§ 261.310 Investigation Standards

Official text ↗

(a)The executive commissioner shall by rule develop and adopt standards for persons who investigate suspected child abuse or neglect at the state or local level. The standards shall encourage professionalism and consistency in the investigation of suspected child abuse or neglect.
(b)The standards must provide for a minimum number of hours of annual professional training for interviewers and investigators of suspected child abuse or neglect.
(c)Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 944 , Sec. 86(10), eff. September 1, 2015.
(d)The standards shall:
(1)recommend that videotaped and audiotaped interviews be uninterrupted;
(2)recommend a maximum number of interviews with and examinations of a suspected victim;
(3)provide procedures to preserve evidence, including the original recordings of the intake telephone calls, original notes, videotapes, and audiotapes, for one year; and
(4)provide that an investigator of suspected child abuse or neglect make a reasonable effort to locate and inform each parent of a child of any report of abuse or neglect relating to the child.
(e)The department, in conjunction with the Department of Public Safety, shall provide to the department’s residential child-care facility licensing investigators advanced training in investigative protocols and techniques.

Legislative history

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 268 (S.B. 6), Sec. 1.27, eff. September 1, 2005. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 1.139, eff. April 2, 2015. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 944 (S.B. 206), Sec. 86(10), eff. September 1, 2015.

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