BILL ANALYSIS
By: Thompson
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Human trafficking in Texas is growing exponentially every year. The victims of trafficking are typically young girls and women, many of whom are trafficked for the purposes of performing forced sexual services. House Bill 3377 aims to fill the information and outreach gap current Texas laws have for victims of human trafficking. The bill will require that those lodging establishments which have already been convicted of not abating a common nuisance as defined elsewhere as prostitution, promotion of prostitution or aggravated promotion of prostitution by the Penal Code, and who have already received a court-ordered bond to also post a sign on the notice of human trafficking offenses along with a victim's hotline number in the guest rooms of the establishment.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
This bill would amend Section 125.002 and Section125.045 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, by adding subsections in each section. These subsections require certain defendants required to execute bonds relating to certain common nuisance suits to, in each of the defendant's lodging units on the premises that are the subjects of the suits, provide notice of a telephone number of a nationally recognized information and referral hotline for victims of human trafficking.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.