Bill Text: NJ A4432 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Governor's Survivor Leader Advisory Council in DOH; requires council to create report on human trafficking and 2026 FIFA World Cup; appropriates $1 million.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-06 - Reported out of Asm. Comm. with Amendments, and Referred to Assembly Community Development and Women's Affairs Committee [A4432 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4432-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Governor's Survivor Leader Advisory Council in DOH; requires council to create report on human trafficking and 2026 FIFA World Cup; appropriates $1 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning human trafficking and the 2026 FIFA World Cup and appropriating $1 million.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. In anticipation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled, in part, to take place in New Jersey, there is established the Governor's Survivor Leader Advisory Council within the Department of Health. The purpose of the council shall be to identify the increased risk of human trafficking crimes, and actions that may be taken by the State prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup to reduce these risks. It shall be the duty of the council to:
(1) evaluate existing law concerning human trafficking, and make recommendations for legislation to be introduced, and guidelines and directives to be issued by the Attorney General to address the potential increase in human trafficking related crimes prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
(2) review existing assistance programs and analyze whether there is a need to expand current programs or initiate new programs in order to respond to the increased risk of human trafficking crimes prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
(3) promote a coordinated response to the increased risk in human trafficking crimes related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup by public and private resources prior to and during the event; and
(4) prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, develop mechanisms to increase the public awareness of human trafficking, victim remedies and services, and trafficking prevention including the creation of public awareness signs to inform the State that persons may be trafficked into the State and United States.
b. The council shall consist of nine members, appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking. Each member shall:
(1) be a survivor of human trafficking;
(2) have experience with developing or enforcing anti-trafficking policies; and
(3) have experience with providing assistance and services to victims of human trafficking.
The members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the extent that funds are made available for that purpose.
The council shall organize within 30 days of the appointment of a majority of its members and shall select a chairperson from among its members. The council shall be meet at the call of the chairperson; provided however, that the council shall hold at least eight meetings per year, the date for which to be determined by the chair of the council.
The Department of Health shall provide staff support to the council. The council shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State department, board, bureau, commission, agency, or authority, as it may require for the purpose of carrying out its duties under this act. Further, The council may coordinate with non-profit organizations, other states, and the Commission on Human Trafficking established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2013, c.51 (C.52:17B-237) to develop the report required pursuant to this section.
The council shall prepare and submit a report to the Governor, and pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-10.1), to the Legislature with its findings and recommendations related to the increased risk of human trafficking related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup no later than 240 days after the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
c. The report shall include, but not be limited to, recommendations on:
(1) best practices the State may implement in order to increase awareness of human trafficking and ways to identify trafficking victims;
(2) information campaigns that raise awareness of the risk of human trafficking at large events, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
(3) the issuance of public service announcements throughout the State prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup to inform soccer fans that persons may be trafficked into the State and United States prior to and during the event;
(4) the State establishing additional human trafficking hotlines for a period of time prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
(5) changes that may be made to State laws related to human trafficking;
(6) guidelines and directives to be issued by the Attorney General concerning the identification of and response by law enforcement and prosecuting agencies to the potential increase in human trafficking related crimes prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
(7) engaging State and local organizations to aid with assessing risk and adopting necessary mitigation strategies; and
(8) any other issues the council deems relevant for the prevention of and response to human trafficking during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
d. The council shall develop and determine the language for a public awareness campaign and signage concerning the risk of human trafficking related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup that includes the national, 24-hour toll-free hotline telephone service on human trafficking.
e. Any establishment required to display a public awareness sign pursuant to subsection b. of section 2 of P.L.2021, c.3 (C.52:17B-237.1) shall also, in accordance with that section, display the public awareness sign related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup developed pursuant to subsection d. of this subsection.
f. The Attorney General shall issue guidelines and directives concerning the identification of and response by law enforcement and prosecuting agencies to the increased risk of human trafficking crimes prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
2. The Commission on Human Trafficking, established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2013, c.51 (C.52:17B-237), shall, for a period of three months before, during, and a period of six months after the 2026 FIFA World Cup organize a quorum of the commission's authorized membership, at such times at the discretion of the commission, to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of anti-human trafficking measures recommended by the Governor's Survivor Leader Advisory Council pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. There is hereby appropriated to the Department of Health from the General Fund of the State the sum of one million dollars for the establishment of the Governor's Survivor Leader Advisory Council in order to effectively carry out its responsibilities pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)
4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the report as required pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) or one year after the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, whichever event shall be later.
STATEMENT
This bill creates the Governor's Survivor Leader Advisory Council (GSLAC) in the Department of Health, and appropriates $1 million.
The GSLAC will be responsible for issuing a report to the Governor and Legislature related to anti-trafficking efforts the State may undertake as a host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The council is required to hold at least eight meetings per year until the issuance of the report, the dates for which are to be determined by the chair of the council. The council consists of nine members, appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking. Each member of the council is required to:
(1) be a survivor of human trafficking;
(2) have experience with developing or enforcing anti-trafficking policies; and
(3) have experience with providing assistance and services to victims of human trafficking.
The bill requires the council to:
(1) evaluate existing law concerning human trafficking, and make recommendations for legislation to be introduced, and guidelines and directives to be issued by the Attorney General, to address the potential increase in human trafficking related crimes prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
(2) review existing assistance programs and analyze whether there is a need to expand current programs or initiate new programs in order to respond to the increased risk of human trafficking crimes prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
(3) promote a coordinated response to the increased risk in human trafficking crimes related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup by public and private resources prior to and during the event; and
(4) prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, develop mechanisms to increase the public awareness of human trafficking, victim remedies and services, and trafficking prevention including the creation of public awareness signs to inform the State that persons may be trafficked into the State and United States.
Under the bill, the report is required to include, but not be limited to, recommendations on:
(1) best practices the State may take in order to raise awareness of human trafficking and how to identify trafficking victims;
(2) information campaigns that raise awareness of the risk of human trafficking at large events;
(3) the State issuing public service announcements prior to and during the World Cup to inform soccer fans that persons may be trafficked into the State and United States during the event;
(4) the State establishing additional human trafficking hotlines for a period of time leading up to and during the World Cup;
(5) changes that may be made to State laws related to human trafficking;
(6) guidelines and directives to be issued by the Attorney General concerning the identification of and response by law enforcement and prosecuting agencies to the potential increase in human trafficking related crimes prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
(7) engaging State and local organizations to aid with assessing the risk of human trafficking crimes and adopting necessary mitigation strategies; and
(8) any other issues the council deems relevant for the prevention of human trafficking during the World Cup.
The Department of Health is appropriated one million dollars for the establishment of the GSLAC and the implementation of the requirements established in the bill.
The bill also requires the council to develop for distribution a public awareness campaign and signage related to the risk of human trafficking prior to and during the World Cup and requires any entity or business which is currently required to post human trafficking signs to also post the public awareness sign related to the World Cup.
The bill requires the Attorney General to issue directives to any or all law enforcement and prosecuting agencies in the State related to the identification of and response to the increased risk of human trafficking crimes prior to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Finally, the bill requires the Commission on Human Trafficking to meet to ensure the implementation of the councils legislative recommendations before, during, and after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
