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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the collection of information regarding trafficking of |
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persons. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 402.035, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-1) and amending Subsection (d) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b-1) A state or local law enforcement agency, district |
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attorney, or county attorney that assists in the prevention of |
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human trafficking shall, at the request of the task force, |
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cooperate and assist the task force in collecting any statistical |
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data on the nature and extent of human trafficking in the possession |
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of the law enforcement agency or district or county attorney. |
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(d) The task force shall: |
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(1) collaborate, as needed to fulfill the duties of |
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the task force, with: |
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(A) United States attorneys for the districts of |
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Texas; and |
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(B) special agents or customs and border |
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protection officers and border patrol agents of: |
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(i) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; |
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(ii) the United States Drug Enforcement |
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Administration; |
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(iii) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, |
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Firearms and Explosives; |
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(iv) [the] United States Immigration and |
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Customs Enforcement [Agency]; or |
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(v) the United States Department of |
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Homeland Security; |
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(2) collect, organize, and periodically publish |
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statistical data on the nature and extent of human trafficking in |
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this state, including data described by Subdivisions (4)(A), (B), |
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(C), (D), and (E); |
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(3) solicit cooperation and assistance from state and |
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local governmental agencies, political subdivisions of the state, |
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nongovernmental organizations, and other persons, as appropriate, |
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for the purpose of collecting and organizing statistical data under |
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Subdivision (2); |
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(4) ensure that each state or local governmental |
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agency and political subdivision of the state and each state or |
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local law enforcement agency, district attorney, or county attorney |
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that assists in the prevention of human trafficking collects |
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statistical data related to human trafficking, including, as |
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appropriate: |
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(A) the number of investigations concerning, |
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arrests and prosecutions for, and convictions of: |
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(i) the offense of trafficking of persons; |
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and |
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(ii) the offense of forgery or an offense |
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under Chapter 43, Penal Code, if committed as part of a criminal |
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episode involving the trafficking of persons; |
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(B) demographic information on persons who are |
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convicted of offenses described by Paragraph (A) and persons who |
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are the victims of those offenses; |
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(C) geographic routes by which human trafficking |
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victims are trafficked, including routes by which victims are |
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trafficked across this state's international border, and |
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geographic patterns in human trafficking, including the country or |
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state of origin and the country or state of destination; |
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(D) means of transportation and methods used by |
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persons who engage in trafficking to transport their victims; and |
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(E) social and economic factors that create a |
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demand for the labor or services that victims of human trafficking |
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are forced to provide; |
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(5) work with the Commission on Law Enforcement |
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Officer Standards and Education to develop and conduct training for |
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law enforcement personnel, victim service providers, and medical |
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service providers to identify victims of human trafficking; |
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(6) on the request of a judge of a county court, county |
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court at law, or district court or a county attorney, district |
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attorney, or criminal district attorney, assist and train the judge |
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or the judge's staff or the attorney or the attorney's staff in the |
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recognition and prevention of human trafficking; |
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(7) examine training protocols related to human |
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trafficking issues, as developed and implemented by federal, state, |
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and local law enforcement agencies; |
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(8) collaborate with state and local governmental |
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agencies, political subdivisions of the state, and nongovernmental |
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organizations to implement a media awareness campaign in |
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communities affected by human trafficking; |
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(9) develop recommendations on how to strengthen state |
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and local efforts to prevent human trafficking, protect and assist |
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human trafficking victims, and prosecute human trafficking |
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offenders; and |
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(10) examine the extent to which human trafficking is |
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associated with the operation of sexually oriented businesses, as |
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defined by Section 243.002, Local Government Code, and the |
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workplace or public health concerns that are created by the |
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association of human trafficking and the operation of sexually |
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oriented businesses. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |