Texas Family Code 264.403 – Interagency Memorandum of Understanding
(a) A center shall enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding participation in the multidisciplinary team response under § 264.406. The center and each of the following agencies must execute the memorandum of understanding:
(1) the department responsible for child abuse and neglect investigations;
(2) each county and municipal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction to investigate child abuse and neglect in the area to be served by the center; and
(3) each county or district attorney with jurisdiction to prosecute child abuse and neglect cases in the area to be served by the center.
(b) A memorandum of understanding executed under this section shall include the agreement of each participating agency to cooperate in:
(1) minimizing the revictimization of alleged abuse and neglect victims and nonoffending family members through the investigation, assessment, intervention, and prosecution processes; and
(2) maintaining a cooperative team approach to facilitate successful outcomes in the criminal justice and child protection systems through shared fact-finding and strong, collaborative case development.
Terms Used In Texas Family Code 264.403
- 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.
- Justice: when applied to a magistrate, means justice of the peace. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
(c) The memorandum of understanding must be reexecuted:
(1) at least every three years;
(2) on a significant change to the memorandum of understanding; or
(3) on a change of a signatory of a participating agency.