81R1962 GCB-D
 
  By: Thompson H.B. No. 639
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the prosecution, punishment, and prevention of offenses
  involving trafficking of persons or certain forced or sex-based
  labor or services, law enforcement training relating to the
  trafficking of persons, and the creation of the trafficking of
  persons investigation and prosecution account in the general
  revenue fund.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 402.035 to read as follows:
         Sec. 402.035.  HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION TASK FORCE. (a)
  In this section, "task force" means the human trafficking
  prevention task force.
         (b)  The office of the attorney general shall establish the
  human trafficking prevention task force to develop policies and
  procedures to assist in the prevention and prosecution of human
  trafficking crimes.
         (c)  The task force is composed of the following:
               (1)  the attorney general or the attorney general's
  designee;
               (2)  the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
  Services Commission or the executive commissioner's designee;
               (3)  the commissioner of the Department of Family and
  Protective Services or the commissioner's designee;
               (4)  the public safety director of the Department of
  Public Safety or the director's designee; and
               (5)  as appointed by the attorney general:
                     (A)  a public defender, as defined by Article
  26.044, Code of Criminal Procedure;
                     (B)  an attorney representing the state;
                     (C)  representatives of local law enforcement
  agencies affected by human trafficking; and
                     (D)  representatives of nongovernmental entities
  making comprehensive efforts to combat human trafficking by:
                           (i)  identifying human trafficking victims;
                           (ii)  providing legal or other services to
  human trafficking victims;
                           (iii)  participating in community outreach
  or public awareness efforts regarding human trafficking;
                           (iv)  providing or developing training
  regarding the prevention of human trafficking; or
                           (v)  engaging in other activities designed
  to prevent human trafficking.
         (d)  The task force shall:
               (1)  collaborate with United States attorneys for the
  districts of Texas and special agents, customs and border
  protection officers, and border patrol agents of the United States
  Department of Homeland Security as needed to fulfill the duties of
  the task force;
               (2)  collect and organize data on the nature and extent
  of human trafficking in Texas;
               (3)  develop and conduct training for law enforcement
  personnel and victim service providers to identify victims of human
  trafficking;
               (4)  on the request of a judge of a county court, county
  court at law, or district court or a county attorney, district
  attorney, or criminal district attorney, assist and train the judge
  or the judge's staff or the attorney or the attorney's staff in the
  recognition and prevention of human trafficking;
               (5)  examine training protocols related to human
  trafficking issues, as developed and implemented by federal, state,
  and local law enforcement agencies;
               (6)  implement a media awareness campaign in
  communities affected by human trafficking; and
               (7)  develop recommendations on how to strengthen state
  and local efforts to prevent human trafficking, protect and assist
  human trafficking victims, and prosecute human trafficking
  offenders.
         (e)  The presiding officer of the task force is the attorney
  general or the attorney general's designee.
         (f)  The office of the attorney general shall supervise the
  administration of the task force. The attorney general shall
  provide the necessary staff and facilities to assist the task force
  in performing its duties.
         (g)  Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
  the task force shall submit a report regarding the task force's
  activities, findings, and recommendations, including any proposed
  legislation, to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the
  speaker of the house of representatives.
         (h)  This section expires September 1, 2013.
         SECTION 2.  Section 772.006, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (d), (e), and (f) to read as follows:
         (d)  The trafficking of persons investigation and
  prosecution account is created in the general revenue fund. The
  account is composed of legislative appropriations and other money
  required by law to be deposited in the account. Income from money
  in the account shall be credited to the account. Sections 403.095
  and 404.071 do not apply to the account.
         (e)  The legislature may appropriate money from the
  trafficking of persons investigation and prosecution account
  created under Subsection (d) only to the criminal justice division
  for the purposes of this subsection.  The division may use the
  appropriated money solely to distribute grants to:
               (1)  counties that apply for the grants and that have
  dedicated full-time or part-time personnel to identify, prevent,
  investigate, or prosecute offenses under Chapter 20A, Penal Code;
  and
               (2)  nongovernmental organizations that apply for the
  grants and that provide comprehensive services in this state to
  prevent the commission of offenses under Chapter 20A, Penal Code,
  or to address the needs of victims of those offenses, including
  public awareness activities, community outreach and training,
  victim identification services, legal services, and other services
  designed to assist victims.
         (f)  The total amount of grants that may be distributed to
  counties  and nongovernmental organizations from the trafficking of
  persons investigation and prosecution account during each state
  fiscal year may not exceed $10 million.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter C, Chapter 141, Human Resources Code,
  is amended by adding Section 141.056 to read as follows:
         Sec. 141.056.  STUDY OF ALTERNATIVES TO JUVENILE JUSTICE
  SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN WHO ENGAGE IN ACTS OF PROSTITUTION. (a) The
  director shall establish a committee to evaluate alternatives to
  the juvenile justice system, such as government programs,
  faith-based programs, and programs offered by nonprofit
  organizations, for children who are accused of engaging in acts of
  prostitution.
         (b)  The director shall determine the size of the committee.
  The committee must be composed of:
               (1)  members of the Texas Juvenile Probation
  Commission, the Texas Youth Commission, and other relevant state
  agencies as determined by the director;
               (2)  members of the legislature;
               (3)  members of nongovernmental organizations that
  provide programs and services to combat and prevent trafficking of
  persons as described by Section 20A.02, 20A.03, or 20A.04, Penal
  Code, in this state, including the following with respect to that
  trafficking:
                     (A)  programs to promote public awareness;
                     (B)  programs to identify and provide services to
  victims;
                     (C)  legal services; and
                     (D)  community outreach and training programs;
  and
               (4)  other juvenile justice experts.
         (c)  Not later than January 1, 2011, the committee shall
  prepare and deliver to each member of the legislature a report that
  includes the results of the study and recommendations for
  alternatives to the juvenile justice system for children who are
  accused of engaging in acts of prostitution.
         (d)  This section expires June 1, 2011.
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter F, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 1701.258 to read as follows:
         Sec. 1701.258.  EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS ON
  TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS. (a) The commission by rule shall require an
  officer first licensed by the commission on or after January 1,
  2011, to complete within a reasonable time after obtaining the
  license a one-time basic education and training program on the
  trafficking of persons. The program must:
               (1)  consist of at least four hours of training; and
               (2)  include a review of the substance of Sections
  20A.02, 20A.03, 20A.04, and 43.05, Penal Code.
         (b)  The commission shall make available to each officer a
  voluntary advanced education, instruction, and training program on
  the trafficking of persons, sex trafficking, and compelling
  prostitution prohibited under Sections 20A.02, 20A.03, 20A.04, and
  43.05, Penal Code.
         (c)  Not later than January 1, 2011, the commission shall
  begin offering the basic and advanced programs established under
  this section. This subsection expires September 1, 2011.
         SECTION 5.  Section 1701.402, Occupations Code, is amended
  by adding Subsection (h) to read as follows:
         (h)  As a requirement for an intermediate or advanced
  proficiency certificate issued by the commission on or after
  January 1, 2011, an officer must complete the basic education and
  training program on the trafficking of persons described by Section
  1701.258(a).
         SECTION 6.  Section 20A.01(1), Penal Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
               (1)  "Forced labor or services" means labor or
  services[, including conduct that constitutes an offense under
  Section 43.02,] that are performed or provided by another person
  and obtained through an actor's:
                     (A)  causing or threatening to cause bodily injury
  to the person or another person or otherwise causing the person
  performing or providing labor or services to believe that the
  person or another person will suffer bodily injury;
                     (B)  restraining or threatening to restrain the
  person or another person in a manner described by Section 20.01(1)
  or causing the person performing or providing labor or services to
  believe that the person or another person will be restrained;
                     (C)  knowingly destroying, concealing, removing,
  confiscating, or withholding from the person or another person, or
  threatening to destroy, conceal, remove, confiscate, or withhold
  from the person or another person, the person's actual or
  purported:
                           (i)  government records;
                           (ii)  identifying information; or
                           (iii)  personal property;
                     (D)  threatening the person with abuse of the law
  or the legal process in relation to the person or another person;
                     (E)  threatening to report the person or another
  person to immigration officials or other law enforcement officials
  or otherwise blackmailing or extorting the person or another
  person;
                     (F)  exerting financial control over the person or
  another person by placing the person or another person under the
  actor's control as security for a debt to the extent that:
                           (i)  the value of the services provided by
  the person or another person as reasonably assessed is not applied
  toward the liquidation of the debt;
                           (ii)  the duration of the services provided
  by the person or another person is not limited and the nature of the
  services provided by the person or another person is not defined; or
                           (iii)  the principal amount of the debt does
  not reasonably reflect the value of the items or services for which
  the debt was incurred; or
                     (G)  using any scheme, plan, or pattern intended
  to cause the person to believe that the person or another person
  will be subjected to serious harm or restraint if the person does
  not perform or provide the labor or services.
         SECTION 7.  Chapter 20A, Penal Code, is amended by amending
  Section 20A.02 and adding Sections 20A.03, 20A.04, and 20A.05 to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 20A.02.  TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS.  (a)  A person commits
  an offense if the person knowingly:
               (1)  [knowingly] traffics another person with the
  intent or knowledge that the trafficked person will engage
  in forced labor or services, other than forced labor or services
  constituting an offense under Section 43.02; or
               (2)  [intentionally or knowingly] benefits from
  participating in a venture that involves an activity described by
  Subdivision (1), including by receiving labor or services the
  person knows are forced labor or services.
         (b)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, an
  offense under this section is a felony of the second degree.  An
  offense under this section is a felony of the first degree if[:
               [(1)     the applicable conduct constitutes an offense
  under Section 43.02 and the person who is trafficked is younger than
  18 years of age at the time of the offense; or
               [(2)]  the commission of the offense results in the
  death of the person who is trafficked.
         [(c)     If conduct constituting an offense under this section
  also constitutes an offense under another section of this code, the
  actor may be prosecuted under either section or under both
  sections.]
         Sec. 20A.03.  SEX TRAFFICKING OF AN ADULT.  (a)  A person
  commits an offense if the person knowingly:
               (1)  traffics another person who is 18 years of age or
  older, with the intent or knowledge that the trafficked person will
  engage in forced labor or services constituting an offense under
  Section 43.02; or
               (2)  benefits from participating in a venture that
  involves an activity described by Subdivision (1), including by
  receiving labor or services the person knows are forced labor or
  services.
         (b)  An offense under this section is a felony of the second
  degree.
         Sec. 20A.04.  SEX TRAFFICKING OF A CHILD. (a) In this
  section, "child" means a person younger than 18 years of age.
         (b)  A person commits an offense if the person, regardless of
  whether the person knows the age of the child at the time the person
  commits the offense, knowingly:
               (1)  traffics a child with the intent or knowledge that
  the child will engage in conduct constituting an offense under
  Section 43.02 or 43.25; or
               (2)  benefits from participating in a venture that
  involves an activity described by Subdivision (1).
         (c)  An offense under this section is a felony of the first
  degree.
         Sec. 20A.05.  PROSECUTION OF CONDUCT CONSTITUTING SEPARATE
  OFFENSE.  If conduct constituting an offense under this chapter
  also constitutes an offense under another section of this code, the
  actor may be prosecuted under this chapter, the other section of
  this code, or both this chapter and the other section of this code.
         SECTION 8.  Section 43.02, Penal Code, is amended by adding
  Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:
         (d)  It is an exception to the application of this section
  that the actor was younger than 18 years of age at the time of the
  offense.
         (e)  It is a defense to prosecution under this section that
  the actor engaged in the conduct that constitutes the offense
  because the actor was the victim of conduct that constitutes an
  offense under Section 20A.03.
         SECTION 9.  Section 43.05, Penal Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 43.05.  COMPELLING PROSTITUTION.  (a)  A person commits
  an offense if the person [he] knowingly:
               (1)  causes another by force, threat, or fraud to
  commit prostitution; or
               (2)  causes by any means a person younger than 18 [17]
  years to commit prostitution, regardless of whether the actor knows
  the age of the person at the time the actor commits the offense.
         (b)  An offense under Subsection (a)(1) [this section] is a
  felony of the second degree. An offense under Subsection (a)(2) is a
  felony of the first degree.
         SECTION 10.  (a)  Not later than December 1, 2009, the office
  of the attorney general shall establish the human trafficking
  prevention task force as required by Section 402.035, Government
  Code, as added by this Act.
         (b)  Not later than October 1, 2009, the director of the
  Texas Juvenile Probation Commission shall establish a committee to
  evaluate alternatives to the juvenile justice system for children
  who are accused of engaging in acts of prostitution, as required by
  Section 141.056, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act.
         (c)  Not later than December 1, 2010, the Commission on Law
  Enforcement Officer Standards and Education shall adopt the rules
  necessary to implement Section 1701.258, Occupations Code, as added
  by this Act.
         (d)  The changes in law made by this Act to Chapters 20A and
  43, Penal Code, apply only to an offense committed on or after the
  effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the
  effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the
  offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for
  that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was
  committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of
  the offense was committed before that date.
         SECTION 11.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.