Mandated Reporter Statutes in Texas

Discussion
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Subject and Section
Professor’s Name
March 6, 2020
It is a well-known fact that the primary role of healthcare professionals is not limited to the provision of medical care but also the assurance of the overall safety and well-being of society. In line with this, both federal and state laws have been created to mandate health providers to assume an active role in this goal. Accordingly, this paper focuses on the state of Mandated Report statutes in the State of Texas in the United States. Chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code mandates healthcare professionals to report any signs of child abuse, even in the absence of absolute certainty. In the succeeding sections of this paper, the author would discuss the procedures regarding the reporting systems in the said state. This includes the burden of evidence, processes, and other pertinent circumstances that a healthcare professional must know to be an effective mandated reporter. All in all, the author believes that by discussing these pertinent procedures surrounding the roles of healthcare mandated reporters, the cases of child abuse can be reduced significantly.
Reporting the Incident
As stated earlier, the Family Code of Texas broadens the powers of healthcare professionals when it comes to curtailing child abuse rates in the State. In line with this, the Section 21.11 of the Texan Penal Code provides that healthcare professionals must report any signs of child abuse to the authorities within forty-eight (48) hours after their discovery (DFPS.Tx.US, n.d.). The said report must be made in such a time frame, not only to protect the child as soon as possible, but also to be able to ensure that pieces of evidence that show abuse, trauma, and the like are checked and kept on record as soon as possibl...