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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a human trafficking and child |
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pornography unit within the Department of Public Safety of the |
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State of Texas. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 411.02096 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 411.02096. HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY |
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UNIT. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Child pornography" means conduct that |
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constitutes an offense under Section 43.26, Penal Code. |
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(2) "Human trafficking" means conduct that |
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constitutes an offense under Section 20A.02, Penal Code. |
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(3) "Unit" means the human trafficking and child |
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pornography unit established by this section. |
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(b) A human trafficking and child pornography unit is |
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created within the department to investigate and combat human |
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trafficking and child pornography. |
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(c) The unit shall collaborate with federal and local law |
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enforcement agencies to investigate human trafficking and child |
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pornography and arrest persons determined to have engaged in human |
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trafficking or child pornography. |
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(d) The department may adopt rules as necessary to implement |
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this section. |
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(e) The director may transfer the resources dedicated to the |
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unit to other programs within the department if the director |
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determines that incidents of human trafficking and child |
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pornography have decreased throughout the state to such an extent |
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that the resources would better serve the interests of public |
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safety if otherwise employed. The director shall notify the |
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legislature at least 180 days before making the transfer under this |
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subsection. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2020, the Department |
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of Public Safety of the State of Texas shall establish the human |
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trafficking and child pornography unit under Section 411.02096, |
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Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |