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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of an education-based program to |
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prevent medical child abuse through standardized training for |
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medical students, healthcare professionals, and child protective |
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services caseworkers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter X to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER X. MEDICAL CHILD ABUSE EDUCATION PROGRAM |
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Sec. 531.981. SHORT TITLE. This subchapter may be cited as |
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"Alyssa's Law." |
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Sec. 531.982. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Medical child abuse" means the intentional |
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misrepresentation, fabrication, exaggeration, or induction of |
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illness or medical symptoms in a child by a parent or caregiver, |
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leading to unnecessary medical treatment, interventions, or harm. |
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(2) "Medical child abuse prevention training" means |
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standardized education designed to help medical professionals and |
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child protective services workers identify, report, and prevent |
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medical child abuse while ensuring due process in investigations. |
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Sec. 531.983. ESTABLISHMENT OF MEDICAL CHILD ABUSE |
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EDUCATION PROGRAM. |
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(a) Not later than September 1, 2027, the commission, in |
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collaboration with the Texas Medical Board, the Department of |
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Family and Protective Services, and accredited healthcare |
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institutions, using existing resources, grants, and programs to the |
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extent possible, shall establish and administer a program to: |
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(1) define and identify medical child abuse based on |
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clinical, behavioral, and legal standards; |
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(2) train medical students, licensed healthcare |
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professionals, and child protective services (CPS) caseworkers to |
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recognize and respond to medical child abuse cases; |
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(3) implement standardized training protocols for medical |
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schools, hospitals, and social services agencies; |
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(4) develop continuing education modules for medical |
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professionals and child welfare personnel; |
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(5) ensure that training programs incorporate best |
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practices for thorough case evaluation before CPS intervention; and |
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(6) promote collaboration between CPS caseworkers and |
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medical professionals to improve accuracy in identifying medical |
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child abuse. |
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(b) The program must ensure that all training modules |
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reflect: |
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(1) the clinical indicators of medical child abuse; |
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(2) the distinction between legitimate medical conditions |
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and fabricated illness claims; |
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(3) the ethical and legal considerations in child abuse |
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reporting; |
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(4) best practices for peer review and medical consultation |
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before CPS intervention; and |
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(5) procedures for multidisciplinary case review to ensure |
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investigative accuracy. |
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Sec. 531.984. INTEGRATION INTO MEDICAL AND PROFESSIONAL |
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TRAINING. |
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(a) Texas medical schools shall integrate medical child |
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abuse education into their curricula as part of students' |
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professional training. |
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(b) The Texas Medical Board, in consultation with the |
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commission and the Department of Family and Protective Services, |
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shall require continuing medical education requirements that |
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include: |
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(1) identifying and preventing medical child abuse; |
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(2) recognizing patterns of falsified symptoms and |
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unnecessary medical procedures; |
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(3) distinguishing true medical concerns from fabricated |
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abuse allegations; and |
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(4) legal responsibilities for reporting suspected cases. |
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(c) The Department of Family and Protective Services shall |
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ensure that CPS investigators and caseworkers receive annual |
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training on: |
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(1) investigative protocols for suspected medical child |
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abuse; |
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(2) how to collaborate with medical professionals before |
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taking legal action; and |
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(3) the role of peer-reviewed medical assessments in |
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child abuse cases. |
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Sec. 531.985. IMPLEMENTATION AND OVERSIGHT. |
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(a) The commission, in collaboration with the Texas Medical |
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Board and the Department of Family and Protective Services, shall |
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oversee the development and implementation of the medical child |
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abuse education program under this subchapter. |
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(b) The program must be made accessible to all medical |
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students, healthcare professionals, and child protective services |
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caseworkers as part of their required training and continuing |
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education. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |