HCSHBs1706&1539--PROTECTIONOFCHILDRENANDVULNERABLE
PERSONS
SPONSOR: Myers
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonCrimePreventionandPublicSafetybyavoteof21to
0.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
1706.
Thisbillestablishesthe"CommitteeonSexandHumanTrafficking
Training",whichwillbecomposedofsixmembers,including,among
others,arepresentative oftheAttorneyGeneral'sOffice,a
representative oftheDepartmentofPublicSafety,andajuvenile
officer. Thecommitteemustannuallyevaluateandestablish
guidelinesforrequiredsexandhumantraffickingtraining. The
committeewilldissolveonDecember31,2029.
Thebillalsoestablishesthe"StatewideCouncilAgainstAdult
TraffickingandCommercialSexualExploitationofChildren"to
replacethe"StatewideCouncilonSexTraffickingandSexual
ExploitationofChildren",whichexpiresonDecember31,2023.The
newcouncilmustbecreatedwithin30daysofAugust28,2024,is
requiredtomeetatleastquarterly,andiswithintheOfficeof
theAttorneyGeneral. TheAttorneyGeneralorhisorherdesignee
willbethechairofthecouncil. Themembersofthecouncilare
specifiedandincludetwomembersoftheSenateappointedbythe
PresidentProTemratherthanonebeingappointedbytheMinority
FloorLeaderoftheSenate,andthetwomembersoftheHouseof
Representatives appointedbytheSpeakerratherthanonebeing
appointedbytheMinorityFloorLeaderoftheHouseof
Representatives.
Thebillcreatesthe"Anti-TraffickingFund".MoneyintheFund
willbeusedsolelytopayforthepositionoftheexecutive
directorofthestatewidecouncil,educationandawareness
regardinghumantrafficking,andanti-traffickingefforts
throughouttheState.
TheDepartmentofHealthandSeniorServiceswillrequireeachEMT,
includingeachparamedic,toreceivefourhoursofsexandhuman
traffickingtrainingaspartofcontinuingeducationrequirements
forrelicensureeveryfiveyears.Eachregisterednurse,licensed
practicalnurse,advancedpracticeregisterednurse,andjuvenile
officermustcompleteonehourofsexandhumantrafficking
trainingannually. Socialworkerswillberequiredtocompletetwo
hoursofsexandhumantraffickingtrainingforlicenserenewal. Lastly,eachpeaceofficerwillberequiredtoreceivetwohoursof
sexandhumantraffickingtrainingwithinthelawenforcement
continuingeducationone-yearreportingperiod.
Currently,undercertaincircumstances, astatementmadebyachild
undertheageof14orbyavulnerableperson,orthevisualand
auralrecordingofaverbalornonverbalstatementofsuchchildor
vulnerableperson,isadmissibleintoevidenceincriminal
proceedingsassubstantiveevidencetoprovethetruthofthe
matterasserted. Thisbillincreasestheagetoachildunderthe
ageof18anditamendsthedefinitionof"vulnerableperson"to
includeapersonwhosedevelopmentalleveldoesnotexceedthatof
anordinarychildof17yearsofage.
Currently,aperson21yearsoldoroldercommitstheoffenseof
enticementofachildifheorshesatisfiestheelementsofthe
offenseandthechildisunder15yearsold.Thisbillincreases
theageofthechildtounder17yearsold.
Thebillalsoprovidesthatapersonwhopledguiltytoorwas
foundguiltyofcertainsexualoffenses,specifiedinthebill,
willberequiredtopay$10,000inrestitutionperidentified
victimand$2,500foreachcountyinwhichtheoffenseoroffenses
occurred,payabletotheStatetobedepositedintotheHuman
TraffickingandSexualExploitationFund.Uponreceiptofmoney
fromtheFund,acountymustallocatedisbursementofthefunds
accordingtotherequirementsinthebill.
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthereisanonprofitthattracks
alltheindustriesthatamounttomoderndayslavery,including
escortservicesandillicitmassageservices,amongabout20other
ones.Addingcontinuingeducationforvariousprofessionalsis
importantbecausevictimscomeintocontactwiththese
professionals, sotheprofessionalsneedtohaveawarenessofthe
issueandtheskillstoproperlyaddresstheissue.Currentlyit’s
scheduledtosunset,butifit’sworking,thesunsetwillbe
removed;thisisjusttoseewhetheritworks.Texassignificantly
increasedthepenaltyforpatronizingprostitutionanditsawthe
occurrencesdropprecipitously, sowitnessesarehopingtohave
thathappenhere.TheFundcreatedistogotovictimservices.
Therestitutionwillbetiedtoearnedcompliancecredit.The
amountoftrainingeachprofessionalneedstocompleteistiedto
howoftentheprofessionalre-certifieshisorherlicense;itwill
amounttoanhourannually. Wehavesomanyprofessionalsinthis
fieldalready,buttheyhaveneverreceivedanytrainingontheir jobsasfarasworkingwithvictimsandsurvivorsinthefield.
Onewitnesssharedtwoexampleofsuccessstoriesthatprofessional
trainingledto.Severaltraffickingvictimswererescued. One
houroftrainingannuallyisnotenoughbutitisagoodstart.
Survivorsasadvisorsshouldbeaddedtothecommittee,if
possible. Itisverynormaltohavevictims/survivors become
traffickers. It’scalledvictimstrategy. Itbasicallyhelpsthem
bereleasedfrombeingtrafficked. Whetherthattypeofvictimis
prosecutedasatraffickerisaprosecutorialdiscretiondecision
butitismorelikelythataprosecutorwouldtreatthatpersonas
themainwitnessforthecaseasopposedtoprosecutingthe
individual. Onewitnesssharedhisexperienceasapersonwho
helpeddrivethedemandoftrafficking. Hesharedhisstoryof
redemptionandexpressedthatmenlikehimneedtostandupand
takeresponsibility. Manylawsarewritteninsuchawaythat
oftenpunishvictimsanddonotplaceenoughresponsibility onthe
peoplecreatingthedemand.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Myers;Neil
Getzlow;Dr.ShimaRostami,GatewayAllianceAgainstHuman
Trafficking;MissouriPoliceChiefsAssociation;MoJuvenile
JusticeAssociation;LockeThompson,MissouriAssociationof
ProsecutingAttorneys;WintonPolicyGroup,MissouriKidsFirst;
andtheFireServiceAlliance.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythattheyopposethe
mandatorytrainingrequiredbythebill.Theimportanceofthe
trainingisnotindispute;itisjustaboutmakingthisasuser
friendlyaspossibleandfiguringouthownottoaffecttraining
professionalsneedtoreceiveinotherareas.Fivehoursfor
paramedicsisalot,buttwohoursmightbeamoremanageable
amount,oritcouldbemadevoluntary. Theadditionaltrainingfor
registerednursesotherscouldbeburdensomeandwitnesseswantto
workwiththesponsortoaddressthat.Balancingallthenecessary
andimportanttrainingsisthetrickypart.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereMoAmbulanceAssn.;and
theMissouriHospitalAssociation.
OTHERS:OtherstestifyingonthebillsaytheStateBoardof
Nursingcurrentlydoesnotrequirecontinuingeducationfornurses
tobelicensed. TheNurses’Associationdoesconductsome
continuingeducationanditworkswiththeAttorneyGeneralto
providesometrainings.
TestifyinginpersononthebillwastheMoNursesAssociation.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.