BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1219

By: Alvarado

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Reports indicate that human trafficking is an increasingly prevalent issue in Texas. It has been noted that human trafficking depends on frequent movement and transportation to operate, especially in a state as expansive as Texas. Human traffickers will often use public transportation, trains, buses, taxis, and rental vehicles to transport victims within or outside the state. There have been calls to provide information in transportation hubs regarding the indicators of human trafficking and the National Human Trafficking Hotline in order to increase awareness of the public in the event that contact is made with a potential human trafficking situation. S.B. 1219 seeks to address this issue by providing for the posting of human trafficking information signs at certain transportation hubs.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the attorney general in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1219 amends the Government Code to require the attorney general, by rule and in consultation with the Texas Department of Transportation, to prescribe the design and content of a sign regarding services and assistance available to victims of human trafficking to be displayed at a transportation hub, as defined by the bill. The bill requires the sign to be in both English and Spanish and to include the telephone number and website of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center and the key indicators that a person is a victim of human trafficking. The bill requires the attorney general by rule to prescribe the transportation hubs that are required to post the sign, the manner the sign must be displayed at the transportation hub, and any exceptions to the sign posting requirement. The bill requires a person who operates a transportation hub that is required to post the sign to post it as required by the rules prescribed by the attorney general. The bill requires the attorney general to enforce the sign posting requirement and requires the attorney general to adopt rules under the bill's provisions not later than September 1, 2020.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.