H.B. No. 188
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the composition, duties, and continuation of the human
  trafficking prevention task force.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 402.035(c), (d), and (h), Government
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (c)  The task force 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 executive commissioner of the Health and Human
  Services Commission or the executive commissioner's designee;
               (4)  the commissioner of the Department of Family and
  Protective Services or the commissioner's designee;
               (5)  the commissioner of the Department of State Health
  Services or the commissioner's designee;
               (6)  the public safety director of the Department of
  Public Safety or the director's designee;
               (7)  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 Department of Criminal Justice;
                     (C)  the Texas Juvenile Justice Department [Youth
  Commission;
                     [(D)  the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission];
  and
                     (D) [(E)]  the Texas Alcoholic Beverage
  Commission; and
               (8)  as appointed by the attorney general:
                     (A)  a chief public defender employed by a public
  defender's office, as defined by Article 26.044(a), Code of
  Criminal Procedure, or an attorney designated by the chief public
  defender;
                     (B)  an attorney representing the state;
                     (C)  a representative of:
                           (i)  a hotel and motel association;
                           (ii)  a district and county attorneys
  association; [and]
                           (iii)  a state police association; and
                           (iv)  a statewide medical association;
                     (D)  representatives of sheriff's departments;
                     (E)  representatives of local law enforcement
  agencies affected by human trafficking; and
                     (F)  representatives of nongovernmental entities
  making comprehensive efforts to combat human trafficking by:
                           (i)  identifying human trafficking victims;
                           (ii)  providing legal or other services to
  human trafficking victims;
                           (iii)  participating in community outreach
  or public awareness efforts regarding human trafficking;
                           (iv)  providing or developing training
  regarding the prevention of human trafficking; or
                           (v)  engaging in other activities designed
  to prevent human trafficking.
         (d)  The task force shall:
               (1)  collaborate, as needed to fulfill the duties of
  the task force, with:
                     (A)  United States attorneys for the districts of
  Texas; and
                     (B)  special agents or customs and border
  protection officers and border patrol agents of:
                           (i)  the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
                           (ii)  the United States Drug Enforcement
  Administration;
                           (iii)  the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
  Firearms and Explosives;
                           (iv)  United States Immigration and Customs
  Enforcement; or
                           (v)  the United States Department of
  Homeland Security;
               (2)  collect, organize, and periodically publish
  statistical data on the nature and extent of human trafficking in
  this state, including data described by Subdivisions (4)(A), (B),
  (C), (D), and (E);
               (3)  solicit cooperation and assistance from state and
  local governmental agencies, political subdivisions of the state,
  nongovernmental organizations, and other persons, as appropriate,
  for the purpose of collecting and organizing statistical data under
  Subdivision (2);
               (4)  ensure that each state or local governmental
  agency and political subdivision of the state and each state or
  local law enforcement agency, district attorney, or county attorney
  that assists in the prevention of human trafficking collects
  statistical data related to human trafficking, including, as
  appropriate:
                     (A)  the number of investigations concerning,
  arrests and prosecutions for, and convictions of:
                           (i)  the offense of trafficking of persons;
  [and]
                           (ii)  the offense of forgery or an offense
  under Chapter 43, Penal Code, if the offense was committed as part
  of a criminal episode involving the trafficking of persons; and
                           (iii)  an offense punishable under Section
  43.02(c)(3), Penal Code, regardless of whether the offense was
  committed as part of a criminal episode involving the trafficking
  of persons;
                     (B)  demographic information on persons who are
  convicted of offenses described by Paragraph (A) and persons who
  are the victims of those offenses;
                     (C)  geographic routes by which human trafficking
  victims are trafficked, including routes by which victims are
  trafficked across this state's international border, and
  geographic patterns in human trafficking, including the country or
  state of origin and the country or state of destination;
                     (D)  means of transportation and methods used by
  persons who engage in trafficking to transport their victims; and
                     (E)  social and economic factors that create a
  demand for the labor or services that victims of human trafficking
  are forced to provide;
               (5)  work with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
  [Officer Standards and Education] to develop and conduct training
  for law enforcement personnel, victim service providers, and
  medical service providers to identify victims of human trafficking;
               (6)  work with the Texas Education Agency, the
  Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Health and
  Human Services Commission to:
                     (A)  develop a list of key indicators that a
  person is a victim of human trafficking;
                     (B)  develop a standardized curriculum for
  training doctors, nurses, emergency medical services personnel,
  teachers, school counselors, school administrators, and personnel
  from the Department of Family and Protective Services and the
  Health and Human Services Commission to identify and assist victims
  of human trafficking;
                     (C)  train doctors, nurses, emergency medical
  services personnel, teachers, school counselors, school
  administrators, and personnel from the Department of Family and
  Protective Services and the Health and Human Services Commission to
  identify and assist victims of human trafficking;
                     (D)  develop and conduct training for personnel
  from the Department of Family and Protective Services and the
  Health and Human Services Commission on methods for identifying
  children in foster care who may be at risk of becoming victims of
  human trafficking; and
                     (E)  develop a process for referring identified
  human trafficking victims and individuals at risk of becoming
  victims to appropriate entities for services;
               (7)  on the request of a judge of a county court, county
  court at law, or district court or a county attorney, district
  attorney, or criminal district attorney, assist and train the judge
  or the judge's staff or the attorney or the attorney's staff in the
  recognition and prevention of human trafficking;
               (8)  examine training protocols related to human
  trafficking issues, as developed and implemented by federal, state,
  and local law enforcement agencies;
               (9)  collaborate with state and local governmental
  agencies, political subdivisions of the state, and nongovernmental
  organizations to implement a media awareness campaign in
  communities affected by human trafficking;
               (10)  develop recommendations on how to strengthen
  state and local efforts to prevent human trafficking, protect and
  assist human trafficking victims, and prosecute human trafficking
  offenders; [and]
               (11)  examine the extent to which human trafficking is
  associated with the operation of sexually oriented businesses, as
  defined by Section 243.002, Local Government Code, and the
  workplace or public health concerns that are created by the
  association of human trafficking and the operation of sexually
  oriented businesses; and
               (12)  develop recommendations for addressing the
  demand for forced labor or services or sexual conduct involving
  victims of human trafficking, including recommendations for
  increased penalties for individuals who engage or attempt to engage
  in prostitution with victims younger than 18 years of age.
         (h)  This section expires September 1, 2017 [2015].
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 188 was passed by the House on April
  16, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, 2 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 188 was passed by the Senate on May
  15, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor