86R2317 JCG-D

By: Guillen H.B. No. 1232

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment and duties of the human trafficking prevention coordinating council.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 402.034 to read as follows:

Sec. 402.034. HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION COORDINATING COUNCIL. (a) In this section, "council" means the human trafficking prevention coordinating council.

(b) The office of the attorney general shall establish the human trafficking prevention coordinating council to develop and implement a five-year strategic plan for preventing human trafficking in this state.

(c) The council 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 commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services or the commissioner's designee;

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

(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 Parks and Wildlife Department; and

(D) the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

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

(e) For each five-year period, the council shall:

(1) develop and implement a strategic plan for preventing human trafficking in this state; and

(2) submit the strategic plan to the legislature.

(f) The strategic plan must 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 task force established under Section 402.035 or by a successor entity established by the office of the attorney general.

(g) 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), the council shall submit to the legislature an annual report detailing the progress of the strategic plan's implementation. The annual report must 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) The office of the attorney general shall make available on the office's Internet website the strategic plan and the annual reports required under Subsection (g).

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

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.