CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — State House Bill 63 went into effect September 1 stating that anyone making an abuse report to child protective services is required to give their name, phone number, and address.
The Ark is a local shelter that works with abused or neglected children.
Delma Trejo, executive director of The Ark, said this new law raises concerns.
"I think it is going to be difficult, because some people do not like giving their names out, depending on your profession like us here," Trejo said. " We have always given our name because it is part of the requirement, but if you get relatives or you get neighbors they are going to be hesitant," Trejo said.
This bill is supposed to reduce the amount of false child abuse reports made to the state every year.
Trejo said this might discourage people from filing a report.
"I would rather get a false report than no report at all. I think that is something everybody would agree with, I would rather go in and investigate it than not have it investigated at all," Trejo said.
According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in 2021, there were over 7,000 confirmed allegations of physical abuse.
The bill comes in hopes of reducing the workload of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
"More children are going to get hurt and it is going to break their hearts because they are going to have to give their names because they do not want to get involved like that a lot of people do not want to get involved," Trejo said.
The identity of the caller will remain confidential to everyone except authorities.
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