| 3 | 2 | | |
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| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | |
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| 6 | 5 | | |
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| 7 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 8 | | relating to combating human trafficking by the Texas Department of |
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| 10 | 9 | | Licensing and Regulation. |
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| 11 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Occupations Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 12 | | adding Subchapter K to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER K. COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING |
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| 15 | 14 | | Sec. 51.551. ANTI-TRAFFICKING ACTIVITIES. The department |
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| 16 | 15 | | may combat human trafficking by: |
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| 17 | 16 | | (1) establishing within the department an |
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| 18 | 17 | | anti-trafficking unit; |
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| 19 | 18 | | (2) identifying businesses operating within |
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| 20 | 19 | | industries regulated by the department that are impacted by human |
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| 21 | 20 | | trafficking; and |
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| 22 | 21 | | (3) coordinating with: |
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| 23 | 22 | | (A) the office of the attorney general, including |
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| 24 | 23 | | any council, task force, or work group established by that office to |
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| 25 | 24 | | combat human trafficking; |
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| 26 | 25 | | (B) local, state, and federal law enforcement |
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| 27 | 26 | | agencies; and |
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| 28 | 27 | | (C) any nongovernmental entity engaged in |
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| 29 | 28 | | efforts to combat human trafficking or assist victims. |
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| 30 | 29 | | Sec. 51.552. RULES. The commission may adopt rules to |
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| 31 | 30 | | combat human trafficking for any program regulated by the |
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| 32 | 31 | | department, including rules for conducting inspections and |
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| 33 | 32 | | investigations under Section 51.351. |
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| 34 | 33 | | Sec. 51.553. CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS IDENTIFYING |
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| 35 | 34 | | VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. (a) Information that identifies an |
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| 36 | 35 | | individual as a victim of human trafficking is confidential and |
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| 37 | 36 | | excepted from disclosure under Section 552.021, Government Code. |
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| 38 | 37 | | (b) The department may withhold the information without the |
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| 39 | 38 | | necessity of requesting a decision from the attorney general under |
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| 40 | 39 | | Subchapter G, Chapter 552, Government Code. |
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| 41 | 40 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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