|
SECTION 1. Sections
402.035(d) and (h), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
(d) The task force shall:
(1) collaborate, as needed
to fulfill the duties of the task force, with:
(A) United States attorneys
for the districts of Texas; and
(B) special agents or
customs and border protection officers and border patrol agents of:
(i) the Federal Bureau of
Investigation;
(ii) the United States Drug
Enforcement Administration;
(iii) the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;
(iv) United States
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; or
(v) the United States
Department of Homeland Security;
(2) collect, organize, and
periodically publish statistical data on the nature and extent of human
trafficking in this state, including data described by Subdivisions (4)(A),
(B), (C), (D), and (E);
(3) solicit cooperation and
assistance from state and local governmental agencies, political
subdivisions of the state, nongovernmental organizations, and other
persons, as appropriate, for the purpose of collecting and organizing
statistical data under Subdivision (2);
(4) ensure that each state
or local governmental agency and political subdivision of the state and
each state or local law enforcement agency, district attorney, or county
attorney that assists in the prevention of human trafficking collects
statistical data related to human trafficking, including, as appropriate:
(A) the number of
investigations concerning, arrests and prosecutions for, and convictions
of:
(i) the offense of
trafficking of persons; [and]
(ii) the offense of forgery
or an offense under Chapter 43, Penal Code, if the offense was
committed as part of a criminal episode involving the trafficking of
persons; and
(iii) an offense
punishable under Section 43.02(c)(3), Penal Code, regardless of whether the
offense was committed as part of a criminal episode involving the
trafficking of persons;
(B) demographic information
on persons who are convicted of offenses described by Paragraph (A) and
persons who are the victims of those offenses;
(C) geographic routes by
which human trafficking victims are trafficked, including routes by which
victims are trafficked across this state's international border, and
geographic patterns in human trafficking, including the country or state of
origin and the country or state of destination;
(D) means of transportation
and methods used by persons who engage in trafficking to transport their
victims; and
(E) social and economic
factors that create a demand for the labor or services that victims of
human trafficking are forced to provide;
(5) work with the Texas
Commission on Law Enforcement [Officer Standards and Education] to
develop and conduct training for law enforcement personnel, victim service
providers, and medical service providers to identify victims of human
trafficking;
(6) work with the Texas
Education Agency, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and the
Health and Human Services Commission to:
(A) develop a list of key
indicators that a person is a victim of human trafficking;
(B) develop a standardized
curriculum for training doctors, nurses, emergency medical services
personnel, teachers, school counselors, school administrators, and
personnel from the Department of Family and Protective Services and the
Health and Human Services Commission to identify and assist victims of
human trafficking;
(C) train doctors, nurses,
emergency medical services personnel, teachers, school counselors, school
administrators, and personnel from the Department of Family and Protective
Services and the Health and Human Services Commission to identify and
assist victims of human trafficking;
(D) develop and conduct
training for personnel from the Department of Family and Protective
Services and the Health and Human Services Commission on methods for
identifying children in foster care who may be at risk of becoming victims
of human trafficking; and
(E) develop a process for
referring identified human trafficking victims and individuals at risk of
becoming victims to appropriate entities for services;
(7) 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;
(8) examine training
protocols related to human trafficking issues, as developed and implemented
by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies;
(9) collaborate with state
and local governmental agencies, political subdivisions of the state, and
nongovernmental organizations to implement a media awareness campaign in
communities affected by human trafficking;
(10) 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; [and]
(11) examine the extent to
which human trafficking is associated with the operation of sexually
oriented businesses, as defined by Section 243.002, Local Government Code,
and the workplace or public health concerns that are created by the
association of human trafficking and the operation of sexually oriented
businesses; and
(12) develop
recommendations for addressing the demand for forced labor or services or
sexual conduct involving victims of human trafficking, including
recommendations for increased penalties for individuals who engage or
attempt to engage in prostitution with victims younger than 18 years of age.
(h) This section expires
September 1, 2017 [2015].
|
SECTION 1. Sections 402.035(c), (d), and (h), Government Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(c)
The task force is composed of the following:
(1)
the governor or the governor's designee;
(2)
the attorney general or the attorney general's designee;
(3)
the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission or
the executive commissioner's designee;
(4)
the commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services or the
commissioner's designee;
(5)
the commissioner of the Department of State Health Services or the
commissioner's designee;
(6)
the public safety director of the Department of Public Safety or the
director's designee;
(7)
one representative from each of the following state agencies, appointed by
the chief administrative officer of the respective agency:
(A)
the Texas Workforce Commission;
(B)
the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;
(C)
the Texas Juvenile Justice Department [Youth Commission;
[(D)
the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission]; and
(D) [(E)] the
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; and
(8)
as appointed by the attorney general:
(A)
a chief public defender employed by a public defender's office, as defined
by Article 26.044(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, or an attorney designated
by the chief public defender;
(B)
an attorney representing the state;
(C)
a representative of:
(i)
a hotel and motel association;
(ii)
a district and county attorneys association; [and]
(iii)
a state police association; and
(iv) a statewide medical association;
(D)
representatives of sheriff's departments;
(E)
representatives of local law enforcement agencies affected by human
trafficking; and
(F)
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, as needed
to fulfill the duties of the task force, with:
(A) United States attorneys
for the districts of Texas; and
(B) special agents or
customs and border protection officers and border patrol agents of:
(i) the Federal Bureau of
Investigation;
(ii) the United States Drug
Enforcement Administration;
(iii) the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;
(iv) United States
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; or
(v) the United States
Department of Homeland Security;
(2) collect, organize, and
periodically publish statistical data on the nature and extent of human
trafficking in this state, including data described by Subdivisions (4)(A),
(B), (C), (D), and (E);
(3) solicit cooperation and
assistance from state and local governmental agencies, political
subdivisions of the state, nongovernmental organizations, and other
persons, as appropriate, for the purpose of collecting and organizing
statistical data under Subdivision (2);
(4) ensure that each state
or local governmental agency and political subdivision of the state and
each state or local law enforcement agency, district attorney, or county
attorney that assists in the prevention of human trafficking collects
statistical data related to human trafficking, including, as appropriate:
(A) the number of
investigations concerning, arrests and prosecutions for, and convictions
of:
(i) the offense of
trafficking of persons; [and]
(ii) the offense of forgery
or an offense under Chapter 43, Penal Code, if the offense was
committed as part of a criminal episode involving the trafficking of
persons; and
(iii) an offense
punishable under Section 43.02(c)(3), Penal Code, regardless of whether the
offense was committed as part of a criminal episode involving the
trafficking of persons;
(B) demographic information
on persons who are convicted of offenses described by Paragraph (A) and
persons who are the victims of those offenses;
(C) geographic routes by
which human trafficking victims are trafficked, including routes by which
victims are trafficked across this state's international border, and
geographic patterns in human trafficking, including the country or state of
origin and the country or state of destination;
(D) means of transportation
and methods used by persons who engage in trafficking to transport their
victims; and
(E) social and economic
factors that create a demand for the labor or services that victims of
human trafficking are forced to provide;
(5) work with the Texas
Commission on Law Enforcement [Officer Standards and Education] to
develop and conduct training for law enforcement personnel, victim service
providers, and medical service providers to identify victims of human
trafficking;
(6) work with the Texas
Education Agency, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and the
Health and Human Services Commission to:
(A) develop a list of key
indicators that a person is a victim of human trafficking;
(B) develop a standardized
curriculum for training doctors, nurses, emergency medical services
personnel, teachers, school counselors, school administrators, and
personnel from the Department of Family and Protective Services and the
Health and Human Services Commission to identify and assist victims of
human trafficking;
(C) train doctors, nurses,
emergency medical services personnel, teachers, school counselors, school
administrators, and personnel from the Department of Family and Protective
Services and the Health and Human Services Commission to identify and
assist victims of human trafficking;
(D) develop and conduct
training for personnel from the Department of Family and Protective
Services and the Health and Human Services Commission on methods for
identifying children in foster care who may be at risk of becoming victims
of human trafficking; and
(E) develop a process for
referring identified human trafficking victims and individuals at risk of
becoming victims to appropriate entities for services;
(7) 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;
(8) examine training
protocols related to human trafficking issues, as developed and implemented
by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies;
(9) collaborate with state
and local governmental agencies, political subdivisions of the state, and
nongovernmental organizations to implement a media awareness campaign in
communities affected by human trafficking;
(10) 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; [and]
(11) examine the extent to
which human trafficking is associated with the operation of sexually
oriented businesses, as defined by Section 243.002, Local Government Code,
and the workplace or public health concerns that are created by the
association of human trafficking and the operation of sexually oriented
businesses; and
(12) develop
recommendations for addressing the demand for forced labor or services or
sexual conduct involving victims of human trafficking, including
recommendations for increased penalties for individuals who engage or
attempt to engage in prostitution with victims younger than 18 years of age.
(h) This section expires
September 1, 2017 [2015].
|