Tex. Education Code § 38.004
This is the official text of Tex. Education Code § 38.004, part of Texas’s Education Code — governs public schools and universities in Texas.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 38.004. CHILD ABUSE REPORTING AND PROGRAMS.
Official statutory text
(a) The agency shall develop a policy governing the reports of child abuse or neglect, including reports related to the trafficking of a child under Section 20A.02(a)(5), (6), (7), or (8), Penal Code, as required by Chapter 261, Family Code, for school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and their employees. The policy must provide for cooperation with law enforcement child abuse investigations without the consent of the child's parents if necessary, including investigations by the Department of Family and Protective Services. The policy must require each school district and open-enrollment charter school employee to report child abuse or neglect, including the trafficking of a child under Section 20A.02(a)(5) or (7), Penal Code, in the manner required by Chapter 261, Family Code. Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt the policy.
(a-1) The agency shall:
(1) maintain on the agency Internet website a list of links to websites that provide information regarding the prevention of child abuse; and
(2) develop and periodically update a training program on prevention of child abuse that a school district may use for staff development.
(b) Each school district shall provide child abuse antivictimization programs in elementary and secondary schools.
(a-1) The agency shall:
(1) maintain on the agency Internet website a list of links to websites that provide information regarding the prevention of child abuse; and
(2) develop and periodically update a training program on prevention of child abuse that a school district may use for staff development.
(b) Each school district shall provide child abuse antivictimization programs in elementary and secondary schools.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Texas?
Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.