BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1147

By: Gonzalez, Naomi

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Collaboration between governmental entities has been encouraged to create a unified front among relevant state and federal entities to end human trafficking. Recent collaborative efforts have done much to expand the understanding of the nature of human trafficking in our state, but interested parties have consistently called for greater cooperation among these entities, especially with regard to data collection. There is concern that current law does not provide sufficient clarity to law enforcement agencies and district and county attorneys with regard to collecting and sharing this information. H.B. 1147 seeks to ensure cooperation between these entities and the human trafficking prevention task force in collecting certain information, including statistical data.

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

H.B. 1147 amends the Government Code to require a state or local law enforcement agency, district attorney, or county attorney that assists in the prevention of human trafficking, at the request of the human trafficking prevention task force, to cooperate and assist the task force in collecting any statistical data on the nature and extent of human trafficking in the possession of the law enforcement agency or district or county attorney. The bill specifies that the statistical data that the task force is required to collect, organize, and periodically publish includes the  statistical data regarding human trafficking incidents that certain state and local entities assisting in the prevention of human trafficking are required to collect and specifies that the statistical data regarding geographic trafficking routes to be collected by those state and local entities includes geographic routes by which victims are trafficked across this state's international border.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.