Alaska 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Alaska House Bill HB118 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 04/02/2025

                     
HB0118b -1- CSHB 118(JUD) 
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CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 118(JUD) 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA 
 
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION 
 
BY THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE 
 
Offered:  4/2/25 
Referred:  Finance  
 
Sponsor(s):  REPRESENTATIVES VANCE, Underwood, Costello 
A BILL 
 
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED 
 
"An Act establishing the Council on Human and Sex Trafficking; and providing for an 1 
effective date." 2 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3 
   * Section 1. AS 39.25.110 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 4 
(46) the executive director of the Council on Human and Sex 5 
Trafficking employed under AS 44.41.155. 6 
   * Sec. 2. AS 39.50.200(b) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:  7 
(65)  Council on Human and Sex Trafficking (AS 44.41.150). 8 
   * Sec. 3. AS 44.41 is amended by adding new sections to read: 9 
Article 3. Council on Human and Sex Trafficking. 10 
Sec. 44.41.150. Council on Human and Sex Trafficking. The Council on 11 
Human and Sex Trafficking is created in the Department of Public Safety. The 12 
purpose of the council is to provide planning and coordination of programs specific to 13 
victim services, education, public awareness, data collection and dissemination, and 14    34-LS0316\H 
CSHB 118(JUD) -2- HB0118b 
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reducing demand for human and sex trafficking. 1 
Sec. 44.41.155. Duties. (a) The council shall 2 
(1)  elect one of its members as chair; 3 
(2)  develop and implement a standardized data collection system on 4 
human and sex trafficking, including methods for synthesizing and disseminating data 5 
and establishing standardized definitions as necessary; 6 
(3)  receive and dispense state and federal money and award grants and 7 
contracts from appropriations to qualified local community entities for the purpose of 8 
human and sex trafficking intervention and prevention programs; 9 
(4)  oversee and audit qualified local community entities that receive 10 
money from the council; 11 
(5)  coordinate and consult with the Department of Education and Early 12 
Development, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health, the 13 
Department of Law, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the 14 
Department of Family and Community Services, the Department of Public Safety, 15 
other state agencies and qualified local community entities dealing with human and 16 
sex trafficking, including the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and 17 
survivors of human and sex trafficking to develop educational materials and resources 18 
related to, and increase public awareness of, human and sex trafficking;  19 
(6)  provide technical assistance as requested by the state agencies and 20 
qualified local community entities listed in (5) of this subsection; 21 
(7)  conduct public hearings and create opportunities for public input on 22 
issues relating to human and sex trafficking in the state; 23 
(8) make an annual report to the governor on the activities of the 24 
council, plans of the council for new services and programs, and concerns of the 25 
council, including recommendations for legislation necessary to carry out the purposes 26 
of AS 44.41.150 - 44.41.175; the council shall notify the legislature that the report is 27 
available; 28 
(9)  recruit and hire an executive director to oversee the council; the 29 
executive director may hire staff; the executive director is in the exempt service under 30 
AS 39.25.110 and staff members are in the classified service un
der AS 39.25.100. 31    34-LS0316\H 
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(b)  The council may create advisory subcommittees. 1 
Sec. 44.41.160. Membership. (a) The council consists of the following 17 2 
members:  3 
(1)  nine members appointed by the governor as follows:  4 
(A)  two members who are mayors or elected officials in local 5 
government;  6 
(B) one member who represents a victim advocacy 7 
organization;  8 
(C)  one member who represents an Alaska Native organization; 9 
in this subparagraph, "Alaska Native organization" has the meaning given in 10 
AS 18.66.020(d);  11 
(D) one member who represents a local law enforcement 12 
agency;  13 
(E)  one member who represents a faith-based community 14 
organization; 15 
(F)  one member who represents an organization that provides 16 
direct services to the homeless;  17 
(G)  one member who is a leader of a labor or trade 18 
organization; and 19 
(H)  one public member; 20 
(2) the chief executive officer of the Alaska Mental Health Trust 21 
Authority or the chief executive officer's designee; 22 
(3)  the commissioner of health or the commissioner's designee; 23 
(4)  the attorney general or the attorney general's designee; 24 
(5)  the commissioner of public safety or the commissioner's designee; 25 
(6)  the commissioner of corrections or the commissioner's designee; 26 
(7) the commissioner of education and early development or the 27 
commissioner's designee; 28 
(8) the commissioner of labor and workforce development or the 29 
commissioner's designee; and 30 
(9) the commissioner of family and community services or the 31    34-LS0316\H 
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commissioner's designee. 1 
(b)  Public members of the council appointed under (a)(1) of this section serve 2 
three-year terms. A public member serves at the pleasure of the governor and may not 3 
serve more than two consecutive terms. The governor shall fill a vacancy of a public 4 
member on the board by appointment for the unexpired portion of the vacated term.  5 
(c)  A person who receives compensation from or is an employee of the state or 6 
a human or sex trafficking crisis intervention or prevention program may not be 7 
appointed as a public member of the council.  8 
Sec. 44.41.165. Meetings and quorum. (a) The council shall meet at least 9 
quarterly by teleconference or other electronic means at times to be determined by the 10 
chair. Additional meetings by teleconference or other electronic means may be called 11 
by the chair. Advisory subcommittees shall meet by teleconference or other electronic 12 
means. The council may hold an annual in-person meeting. 13 
(b)  The council may convene public meetings in person to present information 14 
and receive public comment. 15 
(c)  Nine members of the council or a majority of filled positions, whichever is 16 
fewer, constitute a quorum for conducting business. 17 
Sec. 44.41.170. Compensation and expenses. The members of the council 18 
receive no salary but are entitled to transportation expenses and per diem in 19 
accordance with AS 39.20.180. 20 
Sec. 44.41.175. Definitions. In AS 44.41.150 - 44.41.175,  21 
(1)  "council" means the Council on Human and Sex Trafficking;  22 
(2) "human and sex trafficking" means conduct in violation of 23 
AS 11.41.360, 11.41.365, or AS 11.66.110 - 11.66.130. 24 
   * Sec. 4. AS 44.66.010(a) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:  25 
(17)  Council on Human and Sex Trafficking (AS 44.41.150) - June 30, 26 
2029.  27 
   * Sec. 5. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 28