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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment and duties of the human trafficking |
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prevention coordinating council. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 402.034 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 402.034. HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION COORDINATING |
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COUNCIL. (a) In this section, "council" means the human |
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trafficking prevention coordinating council. |
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(b) The office of the attorney general shall establish the |
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human trafficking prevention coordinating council to develop and |
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implement a five-year strategic plan for preventing human |
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trafficking in this state. |
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(c) The council is composed of the following: |
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(1) the governor or the governor's designee; |
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(2) the attorney general or the attorney general's |
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designee; |
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(3) the commissioner of the Department of Family and |
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Protective Services or the commissioner's designee; |
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(4) the public safety director of the Department of |
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Public Safety or the director's designee; |
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(5) one representative from each of the following |
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state agencies, appointed by the chief administrative officer of |
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the respective agency: |
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(A) the Texas Workforce Commission; |
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(B) the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; |
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(C) the Parks and Wildlife Department; and |
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(D) the Texas Department of Licensing and |
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Regulation; and |
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(6) one representative of any other state agency |
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appointed by the chief administrative officer of the agency, if the |
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human trafficking prevention task force established under Section |
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402.035 and the council determine that a representative from the |
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state agency is a necessary member of the council. |
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(d) The presiding officer of the council is the attorney |
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general or the attorney general's designee. |
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(e) For each five-year period, the council shall: |
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(1) develop and implement a strategic plan for |
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preventing human trafficking in this state; and |
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(2) submit the strategic plan to the legislature. |
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(f) The strategic plan must include: |
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(1) an inventory of human trafficking prevention |
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programs and services in this state that are administered by state |
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agencies, including institutions of higher education, and |
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political subdivisions; |
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(2) regarding the programs and services described by |
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Subdivision (1): |
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(A) a report on the number of persons served by |
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the programs and services; and |
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(B) a plan to coordinate the programs and |
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services to achieve the following goals: |
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(i) eliminate redundancy; |
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(ii) ensure the agencies' use of best |
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practices in preventing human trafficking; and |
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(iii) identify and collect data regarding |
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the efficacy of the programs and services; and |
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(3) in relation to the goals for programs and services |
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as described by Subdivision (2)(B), a plan to coordinate the |
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expenditure of state funds allocated to prevent human trafficking |
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in this state, including the expenditure of state funds by the human |
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trafficking prevention task force established under Section |
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402.035. |
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(g) Not later than December 1 of each year, beginning with |
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the year following the year the council submits a strategic plan to |
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the legislature under Subsection (e)(2), the council shall submit |
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to the legislature an annual report detailing the progress of the |
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strategic plan's implementation. The annual report must include: |
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(1) a description of the level of participation in the |
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strategic plan by each agency represented on the council and how the |
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implementation of the strategic plan serves to coordinate the |
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programs and services described by Subsection (f)(1) and achieve |
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the goals described by Subsection (f)(2)(B); and |
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(2) an update of the inventory of programs and |
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services described by Subsection (f)(1) and how each program or |
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service furthers the goals of the strategic plan. |
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(h) The office of the attorney general shall make available |
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on the office's Internet website the strategic plan and the annual |
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reports required under Subsection (g). |
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SECTION 2. Not later than May 1, 2020, the human trafficking |
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prevention coordinating council shall submit to the legislature the |
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five-year strategic plan required by Section 402.034(e), |
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Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |