87(1) SB 70 - Introduced version - Bill Text
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
relating to the definition of abuse of a child.
 
             BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 
             SECTION  1.    Section 261.001(1), Family Code, as amended by
 
H.B. No. 375 and H.B. No. 1540, Acts of the 87th Legislature,
 
Regular Session, 2021, as effective September 1, 2021, is reenacted
 
and amended to read as follows:
 
                         (1)    "Abuse":
 
                                     (A)    includes the following acts or omissions by a
 
person:
 
                                                 (i)  [(A) ]    mental or emotional injury to a
 
child that results in an observable and material impairment in the
 
child's growth, development, or psychological functioning;
 
                                                 (ii)  [(B) ]    causing or permitting the child
 
to be in a situation in which the child sustains a mental or
 
emotional injury that results in an observable and material
 
impairment in the child's growth, development, or psychological
 
functioning;
 
                                                 (iii)  [(C) ]    physical injury that results in
 
substantial harm to the child, or the genuine threat of substantial
 
harm from physical injury to the child, including an injury that is
 
at variance with the history or explanation given and excluding an
 
accident or reasonable discipline by a parent, guardian, or
 
managing or possessory conservator that does not expose the child
 
to a substantial risk of harm;
 
                                                 (iv)  [(D) ]    failure to make a reasonable
 
effort to prevent an action by another person that results in
 
physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child;
 
                                                 (v)  [(E) ]    sexual conduct harmful to a
 
child's mental, emotional, or physical welfare, including conduct
 
that constitutes the offense of continuous sexual abuse of young
 
child or disabled individual under Section 21.02, Penal Code,
 
indecency with a child under Section 21.11, Penal Code, sexual
 
assault under Section 22.011, Penal Code, or aggravated sexual
 
assault under Section 22.021, Penal Code;
 
                                                 (vi)  [(F) ]    failure to make a reasonable
 
effort to prevent sexual conduct harmful to a child;
 
                                                 (vii)  [(G) ]    compelling or encouraging the
 
child to engage in sexual conduct as defined by Section 43.01, Penal
 
Code, including compelling or encouraging the child in a manner
 
that constitutes an offense of trafficking of persons under Section
 
20A.02(a)(7) or (8), Penal Code, solicitation of prostitution under
 
Section 43.021, Penal Code, or compelling prostitution under
 
Section 43.05(a)(2), Penal Code;
 
                                                 (viii)  [(H) ]    causing, permitting,
 
encouraging, engaging in, or allowing the photographing, filming,
 
or depicting of the child if the person knew or should have known
 
that the resulting photograph, film, or depiction of the child is
 
obscene as defined by Section 43.21, Penal Code, or pornographic;
 
                                                 (ix)  [(I) ]    the current use by a person of a
 
controlled substance as defined by Chapter 481, Health and Safety
 
Code, in a manner or to the extent that the use results in physical,
 
mental, or emotional injury to a child;
 
                                                 (x)  [(J) ]    causing, expressly permitting,
 
or encouraging a child to use a controlled substance as defined by
 
Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code;
 
                                                 (xi)  [(K) ]    causing, permitting,
 
encouraging, engaging in, or allowing a sexual performance by a
 
child as defined by Section 43.25, Penal Code;
 
                                                 (xii)  [(L) ]    knowingly causing, permitting,
 
encouraging, engaging in, or allowing a child to be trafficked in a
 
manner punishable as an offense under Section 20A.02(a)(5), (6),
 
(7), or (8), Penal Code, or the failure to make a reasonable effort
 
to prevent a child from being trafficked in a manner punishable as
 
an offense under any of those sections; [or ]
 
                                                 (xiii)  [(M) ]    forcing or coercing a child to
 
enter into a marriage;
 
                                                 (xiv)     administering or supplying, or
 
consenting to or assisting in the administration or supply of, a
 
puberty suppression prescription drug or cross-sex hormone to a
 
child, other than an intersex child, for the purpose of gender
 
transitioning or gender reassignment; or