(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 3/16/2023)
ASSEMBLY, No. 476
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman GABRIELA M. MOSQUERA
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DCA, in consultation with Commission on Human Trafficking, to
establish Statewide initiative for Red Sand Project.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness
Committee with technical review.
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EXPLANATION – Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is
not enacted and is intended to be omitted in the law.
Matter underlined thus is new matter.
AN ACT concerning human trafficking and amending P.L.2013, 1
c.121 and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes. 2
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BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 4
of New Jersey: 5
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1. Section 1 of P.L.2013, c.121 (C.52:17B-237) is amended to 7
read as follows: 8
1. a. There is hereby created, in the Division of Criminal 9
Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety, a commission 10
to be known as the Commission on Human Trafficking, consisting 11
of 15 members as follows: the Attorney General, or his designee; 12
the Commissioner of Children and Families, or his designee; the 13
Commissioner of Human Services, or his designee; a county 14
prosecutor, appointed by the Governor based upon the 15
recommendation of the County Prosecutors Association of the State 16
of New Jersey; one member of the New Jersey Human Trafficking 17
Task Force established within the Department of Law and Public 18
Safety, designated by the Attorney General; two public members 19
appointed by the Governor based upon the recommendation of the 20
Senate President, one representing law enforcement and one 21
representing a victim's assistance organization; one public member 22
appointed by the Governor based upon the recommendation of the 23
Senate Minority Leader representing either a non-profit health care 24
facility or mental health services; two public members appointed by 25
the Governor based upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the 26
General Assembly, one representing law enforcement and one 27
representing a victim's assistance organization; one public member 28
appointed by the Governor based upon the recommendation of the 29
Assembly Minority Leader representing either a non-profit health 30
care facility or mental health services; and four public members 31
appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be a representative 32
of a child advocacy organization concerning missing, abducted, or 33
exploited children, and one of whom shall be a human trafficking 34
survivor. All public members shall have experience with, possess a 35
background in, or demonstrate a specialized knowledge of, the 36
legal, policy, educational, social, or psychological aspects of human 37
trafficking. 38
b. (1) Of the public members first appointed: 39
(a) the following shall serve for a term of three years: one 40
member appointed upon the recommendation of the Senate 41
President; one member appointed upon the recommendation of the 42
Speaker of the General Assembly; and two members appointed by 43
the Governor; and 44
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(b) the following shall serve for a term of two years: one 1
member appointed upon the recommendation of the Senate 2
President; one member appointed upon the recommendation of the 3
Speaker of the General Assembly; each member appointed upon the 4
recommendation of the Senate and Assembly Minority Leaders; and 5
two members appointed by the Governor. 6
(c) Upon the conclusion of the initial terms, each public member 7
shall be appointed for a term of three years. 8
(2) Each member appointed shall hold office for the term of 9
appointment and until a successor shall have been appointed and 10
qualified. 11
(3) Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be 12
filled by appointment in the same manner as the original 13
appointment was made. 14
c. (1) The commission shall organize upon the appointment of 15
a majority of its authorized membership. The members shall elect 16
one of the members to serve as chair and vice-chair, and the chair 17
may appoint a secretary, who need not be a member of the 18
commission. 19
(2) The commission shall meet at those times and places within 20
the State of New Jersey as the commission shall determine. A 21
majority of the commission's authorized membership shall 22
constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business, for the 23
performance of any duty, or for the exercise of any power of the 24
commission. 25
d. The members of the commission shall serve without 26
compensation, but shall be eligible for reimbursement for necessary 27
and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their 28
official duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise 29
made available to the commission for its purposes. 30
e. The Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law 31
and Public Safety shall, at the direction of the Attorney General, 32
provide legal, stenographic, technical, clerical, and other staff and 33
resource assistance to the commission, and additionally the 34
commission may incur expenses as may be necessary in order to 35
perform its duties within the limits of funds appropriated or 36
otherwise made available to it for its purposes. 37
f. It shall be the duty of the commission to: 38
(1) Evaluate the existing law concerning human trafficking and 39
the enforcement thereof, and to make recommendations for 40
legislation, if appropriate; 41
(2) Review existing victim assistance programs and analyze the 42
costs, organization, and availability of these services for victims of 43
human trafficking and to make recommendations for legislation, if 44
appropriate; 45
(3) Promote a coordinated response by public and private 46
resources for victims of human trafficking; and 47
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(4) Develop mechanisms to promote public awareness of human 1
trafficking, including promotion of the national, 24-hour toll-free 2
hotline telephone service on human trafficking described under 3
section 18 of P.L.2013, c.51 (C.2C:13-11) and other initiatives, 4
including, but not limited to, the Red Sand Project set forth in 5
P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), 6
and the promotion of training courses and other educational 7
materials for use by persons required under section 19 of P.L.2013, 8
c.51 (C.2C:13-12) to undergo training on the handling of and 9
response procedures for suspected human trafficking activities. 10
g. The commission shall report annually to the Governor and to 11
the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-12
19.1), its activities, as well as its findings and recommendations for 13
any needed new services or resources for victims of human 14
trafficking, and any proposed changes to the current law concerning 15
human trafficking. 16
(cf: P.L.2021, c.3, s.1) 17
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2. (New section) a. The Department of Community Affairs 19
shall, in consultation with the Commission on Human Trafficking 20
established by section 1 of P.L.2013, c.51 (C.52:17B-237), establish 21
a Statewide initiative for the Red Sand Project, which shall coincide 22
with Human Trafficking Prevention Month. 23
b. Pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2013, c.51(C.52:17B-238), the 24
Attorney General, in consultation with the Commission on Human 25
Trafficking established by section 1 of P.L.2013, c.51 (C.52:17B-26
237), may provide for the expenditures of monies from the “Human 27
Trafficking Survivor’s Assistance Fund” to assist with the Red Sand 28
Project Initiative. 29
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3. This act shall take effect immediately. 31