BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 72
86R2317 JCG-D	By: Nelson
	State Affairs
	2/21/2019
	As Filed

 

 

 

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.

 

As proposed, 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."

 

(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 Texas.

 

(c) Establishes the council's composition.

 

(d) Estalishes that the presiding officer of the council is the Texas attorney general (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 Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas, including the expenditure of state funds by the task force established under Section 402.035 (Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force) or by a successor entity established by the OAG.

 

(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 in 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 the OAG to make available on the 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.