(a) A person may not interfere with an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect conducted by the department.
(b) If admission to the home, school, or any place where the child may be cannot be obtained, the court having family law jurisdiction shall order the parent, the person responsible for the care of the children, or the person in charge of any place where the child may be to allow entrance for the interview, examination, and investigation if the court:
(1) has good cause to believe that the child is in imminent danger of being subjected to aggravated circumstances as described by § 262.2015(b); or
(2) has probable cause to believe that admission is necessary to protect the child from abuse or neglect not described by Subdivision (1).

Terms Used In Texas Family Code 261.303

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.

(c) If a parent or person responsible for the child’s care does not consent to release of the child’s prior medical, psychological, or psychiatric records or to a medical, psychological, or psychiatric examination of the child that is requested by the department, and if the court having family law jurisdiction has probable cause to believe that releasing the records or conducting an examination of the child is necessary to protect the child from abuse or neglect, then the court shall order the records to be released or the examination to be made at the times and places designated by the court.
(d) A person, including a medical facility, that makes a report under Subchapter B shall release to the department, as part of the required report under § 261.103, records that directly relate to the suspected abuse or neglect without requiring parental consent or a court order. If a child is transferred from a reporting medical facility to another medical facility to treat the injury or condition that formed the basis for the original report, the transferee medical facility shall, at the department’s request, release to the department records relating to the injury or condition without requiring parental consent or a court order.
(e) A person, including a utility company, that has confidential locating or identifying information regarding a family that is the subject of an investigation under this chapter shall release that information to the department on request. The release of information to the department as required by this subsection by a person, including a utility company, is not subject to § 552.352, Government Code, or any other law providing liability for the release of confidential information.
(f) A hearing for an order under this section may not be ex parte unless the court has probable cause to believe there is no time, consistent with the physical health or safety of the child, for a full hearing.
(g) A court order described by Subsection (b) or (c) must include the court’s findings regarding the sufficiency of evidence supporting the order.
(h) On request of a party to the suit, the court shall provide a copy of an order rendered under this section to the party.

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