| 1 | 1 | | 86R1512 SMT-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio S.B. No. 291 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the establishment of a human trafficking unit within |
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| 8 | 8 | | the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 411.02096 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 411.02096. HUMAN TRAFFICKING UNIT. (a) In this |
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| 13 | 13 | | section: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Human trafficking" means conduct that |
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| 15 | 15 | | constitutes an offense under Section 20A.02, Penal Code. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Unit" means the human trafficking unit |
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| 17 | 17 | | established by this section. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) A human trafficking unit is created within the |
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| 19 | 19 | | department to investigate and combat human trafficking. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) The unit shall collaborate with federal and local law |
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| 21 | 21 | | enforcement agencies to investigate human trafficking and arrest |
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| 22 | 22 | | persons determined to have engaged in human trafficking. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (d) The department shall provide specialized training for |
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| 24 | 24 | | peace officers assigned to the unit. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (e) The department shall develop guidelines and protocols |
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| 26 | 26 | | designed to minimize intrusion on a human trafficking victim who |
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| 27 | 27 | | has an encounter with a peace officer performing a duty of the unit |
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| 28 | 28 | | under this section. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (f) The department may adopt rules as necessary to implement |
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| 30 | 30 | | this section. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2020, the Department |
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| 32 | 32 | | of Public Safety of the State of Texas shall establish the human |
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| 33 | 33 | | trafficking unit under Section 411.02096, Government Code, as added |
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| 34 | 34 | | by this Act. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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