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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 27
BY SENATOR LONG
COMMITTEE STUDIES. Creates the Joint Human Trafficking Study Commission.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To create and provide for the Joint Human Trafficking Study Commission to study the2
conditions, needs, issues, and problems relative to human trafficking in Louisiana3
and to recommend any action or legislation that the commission deems necessary or4
appropriate.5
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana is home to numerous victims of human6
trafficking, which includes those who have been forced into labor and sexual servitude; and7
WHEREAS, according to data from the United States Department of State, an8
estimated six-hundred thousand to eight-hundred twenty thousand men, women, and children9
are trafficked across international borders each year, and of those, approximately eighty10
percent are women and girls and up to fifty percent are minors; and11
WHEREAS, studies have identified more than one hundred minors as victims of sex12
trafficking in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans metro areas alone between 2006 and 2008;13
and14
WHEREAS, another one hundred forty victims of sex trafficking, mostly from the15
Baton Rouge and New Orleans metro areas, have been identified since 2009; and 16
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana has the highest rate of child homelessness of the17
fifty states, and studies show that thirty percent of homeless shelter youth and seventy18 SCR NO. 27
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percent of street youth are victims of commercial sexual exploitation; and 1
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana has significantly improved its criminal justice2
system response to the crime of human trafficking through formation of the Louisiana3
Human Trafficking Task Force and the passage of Act No. 187 of the 2005 Regular Session4
and Act No. 154 of the 2012 Regular Session, as well as other legislation; and 5
WHEREAS, although the state of Louisiana provides some services for child and6
adult victims of sexual exploitation, a comprehensive system of services for all victims of7
human trafficking is needed to enable all individuals who have been forced into labor and8
sexual servitude to recover from this exploitation; and 9
WHEREAS, experts on human trafficking and victim services should evaluate10
models of victim services from other states to recommend an appropriate framework for the11
state of Louisiana.12
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana hereby creates13
the Joint Human Trafficking Study Commission to study the conditions, needs, issues, and14
problems relative to human trafficking in Louisiana and to recommend any action or15
legislation that the commission deems necessary or appropriate.16
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission created herein shall consist of17
the following fifteen members:18
(1) Three members of the Senate appointed by the president, or their designees,19
one of whom shall be a member of the minority party, and one of whom shall20
be designated by the president as co-chairperson.21
(2)Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker,22
or their designees, one of whom shall be a member of the minority party, and23
one of whom shall be designated by the speaker as co-chairperson.24
(3)The executive director of the Louisiana Human Trafficking Task Force, or25
his designee.26
(4)A sheriff appointed by the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, or his designee.27
(5)A local police chief appointed by the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of28
Police, or his designee.29
(6)A district attorney appointed by the Louisiana District Attorneys Association,30 SCR NO. 27
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or his designee.1
(7) A juvenile court judge appointed by the Louisiana Council of Juvenile and2
Family Court Judges, or his designee.3
(8)A district court judge appointed by the Louisiana District Judges Association,4
or his designee.5
(9)A public defender appointed by the Louisiana Public Defender Board, or his6
designee.7
(10)An individual with expertise in advocacy for children who are sexually8
exploited, appointed by the executive director of the Children's Cabinet in the9
office of the governor, or his designee.10
(11)An individual with expertise in advocacy for adult victims of human11
trafficking appointed by Department of Children and Family Services, or his12
designee.13
The co-chairpersons shall call all meetings of the commission.14
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting such study, the commission shall15
study current law and policy in Louisiana and other states, and shall elicit views from experts16
in the fields of child welfare, juvenile justice, social work, mental health, and public health,17
as well as input from child victims and adult survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.18
The commission shall examine recent policy and social science reports on human trafficking,19
including, but not limited to, its effects on individuals and community safety. The20
commission shall review services that are currently available to victims of human trafficking21
in Louisiana, as well as best practices for serving victims of human trafficking from other22
jurisdictions.23
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the commission shall serve24
without compensation, except per diem or expenses reimbursement to which they may be25
individually entitled as members of the constituent organizations.26
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the total membership shall27
constitute a quorum of the commission, and any official action by the commission shall28
require an affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum present and voting.29
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission may conduct such meetings at30 SCR NO. 27
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such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and1
effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this2
Resolution.3
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the event that the commission makes a report4
of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such5
report shall be made to the legislature no later than sixty days prior to the convening of the6
2014 Regular Session.7
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this commission shall terminate on January 10,8
2014.9
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Alden A. Clement, Jr.
DIGEST
Long SCR No. 27
Creates the Joint Human Trafficking Study Commission to study the conditions, needs,
issues, and problems relative to human trafficking in Louisiana and to recommend any action
or legislation that the commission deems necessary or appropriate.
The commission consists of the following members, or their designees: (1) Three members
of the Senate appointed by the president, one of whom is a member of the minority party,
and one of whom serves as co-chairperson; (2) Three members of the House of
Representatives appointed by the speaker, one of whom is a member of the minority party,
and one of whom serves as co-chairperson; (3) The executive director of the La. Human
Trafficking Task Force; (4) A sheriff appointed by the La. Sheriffs' Association; (5) A local
police chief appointed by the La. Association of Chiefs of Police; (6) A district attorney
appointed by the La. District Attorneys Association; (7) A juvenile court judge appointed
by the La. Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; a district court judge appointed by
the La. District Judges Association; (8) A public defender appointed by the La. Public
Defender Board; (9) An individual with expertise in advocacy for children who are sexually
exploited, appointed by the executive director of the Children's Cabinet in the governor's
office; (10) An individual with expertise in advocacy for adult victims of human trafficking
appointed by Dept. of Children and Family Services.
Further provides that the commission is to study current law and policy in Louisiana and
other states; elicit views from experts in the fields of child welfare, juvenile justice, social
work, mental health, and public health, as well as input from child victims and adult
survivors of commercial sexual exploitation; examine recent policy and social science
reports on human trafficking, including its effects on individuals and community safety; and
review services that are currently available to victims of human trafficking in Louisiana, as
well as best practices for serving victims of human trafficking from other jurisdictions.
Further provides that the commission may conduct such meetings at such times as it may
deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers,
perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of the commission. Further
provides that members of the commission receive no additional compensation for their
services on the commission except per diem or expenses reimbursement to which they may
be individually entitled as members of the constituent organizations. SCR NO. 27
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Specifies that a majority of the total membership constitutes a quorum of the commission,
and any official action by the commission requires an affirmative vote of a majority of the
quorum present and voting.
Further provides that any report of findings and recommendations is to be made no later than
60 days prior to the convening of the 2014 Regular Session.
Further provides that the commission terminates on January 10, 2014.