Title HR, Human Resources Code

Sec. 48.004. RISK ASSESSMENT. The executive commissioner by rule shall develop and maintain risk assessment criteria for use by department personnel in determining whether an elderly person or person with a disability is in imminent risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation or in a…

Sec. 48.005. MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS. Notwithstanding Chapter 441, Government Code, or any other law, and subject to the availability of funds, the department shall maintain in an electronic format a summary of all records related to investigations of reports made under Section 48…

Sec. 48.006. COMMUNITY SATISFACTION SURVEY. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the department shall develop a community satisfaction survey that solicits information regarding the department's performance with respect to providing investigative and adult protective service…

Sec. 48.007. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING CERTAIN ABUSE, NEGLECT, OR EXPLOITATION INVESTIGATIONS. The commission, the department, the Department of Aging and Disability Services, the office of independent ombudsman for state supported living centers, and the commission's…

Sec. 48.051. REPORT. (a) Except as prescribed by Subsection (b), a person having cause to believe that an elderly person, a person with a disability, or an individual receiving services from a provider as described by Subchapter F is in the state of abuse, neglect, or exploitatio…

Sec. 48.052. FAILURE TO REPORT; PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person has cause to believe that an elderly person or person with a disability has been abused, neglected, or exploited or is in the state of abuse, neglect, or exploitation and knowingly fails to rep…

Sec. 48.053. FALSE REPORT; PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly or intentionally reports information as provided in this chapter that the person knows is false or lacks factual foundation. (b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. Add…

Sec. 48.054. IMMUNITY. (a) A person filing a report under this chapter or testifying or otherwise participating in any judicial proceeding arising from a petition, report, or investigation is immune from civil or criminal liability on account of his or her petition, report, testi…

Sec. 48.101. CONFIDENTIALITY AND DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION; AGENCY EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION. (a) The following information is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code: (1) a report of abuse, neglect, or exploitation made under this chapter; (2)…

Sec. 48.102. REPORTS OF INVESTIGATIONS IN SCHOOLS. (a) The department shall send a written report of the department's investigation of alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an adult with a disability at a school, as appropriate, to the Texas Education Agency, the agency resp…

Sec. 48.103. NOTIFICATION OF LICENSING OR CONTRACTING AGENCY. (a) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), on determining after an investigation that an elderly person or a person with a disability has been abused, exploited, or neglected by an employee of a home and commu…

Sec. 48.151. ACTION ON REPORT. (a) Not later than 24 hours after the department receives a report of an allegation of abuse, neglect, or exploitation under Section 48.051, the department shall initiate a prompt and thorough investigation as needed to evaluate the accuracy of the …

Sec. 48.152. INVESTIGATION. (a) An investigation by the department or a state agency shall include an interview with the elderly person or person with a disability, if appropriate, and with persons thought to have knowledge of the circumstances. If the elderly person or person wi…

Sec. 48.1521. INVESTIGATION OF COMPLEX CASES. (a) The department shall develop and implement a system to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, investigations conducted by the department that involve especially complex issues of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, such as iss…

Sec. 48.1522. REPORTS OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), if during the course of the department's or another state agency's investigation of reported abuse, neglect, or exploitation, including an investigation of reported abus…

Sec. 48.1523. MANAGEMENT REVIEW FOLLOWING CERTAIN INVESTIGATIONS. If the department receives and investigates a report made under Section 48.051, the subject of which is a person with respect to whom the department received and investigated two previous reports under that section…

Sec. 48.153. ACCESS TO INVESTIGATION. (a) To implement an investigation of reported abuse, neglect, or exploitation, the probate court, or the county court when no probate court exists, may authorize entry of the place of residence of the elderly person or person with a disabilit…

Sec. 48.154. ACCESS TO RECORDS OR DOCUMENTS. (a) The department or another state agency, as appropriate, shall have access to any records or documents, including client-identifying information, financial records, and medical and psychological records, necessary to the performance…

Sec. 48.155. INTERFERENCE WITH INVESTIGATION OR SERVICES PROHIBITED. (a) A person, including a guardian and notwithstanding Section 1151.001, Estates Code, may not interfere with: (1) an investigation by the department or by another protective services agency of alleged abuse, ne…

Sec. 48.156. AGENCY REPORTS. A protective services agency shall make reports relating to its provision of protective services as the department or a court may require. Added by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 584, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981. Amended by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p.…

Sec. 48.159. INTERNAL REVIEW OF DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION. The department shall establish procedures for conducting an internal review of completed investigations conducted by the department under this chapter to: (1) determine whether information obtained during the intake proces…

Sec. 48.201. APPLICATION OF SUBCHAPTER. Except as otherwise provided, this subchapter does not apply to an investigation conducted under Subchapter F. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 907, Sec. 21, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Se…

Sec. 48.202. SERVICE DETERMINATION BY DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY. (a) In an investigation the department or state agency, as appropriate, shall determine: (1) whether the person needs protective services from the department; (2) what services are needed; (3) whether services are availa…

Sec. 48.203. VOLUNTARY PROTECTIVE SERVICES. (a) An elderly person or person with a disability may receive voluntary protective services if the person requests or consents to receive those services. (b) The elderly person or person with a disability who receives protective service…

Sec. 48.204. AGENCY POWERS. A protective services agency may furnish protective services to an elderly person or person with a disability with the person's consent or to a relative or caretaker of the person on behalf of the person with the relative's or caregiver's consent or, i…

Sec. 48.205. PROVISION OF SERVICES. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the department shall provide direct protective services or contract with protective services agencies for the provision of those services. (b) The department shall use existing resources and services of…

Sec. 48.206. COST OF SERVICES. If the elderly person or person with a disability receiving the protective services is determined to be financially able to contribute to the payments for those services, the provider shall receive a reasonable reimbursement from the person's assets…

Sec. 48.207. OBJECTION TO MEDICAL TREATMENT. This chapter does not authorize or require any medical treatment of a person who objects on the grounds that he is an adherent or member of a recognized church or religious denomination the tenets and practice of which may include reli…

Sec. 48.208. EMERGENCY ORDER FOR PROTECTIVE SERVICES. (a) For purposes of this section, a person lacks the capacity to consent to receive protective services if, because of mental or physical impairment, the person is incapable of understanding the nature of the services offered …

Sec. 48.209. REFERRAL FOR GUARDIANSHIP SERVICES. (a) The department shall refer an individual to the Department of Aging and Disability Services for guardianship services under Subchapter E, Chapter 161, if the individual is: (1) a minor in the conservatorship of the department w…

Sec. 48.210. REPRESENTATION. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the prosecuting attorney representing the state in criminal cases in the county court shall represent the department in any proceeding under this chapter unless the representation would be a conflict of intere…

Sec. 48.211. REPORT TO GUARDIANSHIP COURT. If the elderly person or person with a disability has a guardian, a written notification of the findings of the investigation shall be sent to the court to which the guardian is accountable. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 907, Sec. 2…

Sec. 48.251. DEFINITIONS. (a) In this subchapter: (1) "Behavioral health services" means: (A) mental health services, as defined by Section 531.002, Health and Safety Code; and (B) interventions provided to treat chemical dependency, as defined by Section 461A.002, Health and Saf…

Sec. 48.252. INVESTIGATION OF REPORTS OF ABUSE, NEGLECT, OR EXPLOITATION BY PROVIDER. (a) Repealed by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 887 (H.B. 4696), Sec. 23(3), eff. September 1, 2023. (b) The department may not investigate under this subchapter reports of abuse, neglect, or ex…

Sec. 48.253. ACTION ON REPORT. (a) On receipt by the commission of a report of alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation under this subchapter, the commission shall initiate a prompt and thorough investigation as needed to evaluate the accuracy of the report and to assess the need …

Sec. 48.2535. FORWARDING CERTAIN REPORTS OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. On receipt by the department of a report of alleged abuse or exploitation under this subchapter that the department believes constitutes an offense under Section 32.55, Penal Code, the department sha…

Sec. 48.254. FORWARDING OF CERTAIN REPORTS. (a) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish procedures for the commission to use to forward a copy of the initial intake report and a copy of the completed provider investigation report relating to alleged or suspected abuse,…

Sec. 48.255. RULES FOR INVESTIGATIONS UNDER THIS SUBCHAPTER. (a) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to: (1) prioritize investigations conducted under this subchapter with the primary criterion being whether there is a risk that a delay in the investigation will impede t…

Sec. 48.256. SHARING PROVIDER INFORMATION. (a) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules that prescribe the appropriate manner in which managed care organizations provide the commission with information necessary to facilitate the: (1) identification of individuals receiving s…

Sec. 48.257. RETALIATION PROHIBITED. (a) A provider of home and community-based services may not retaliate against a person for filing a report or providing information in good faith relating to the possible abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an individual receiving services. (b)…

Sec. 48.258. TRACKING SYSTEM FOR REPORTS AND INVESTIGATIONS. (a) The commission shall develop and implement a system to track reports and investigations under this subchapter. (b) To facilitate implementation of the system, the commission shall use appropriate methods of measurin…

Sec. 48.301. INVESTIGATION OF REPORTS IN OTHER STATE FACILITIES. (a) If the department receives a report of suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability receiving services in a facility operated, licensed, certified, or registered b…

Sec. 48.302. APPROVAL OF RULES. The executive commissioner shall review and approve the rules required by Section 48.301(c) to ensure that all agencies implement appropriate standards for the conduct of investigations and that uniformity exists among agencies in the investigation…

Sec. 48.303. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. (a) The department shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with each state agency that operates, licenses, certifies, or registers a facility in which elderly persons or persons with disabilities are located that clarifies each age…

Sec. 48.304. STATISTICS. (a) A state agency that operates, licenses, certifies, or registers a facility in which elderly persons or persons with disabilities are located shall compile and maintain statistics on the incidence of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of elderly persons o…

Sec. 48.401. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Agency" means: (A) an entity licensed under Chapter 142, Health and Safety Code; (B) a person exempt from licensing under Section 142.003(a)(19) or (20), Health and Safety Code; (C) a facility licensed under Chapter 252, Health a…