Effective September 1, 2023 Texas child abuse and neglect reporting authorities will no longer accept an anonymous report. 

Existing Texas Law

Every state in the United States has mandatory reporting requirements related to child abuse and neglect. Compared to other state reporting statutes, Texas reporting requirements are aggressive: 

  • All adults are mandatory reporters.
  • No professional privilege precludes making a report – including clergy privilege.
  • ‘Professionals’ may not delegate the obligation – reporting is a non-delegable duty.
  • Adult-to-adult disclosures of past sexual abuse are required if another child is currently at risk. 

Texas reporting requirements may be found in Chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code. 

New Texas Law 

Until recently, it was permissible for an individual in Texas to make an anonymous report of child abuse or neglect. As of September 1st anonymous reporting is no longer permitted. House Bill 63–signed into law on June 9, 2023– modifies Chapter 261.104 as follows: 

Section 261.104
(a) The individual making a report shall identify … 

(4) the individual’s name and telephone number; 

Section 261.104
(b) If the individual making a report of child abuse or neglect uses the toll-free telephone number the department operates for reporting child abuse or neglect and the individual is unwilling to provide the information described by Subsection (a)(4), the department representative receiving the report shall notify the individual that: 

(1) the department is not authorized to accept an anonymous report of abuse or neglect.

Best Practice 

It has always been best practice for any reporter of child abuse or neglect to provide identifying information allowing CPS or law enforcement to ask for follow-up information; now this best practice has become state law. 

This article is by Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris