| 1 | 1 | | 83R13295 ADM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Riddle, Harless, Rose, H.B. No. 3407 |
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| 3 | 3 | | Thompson of Harris |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to the assessment of juveniles who are victims of sex |
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| 9 | 9 | | trafficking. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 221, Human Resources Code, |
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| 12 | 12 | | is amended by adding Section 221.0035 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 221.0035. BEST PRACTICES TO IDENTIFY AND ASSESS |
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| 14 | 14 | | VICTIMS OF SEX TRAFFICKING. (a) In this section, "sex trafficking" |
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| 15 | 15 | | means an offense under Section 20A.02(a)(7), Penal Code. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) The department shall evaluate the practices and |
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| 17 | 17 | | screening procedures used by juvenile probation departments for the |
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| 18 | 18 | | early identification of juveniles who are victims of sex |
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| 19 | 19 | | trafficking for the purpose of developing a recommended set of best |
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| 20 | 20 | | practices that may be used by a juvenile probation department to |
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| 21 | 21 | | improve the juvenile probation department's ability to identify a |
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| 22 | 22 | | juvenile who is a victim of sex trafficking. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) Best practices may include: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) examining a juvenile's referral history, including |
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| 25 | 25 | | whether the juvenile has a history of running away from home or has |
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| 26 | 26 | | been adjudicated for previous offenses; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) making inquiries into a juvenile's history of |
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| 28 | 28 | | sexual abuse; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) assessing a juvenile's need for services, |
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| 30 | 30 | | including counseling through a rape crisis center or other |
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| 31 | 31 | | counseling; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (4) asking the juvenile a series of questions designed |
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| 33 | 33 | | to determine whether the juvenile is at high risk of being a victim |
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| 34 | 34 | | of sex trafficking. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 36 | 36 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 37 | 37 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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