Bill Text: TX HB5607 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced

Texas House Bill 5607

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to establishing a procedure for the Department of Family and Protective Services to respond to and issue findings on reports of abuse or neglect made by certain professionals.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-04-07 - Referred to Human Services [HB5607 Detail]

Download: Texas-2025-HB5607-Introduced.html

	89R15504 MM-D

	By: Meyer	H.B. No. 5607



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to establishing a procedure for the Department of Family
	and Protective Services to respond to and issue findings on reports
	of abuse or neglect made by certain professionals.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 261, Family Code, is
	amended by adding Section 261.1012 to read as follows:
	Sec. 261.1012. ENHANCED DEPARTMENT RESPONSE TO REPORT BY
	PROFESSIONAL. The department shall establish a procedure for
	enhanced response to a report of abuse or neglect made by a
	professional under Section 261.101. The procedure must require:
	(1) the department to contact the professional who
	made the report of abuse or neglect by phone as soon as practicable
	after receiving the report and before initiating an investigation;
	(2) the department employee who contacts the
	professional under Subdivision (1) to gather additional
	information to inform the initiation of the investigation and
	investigational procedures;
	(3) the department to notify the professional who made
	the report of abuse or neglect of the department's findings and
	decision regarding any investigation resulting from the report;
	(4) the department to establish a process to allow a
	professional who receives information under Subdivision (3) to
	request an administrative review of the department's investigation
	if the professional believes the investigation was not conducted
	appropriately based on the allegation; and
	(5) the department to automatically dispose of a case
	with a finding of reason to believe that abuse or neglect occurred
	if the professional's report on which the department's
	investigation is based includes evidence that the person who is the
	subject of the investigation disclosed to the professional that the
	person abused or neglected the child who is the subject of the
	professional's report.
	SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
	a report of suspected abuse or neglect of a child that is made on or
	after the effective date of this Act. A report of suspected abuse
	or neglect that is made before that date is governed by the law in
	effect on the date the report was made, and that law is continued in
	effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.