Texas bill barring anonymous reporting of Texas child abuse heads to Gov. Greg Abbott
In an attempt to weed out false reports of child abuse, the Texas Legislature has approved a bill that would bar Texans from making child abuse reports anonymously.
House Bill 63, authored by state Rep. Valoree Swanson, R-Spring, was approved without discussion by the Texas Senate on Tuesday, 20-11. The vote came almost a month after it passed the House and now goes to Gov. Greg Abbott for his consideration.
If it becomes law, the bill is the latest measure to not only reduce the workload volume of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, it marks a sea change in the way Texas alerts officials to potential child abuse.
Currently, anyone can call DFPS’ child abuse hotline — 800-252-5400 — or file a report online to notify investigators of potential neglect or abuse of a child and do so anonymously. A child abuse investigator will then follow up on that tip and conduct a preliminary investigation. If the investigator finds no collaborating evidence, the report is considered unfounded and no other action is taken.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/18/texas-legislature-child-abuse-reports/