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the time of the alleged abuse or neglect. |
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(b) If the county or district attorney makes the |
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notification under Subsection (a) [this section], the department |
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shall, on receipt of a report of suspected abuse or neglect, |
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immediately notify the county or district attorney as requested and |
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the department shall forward a copy of the reports to the county or |
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district attorney on request. |
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(c) If the conduct that is the subject of an investigation |
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of abuse or neglect constitutes an offense against a child under one |
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of the following provisions of the Penal Code, on the arrest of a |
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person for the offense a county or district attorney may request a |
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copy of the report of the abuse or neglect investigation prepared by |
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the department under Section 261.308 and all available information |
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concerning the investigation: |
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(1) Section 19.02 (murder); |
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(2) Section 19.03 (capital murder); |
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(3) Section 19.04 (manslaughter); |
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(4) Section 20A.02(a)(7) or (8) (trafficking of |
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persons); |
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(5) Section 21.02 (continuous sexual abuse of young |
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child or disabled individual); |
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(6) Section 21.11 (indecency with a child); |
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(7) Section 22.011 (sexual assault); |
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(8) Section 22.02 (aggravated assault); |
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(9) Section 22.021 (aggravated sexual assault); |
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(10) Section 22.04 (injury to a child, elderly |
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individual, or disabled individual); |
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(11) Section 22.041 (abandoning or endangering a |
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child, elderly individual, or disabled individual); |
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(12) Section 25.02 (prohibited sexual conduct); |
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(13) Section 43.05(a)(2) (compelling prostitution); |
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(14) Section 43.25 (sexual performance by a child); or |
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(15) Section 43.26 (possession or promotion of child |
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pornography). |
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(d) If a county or district attorney makes a request under |
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Subsection (c), the department shall forward a copy of the |
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investigation report and any available information requested, |
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including information that is confidential under Section 261.201, |
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not later than the 30th day after the date of the request. |
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(e) The investigation report and information released by |
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the department to a county or district attorney under Subsection |
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(d) is not subject to public release by the county or district |
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attorney under Chapter 552, Government Code, and may only be |
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disclosed for purposes consistent with Articles 39.14, 39.15, and |
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39.151, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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