Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1829 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R2674 MCF-F
2	2	By: Parker S.B. No. 1829
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to human trafficking prevention, including training for
10	10	first responders, disclosure of human trafficking information by
11	11	certain health care facilities, and protection for facility
12	12	employees who report human trafficking.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 9, Health and Safety Code, is
15	15	amended by adding Chapter 763 to read as follows:
16	16	CHAPTER 763. HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION TRAINING
17	17	SUBCHAPTER A. TRAINING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
18	18	Sec. 763.001. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
19	19	(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
20	20	Commission.
21	21	(2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive
22	22	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.
23	23	(3) "First responder" means a public safety employee
24	24	whose duties include responding rapidly to an emergency. The term:
25	25	(A) includes:
26	26	(i) fire protection personnel, as defined
27	27	by Section 419.021, Government Code; and
28	28	(ii) emergency medical services personnel,
29	29	as defined by Section 773.003; and
30	30	(B) does not include:
31	31	(i) volunteer emergency services
32	32	personnel;
33	33	(ii) an emergency medical services
34	34	volunteer, as defined by Section 773.003; or
35	35	(iii) a peace officer or reserve law
36	36	enforcement officer, as those terms are defined by Section
37	37	1701.001, Occupations Code, who is performing law enforcement
38	38	duties.
39	39	(4) "Human trafficking" means conduct that
40	40	constitutes an offense under Section 20A.02, Penal Code.
41	41	Sec. 763.002. REQUIRED HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRAINING. A first
42	42	responder, within the time prescribed by commission rule, shall
43	43	successfully complete a training course approved by the executive
44	44	commissioner on identifying, assisting, and reporting victims of
45	45	human trafficking.
46	46	Sec. 763.003. TRAINING COURSE APPROVAL. (a) The executive
47	47	commissioner shall:
48	48	(1) approve training courses on human trafficking
49	49	prevention, including at least one course available without charge;
50	50	and
51	51	(2) post a list of the approved training courses on the
52	52	commission's Internet website.
53	53	(b) The executive commissioner shall update the list of
54	54	approved training courses described by Subsection (a) as necessary
55	55	and consider for approval training courses conducted by health care
56	56	facilities.
57	57	SECTION 2. Section 241.011, Health and Safety Code, is
58	58	amended to read as follows:
59	59	Sec. 241.011. HUMAN TRAFFICKING SIGNS REQUIRED. (a) An
60	60	emergency department of a hospital shall display a sign, at least 11
61	61	inches by 17 inches in size, written in at least a 16-point font and
62	62	in the form prescribed by the attorney general, that includes:
63	63	(1) the following statements:
64	64	(A) "All health care practitioners and first
65	65	responders are required to receive human trafficking prevention
66	66	training."; and
67	67	(B) "A hospital employee may not be disciplined,
68	68	retaliated against, or otherwise discriminated against for
69	69	reporting in good faith a suspected act of human trafficking.";
70	70	(2) information on recognizing and reporting human
71	71	trafficking and a list of human trafficking indicators;
72	72	(3) a phone number the attorney general designates for
73	73	reporting a suspected act of human trafficking; and
74	74	(4) contact information for reporting suspicious
75	75	activity to the Department of Public Safety.
76	76	(b) The sign described by Subsection (a) must be posted:
77	77	(1) in a location easily visible to all hospital
78	78	employees; and
79	79	(2) separately in English, Spanish, and any other
80	80	primary language spoken by 10 percent or more of the hospital's
81	81	employees [separate signs, in English and Spanish, that comply with
82	82	Section 245.025 as if the hospital is an abortion facility].
83	83	SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 241, Health and Safety
84	84	Code, is amended by adding Section 241.0115 to read as follows:
85	85	Sec. 241.0115. DISCRIMINATION AND RETALIATION PROHIBITED.
86	86	A hospital may not discipline, retaliate against, or otherwise
87	87	discriminate against a hospital employee who in good faith reports
88	88	a suspected act of human trafficking to the hospital, a law
89	89	enforcement agency, the National Human Trafficking Resource
90	90	Center, the attorney general, or any other appropriate authority.
91	91	SECTION 4. Subchapter D, Chapter 254, Health and Safety
92	92	Code, is amended by adding Sections 254.161 and 254.162 to read as
93	93	follows:
94	94	Sec. 254.161. HUMAN TRAFFICKING SIGNS REQUIRED. (a) A
95	95	freestanding emergency medical care facility shall display a sign,
96	96	at least 11 inches by 17 inches in size, written in at least a
97	97	16-point font and in the form prescribed by the attorney general,
98	98	that includes:
99	99	(1) the following statements:
100	100	(A) "All health care practitioners and first
101	101	responders are required to receive human trafficking prevention
102	102	training."; and
103	103	(B) "A freestanding emergency medical care
104	104	facility employee may not be disciplined, retaliated against, or
105	105	otherwise discriminated against for reporting in good faith a
106	106	suspected act of human trafficking.";
107	107	(2) information on recognizing and reporting human
108	108	trafficking and a list of human trafficking indicators;
109	109	(3) a phone number the attorney general designates for
110	110	reporting a suspected act of human trafficking; and
111	111	(4) contact information for reporting suspicious
112	112	activity to the Department of Public Safety.
113	113	(b) The sign described by Subsection (a) must be posted:
114	114	(1) in a location easily visible to all facility
115	115	employees; and
116	116	(2) separately in English, Spanish, and any other
117	117	primary language spoken by 10 percent or more of the facility's
118	118	employees.
119	119	Sec. 254.162. DISCRIMINATION AND RETALIATION PROHIBITED. A
120	120	freestanding emergency medical care facility may not discipline,
121	121	retaliate against, or otherwise discriminate against a facility
122	122	employee who in good faith reports a suspected act of human
123	123	trafficking to the facility, a law enforcement agency, the National
124	124	Human Trafficking Resource Center, the attorney general, or any
125	125	other appropriate authority.
126	126	SECTION 5. As soon as practicable after the effective date
127	127	of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
128	128	Services Commission shall approve and post on the commission's
129	129	Internet website the list of approved human trafficking prevention
130	130	training courses and adopt rules necessary to implement Subchapter
131	131	A, Chapter 763, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
132	132	SECTION 6. As soon as practicable after the effective date
133	133	of this Act, the attorney general shall design the sign required by
134	134	Section 241.011, Health and Safety Code, as amended by this Act, and
135	135	Section 254.161, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
136	136	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.