SLS 22RS-1301 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 88
BY SENATOR MIZELL
CHILDREN/FAMILY SERVICES DEPT. Requests the Louisiana Department of Children
and Family Services to enact policies relative to truant children who may be trafficked.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services to enact
3 policies relative to truant children who may be trafficked.
4 WHEREAS, under Louisiana law, a truant child is a child who is habitually absent
5 from school or habitually tardy without proper authorization, and in some cases is a child
6 who misses five or more unexcused days of school within a school year; and
7 WHEREAS, a child being trafficked is more likely to also be a truant child,
8 according to the United States Department of Education in the January 2021 report, "What
9 Schools Can Do to Prevent, Respond and Help Students to Recovery from Human
10 Trafficking, Second Edition"; and
11 WHEREAS, a child who is being trafficked is also likely to have been in the care of
12 the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, having witnessed or experienced
13 abuse or neglect prior to being trafficked; and
14 WHEREAS, the Human Trafficking, Trafficking for Children of Sexual Purposes,
15 and Commercial Sexual Exploitation 2021 Annual Report published by the Louisiana
16 Department of Children and Family Services identified 530 children who were victims of
17 trafficking in 2020 and received services in the form of mental health or substance abuse
18 treatment, medical care, or basic housing, clothing, and shelter needs; and
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SLS 22RS-1301 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, the Annual Report identified that 500 of the 530 children were forced
2 into sex trafficking and 476 of the 530 juvenile victims were female; and
3 WHEREAS, victims were most commonly trafficked in the parishes of East Baton
4 Rouge, Orleans, Caddo, Rapides, Plaquemines, and Ouachita for juvenile victims.
5 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
6 does hereby urge and request the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services to
7 enact policies relative to locating and contacting truant children who may be trafficked and
8 provide appropriate services to treat potential substance abuse, mental health, or medical
9 health needs.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
11 secretary of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Whitney Kauffeld.
DIGEST
SR 88 Original 2022 Regular Session Mizell
Urges and requests the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services to enact
policies relative to locating and contacting truant children who may be victims of human
trafficking and providing appropriate services to treat potential needs.
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