3200, Abuse and Neglect Reporting

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Revision 26-2; Effective Sept. 1, 2026

Grantees must obey state laws that govern the reporting of suspected abuse and neglect. Grantees must have written policies and procedures in place for the detection and appropriate reporting of abuse, neglect and exploitation of:

Grantees must provide annual training that includes the requirements outlined in the following sections:

  • Reporting an Emergency or Suspicion of Abuse
  • Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting, Compliance and Monitoring
  • Human Trafficking, and Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence.

Reporting an Emergency or Suspicion of Abuse

For cases that pose an immediate threat to a person, call 9-1-1 or the appropriate local law enforcement agency.

For situations that do not pose an immediate threat, or to report suspected abuse or neglect, grantees should use the secure Texas Abuse Hotline website or call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 800-252-5400.

3210 Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting, Compliance and Monitoring

Revision 26-2; Effective Sept. 1, 2026

A grantee’s policies must include:

  • How child abuse reporting requirements will be implemented throughout their agency, including how staff will be trained and how internal monitoring will be done to ensure timely reporting.
  • The requirement that medical professionals must make a report no later than 24 hours after first suspecting a child has been abused, neglected, or is a victim of an offense.
  • How to determine, document, report and track instances of sexual or non-sexual abuse or neglect for all children 17 years old and younger.

For more information on abuse and neglect reporting, refer to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website.

3220 Human Trafficking

Revision 26-2; Effective Sept. 1, 2026

Grantees must comply with all state and federal anti-trafficking laws. This includes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 116 and 301. These regulations require health practitioners to complete an HHSC-Approved Human Trafficking Course for every licensure renewal period.

Grantees must display signs about human trafficking in areas where clients and the public can easily see them. This includes lobbies, waiting rooms, front reception desks and locations where people apply for and receive services.

Grantees must have a written policy on human trafficking which includes:

  • the definition of human trafficking
  • how to identify possible situations of human trafficking
  • what to do and who to report to if human trafficking is suspected
  • mandatory reporting of suspected child human trafficking
  • victim support resources
  • annual staff training

References for human trafficking policy development:

3230 Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence

Revision 26-2; Effective Sept. 1, 2026

Intimate partner violence (IPV) includes physical, sexual or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse. Per Texas Human Resources Code, Chapter 51, family violence may also include emotional harm and threat of harm. This type of violence can exist regardless of the presence of sexual intimacy.

Grantees must comply with all requirements in Texas Family Code, Chapter 91 and have a written policy about the assessment and prevention of domestic violence and IPV. Clients who experience IPV are not required to submit information to verify income eligibility if doing so jeopardizes the client's safety or imposes a barrier to receiving services.

Any medical professional who treats a person for injuries they have reason to believe were caused by IPV is required to provide the person with the Notice to Victims on the HHSC Family Violence Program webpage.

More information and resources on IPV are on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Grantees can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. The hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provides interpretation services in over 200 languages.