Tex. Codes » Family Code · TITLE 5. THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AND THE SUIT AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP · SUBTITLE E. PROTECTION OF THE CHILD · CHAPTER 261. INVESTIGATION OF REPORT OF CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT
Texas Codes

Tex. Fam. Code § 261.103 (2026)

Report Made To Appropriate Agency

✓ current as of May 2026
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Sec. 261.103. REPORT MADE TO APPROPRIATE AGENCY.

(a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c) and Section 261.405, a report shall be made to:

(1) a law enforcement agency;

(2) the department; or

(3) the state agency that operates, licenses, certifies, or registers the facility in which the alleged abuse or neglect occurred.

(b) A report may be made to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department instead of the entities listed under Subsection (a) if the report is based on information provided by a child while under the supervision of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department concerning the child's alleged abuse of another child.

(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a report, other than a report under Subsection (a)(3) or Section 261.405, must be made to the department if the alleged or suspected abuse or neglect involves a person responsible for the care, custody, or welfare of the child.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 751, Sec. 89, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1477, Sec. 24, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1297, Sec. 46, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 213 (H.B. 1970), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 1.123, eff. April 2, 2015.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 734 (H.B. 1549), Sec. 80, eff. September 1, 2015.

Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1138 (S.B. 571), Sec. 1.31, eff. June 20, 2025.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1996–2024 · leading case: Golden Spread Council, Inc. 562 of the Boy Scouts of Am. v. Akins, 926 S.W.2d 287 (Tex. 1996).
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Golden Spread Council, Inc. 562 of the Boy Scouts of Am. v. Akins, 926 S.W.2d 287 (Tex. 1996). · cites it 2× “TEX. FAM. CODE § 261.103. A person who has cause to believe that a child may be subject to abuse or neglect and knowingly fails to report the situation to an appropriate authority commits a criminal offense, a class B misdemeanor.”
Johnson v. State, 926 S.W.2d 334 (Tex. App. 1996). · cites it 2× “02 is now encompassed in TEX. FAM.CODE ANN. § 261.103 (Vernon Pamph.”
Ayala v. Hous. Indep. Sch. Dist., 305 F. Supp. 3d 726 (S.D. Tex. 2018). “" See TEX. FAMILY CODE § 261.103(a)(1). It is undisputed that officers from HISD's police department instructed Rodriguez that she did not need to report the incident to Texas Child Protective Services.”
City of Waco v. Abbott, 223 S.W.3d 493 (Tex. App. 2006). “Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 261.103(a) (Vernon Supp.”
I. L. v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist. (5th Cir. 2019). · cites it 2× “See TEX. FAMILY CODE § 261.103(a)(1). In the end, the court reasoned, HISD’s decision to “rely on the investigative expertise of a law enforcement agency” by deferring to the investigation of its police department, rather than its own staff, is “not ‘clearly unreasonable’” where…”
Greg Abbott in His Off. Capacity as Governor of the State of Texas, Stephanie Muth in Her Off. Capacity of Comm'r of the Dep't of Fam. & Prot. Servs., & the Texas Dep't of Fam. & Prot. Servs. v. Jane Doe, Individually & as Parent & Next Friend of Mary Doe, a Minor John Doe, Individually & as Parent & Next Friend of Mary Doe, a Minor & Dr. Megan Mooney (Tex. App. 2024). · cites it 2× “Tex. Fam. Code § 261.103. The Department assesses “whether a report it receives is actually ‘a report of child abuse or neglect.”
Charles Lee Cunningham, III, & Karan Lozano v. Christi Lee Waymire, & Gary Michael Waymire, Individually & as Next Friend of Minor Child. MC & MC2 (Tex. App. 2019). “See Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 261.103 (c) (“[A] report .”
City of Waco, Texas v. Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas (Tex. App. 2006). “Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 261.103 (a) (Vernon Supp.”
City of Waco, Texas v. Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas (Tex. App. 2006). “Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 261.103 (a) (Vernon Supp.”
City of Waco, Texas v. Greg Abbott, Attorney Gen. of the State of Texas (Tex. App. 2006). “Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 261.103 (a) (Vernon Supp.”
Rainbow Cannell AKA Rainbow Conti v. State (Tex. App. 2013). “TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 261.103(a)(1–4) (West 2009).”
Tex. Fam. Code § 261.103(a): 2 cases
City of Waco v. Abbott, 223 S.W.3d 493 (Tex. App. 2006). “Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 261.103(a) (Vernon Supp.”
Rainbow Cannell AKA Rainbow Conti v. State (Tex. App. 2013). “TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 261.103(a)(1–4) (West 2009).”
Tex. Fam. Code § 261.103(a)(1): 2 cases
Ayala v. Hous. Indep. Sch. Dist., 305 F. Supp. 3d 726 (S.D. Tex. 2018). “" See TEX. FAMILY CODE § 261.103(a)(1). It is undisputed that officers from HISD's police department instructed Rodriguez that she did not need to report the incident to Texas Child Protective Services.”
I. L. v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist. (5th Cir. 2019). “See TEX. FAMILY CODE § 261.103(a)(1). In the end, the court reasoned, HISD’s decision to “rely on the investigative expertise of a law enforcement agency” by deferring to the investigation of its police department, rather than its own staff, is “not ‘clearly unreasonable’” where…”
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