Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 5. Source pages: 5.
Bill to Create Commission on Human Trafficking Passes Senate Floor 33-0
Senator Ronnie Johns’ measure to create the Louisiana Human Trafficking Prevention Commission and Advisory Board in the Office of the Governor, SB 42 passed the Senate Floor on April 17 with 33 yeas and 0 nays. It is pending in the House committee for Administration of Criminal Justice.
The bill seeks to assist state and local leaders in developing and coordinating human trafficking prevention programs, and asks that officials conduct a continuing comprehensive review of all existing public and private human trafficking programs to identify gaps in prevention and intervention services.
The text also indicates the need to increase coordination among public and private programs to strengthen prevention and intervention services.
The new board is to make recommendations with respect to human trafficking prevention and intervention and also develop a state needs assessment and a comprehensive and integrated service delivery approach that meets the needs of all human trafficking victims.
Another goal is to establish a method to transition human trafficking service providers toward evidence-based national best practices focusing on outreach and prevention.
The need is to develop mechanisms to promote public awareness of human trafficking, including promotion of the national twenty-four-hour toll-free hotline telephone service on human trafficking.
This goal includes promoting training courses and other educational materials for use by persons required to undergo training on the handling of, and response procedures for, suspected human trafficking activities, and to develop a framework to collect and integrate data and measure program outcomes.
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