Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Texas senators hear bill to require hospitals to report monthly child‑abuse referral data to HHSC
Summary
Senators discussed Senate Bill 128, which would require hospitals to submit monthly reports to the Health and Human Services Department on child‑abuse reports they originate, and heard testimony from DFPS and hospital advocates about data availability and implementation burdens. The committee left the bill pending after public testimony.
Senate Bill 128 would require hospitals to submit a monthly report to the Health and Human Services Department (HHSC) that lists the number of child‑abuse reports hospitals originate, whether parents or guardians were notified, diagnostic codes used, and a signed affidavit from the physician who made the report. The bill would also create an administrative penalty for late reports, deposit collected penalties into the commission's general revenue fund and require HHSC to report quarterly to the Legislature. Rulemaking authority would be granted to the HHSC executive commissioner.
Why it matters: Sponsors said the measure aims to create a transparent record showing how often hospital‑originated reports lead to child‑welfare…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
