Bill Text: NH HB277 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishing a commission on human trafficking.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-12-30 - To Be Introduced 01/04/2017 and referred to Criminal Justice and Public Safety [HB277 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2017-HB277-Introduced.html
HB 277 - AS INTRODUCED
2017 SESSION
17-0710
04/10
HOUSE BILL 277
AN ACT establishing a commission on human trafficking.
SPONSORS: Rep. Hoell, Merr. 23; Rep. Itse, Rock. 10
COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
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ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a commission on the prevention of trafficking in persons.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
17-0710
04/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen
AN ACT establishing a commission on human trafficking.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Commission on the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons. Amend RSA 633 by inserting after section 11 the following new section:
633:12 Commission on the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Established.
I. There is hereby established a commission on the prevention of trafficking in persons. The commission shall address all aspects of trafficking in persons, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking of both United States citizens and foreign nationals. The commission shall consist of the following members:
(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(b) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
(c) The attorney general, or designee.
(d) The commissioner of the department of labor, or designee.
(e) The commissioner of the department of health and human services, or designee.
(f) The director of the division of state police, or designee.
(g) A representative from the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, appointed by such association.
(h) A representative from the New Hampshire Sheriff’s Association, appointed by such association.
(i) Three representatives from private organizations, including those specializing in prohibiting trafficking in persons, representing diverse communities disproportionately affected by trafficking, agencies devoted to child services and runaway services, and academic researchers dedicated to the subject of human trafficking.
II. Legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission. Nonlegislative members shall receive no compensation.
III. The members of the commission shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. The commission shall meet on a quarterly basis, and may meet more frequently at the discretion of the chairperson. Eight members of the commission shall constitute a quorum at least 2 of whom shall be members of the general court.
IV. The commission shall:
(a) Develop a state plan for the prevention of trafficking in persons and coordinate the implementation of the plan.
(b) Coordinate the collection and sharing of trafficking data among government agencies, which data collection shall respect the privacy of victims of trafficking.
(c) Coordinate the sharing of information between agencies for the purposes of detecting criminal groups engaged in trafficking.
(d) Propose legislation designed to address trafficking in persons.
(e) Establish policies to enable state government to work with nongovernmental organizations and the public to prevent trafficking and provide assistance to U.S. citizen and foreign national victims.
(f) Review the existing services and facilities to meet trafficking victims’ needs and recommend a system that would coordinate such services, including but not limited to: health services, housing, education and job training, English as a second language classes, interpreting services, legal and immigration services, and victim compensation.
(g) Evaluate various approaches used by state and local governments to increase public awareness of the trafficking in persons, including U.S. citizen and foreign national victims of trafficking.
(h) Explore the availability of state, federal, and private grant funds to develop or strengthen victim service programs for victims of trafficking, whether U.S. citizens or foreign nationals.
(i) Explore the feasibility of developing training programs for state law enforcement officials, and other relevant public and private persons or agencies in addressing trafficking in persons. Such training shall focus on methods used in identifying U.S. citizen and foreign national victims of trafficking, including preliminary interview techniques and appropriate questioning methods, methods for prosecuting traffickers, methods of increasing effective collaboration with non-governmental organizations and other relevant social service organizations in the course of a trafficking case, methods for protecting the rights of victims, taking into account the need to consider human rights, the special needs of women and children victims, and the treatment of victims as victims, and methods for promoting the safety of victims.
(j) Explore the feasibility and cost of developing public awareness programs designed to educate the public on the extent and dangers of trafficking in persons.
(k) Collect and annually publish statistical data on trafficking and seek the input and participation of appropriate state and private organizations in the preparation and reporting of such data.
V. The commission shall annually report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1.
2 Repeal. RSA 633:12, relative to the commission on the prevention of trafficking in persons, is repealed.
I. Section 2 of this act shall take effect November 1, 2018.
II. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.
