BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 72
	By: Nelson
	State Affairs
	5/22/2019
	Enrolled

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

There are an estimated 313,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas, both labor and sex trafficking. The Office of the Attorney General currently houses the Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force pulls together state agencies, local law enforcement, and nonprofits to fight human trafficking. However, the state lacks a clear goal and leadership when it comes to the coordinated effort of spending appropriated funds most effectively and efficiently.

 

S.B. 72 creates a State Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinating Council. The focus of the council is to develop a state plan and collaborate and coordinate human trafficking-related expenditures amongst state agencies.

 

S.B. 72 amends current law relating to the establishment and duties of the human trafficking prevention coordinating council.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government Code, by adding Section 402.034, as follows;

 

Sec. 402.034. HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION COORDINATING COUNCIL. (a) Defines "council" for purposes of this section.

 

(b) Requires the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to establish the human trafficking prevention coordinating council (council) to develop and implement a five-year strategic plan for preventing human trafficking in this state.

 

(c) Provides that the council is composed of the following:

 

(1) the governor or the governor's designee;

 

(2) the Texas attorney general (attorney general) or the attorney general's designee;

 

(3) the commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services (commissioner) or the commissioner's designee;

 

(4) the public safety director of the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (director) or the director's designee;

 

(5) 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 Alcoholic Beverage Commission;

 

(C) the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; and

 

(D) the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation; and

 

(6) one representative of any other state agency appointed by the chief administrative officer of the agency, if the human trafficking prevention task force established under Section 402.035 (Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force) and the council determine that a representative from the state agency is a necessary member of the council.

 

(d) Establishes that the presiding officer of the council is the attorney general or the attorney general's designee.

 

(e) Requires the council for each five-year period to develop and implement a strategic plan for preventing human trafficking in this state and to submit the strategic plan to the legislature.

 

(f) Requires the strategic plan to include:

 

(1) an inventory of human trafficking prevention programs and services in this state that are administered by state agencies, including institutions of higher education, and political subdivisions;

 

(2) regarding the programs and services described by Subdivision (1):

 

(A) a report on the number of persons served by the programs and services; and

 

(B) a plan to coordinate the programs and services to achieve the following goals:

 

(i) eliminate redundancy;

 

(ii) ensure the agencies' use of best practices in preventing human trafficking; and

 

(iii) identify and collect data regarding the efficacy of the programs and services; and

 

(3) in relation to the goals for programs and services as described by Subdivision (2)(B), a plan to coordinate the expenditure of state funds allocated to prevent human trafficking in this state, including the expenditure of state funds by the human trafficking prevention task force established under Section 402.035.

 

(g) Requires the council to submit to the legislature an annual report detailing the programs of the strategic plan's implementation not later than December 1 of each year, beginning with the year following the year the council submits a strategic plan to the legislature under Subsection (e)(2). Requires the annual report to include:

 

(1) a description of the level of participation in the strategic plan by each agency represented on the council and how the implementation of the strategic plan serves to coordinate the programs and services described by Subsection (f)(1) and achieve the goals described by Subsection (f)(2)(B); and

 

(2) an update of the inventory of programs and services described by Subsection (f)(1) and how each program or service furthers the goals of the strategic plan.

 

(h) Requires OAG to make available on OAG's Internet website the strategic plan and the annual reports required under Subsection (g).

 

SECTION 2. Requires the council to submit to the legislature the five-year strategic plan required by Section 402.034(e), Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than May 1, 2020.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2019.