Florida Senate - 2008 CS for SB 1732

By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Joyner

591-06412-08 20081732c1

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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to human trafficking; creating within the

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Executive Office of the Governor the Florida Statewide

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Task Force on Human Trafficking; prescribing the

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membership of the task force; providing for members of the

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task force to be reimbursed for per diem and travel

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expenses; providing specific responsibilities and duties

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of the task force and its members; requiring that the task

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force prepare a final report by a specified date;

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providing duties of the Florida State University Center

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for the Advancement of Human Rights; abolishing the task

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force on a specified date; providing an effective date.

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     Section 1. Florida Statewide Task Force on Human

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Trafficking.--

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     (1) The Legislature declares that the purpose of this act

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is to create a public and private task force to examine and

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analyze the problem of human trafficking and to plan for a

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coordinated, humane response for victims of human trafficking

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through a review of existing programs, a clarification of

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existing options for such victims, and revised policy efforts to

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coordinate governmental and private efforts.

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     (2)(a) There is created within the Executive Office of the

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Governor the Florida Statewide Task Force on Human Trafficking, a

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task force as defined in s. 20.03, Florida Statutes. The task

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force is created for the express purpose of examining the problem

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of human trafficking and recommending strategies and actions for

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reducing or eliminating the unlawful trafficking of men, women,

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and children into this state.

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     (b) The task force shall consist of the following

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governmental members, or a designee:

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     1. The executive director of the Department of Law

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Enforcement, who shall serve as co-chair.

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     2. The Secretary of Children and Family Services, who shall

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serve as co-chair.

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     3. The Chief Financial Officer.

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     4. The Commissioner of Agriculture.

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     5. The Attorney General.

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     6. The State Surgeon General.

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     7. The statewide prosecutor.

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     8. The executive director of the Florida Commission on

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Human Relations.

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     9. The executive director of the Florida Coalition Against

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Domestic Violence.

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     10. The Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation.

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     11. A sheriff.

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     12. A police chief.

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     (c) The task force shall consist of the following

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nongovernmental members, or a designee:

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     1. The executive director of the Florida State University

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Center for the Advancement of Human Rights.

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     2. The executive director of the Florida Immigrant Advocacy

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Center.

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     3. The Secretary of the Coalition of Immokolee Farmworkers.

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     4. The executive director of the Florida Coalition Against

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Human Trafficking.

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     5. The executive director of the Florida Freedom

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Partnership.

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     6. The executive director of Gulf Coast Legal Services.

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     (c) The Governor shall appoint the sheriff and police chief

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by July 1, 2008. The Governor may appoint ex officio members at

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any time.

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     (d) Members of the task force shall serve without

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compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and

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travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.

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     (3)(a) The task force shall receive the Statewide Strategic

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Plan currently being formulated by the Florida State University

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Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. The strategic plan

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shall be presented to the task force at the first meeting of the

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task Force no later than November 1, 2008.

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     (b) The work of the task force is to receive, revise, and

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propose a plan of implementation of the strategic plan no later

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than October 1, 2009. The task force shall conduct a final public

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meeting of the task force to announce the findings of the task

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force.

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     (4) The Florida State University Center for the Advancement

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of Human Rights shall carry out the following activities:

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     (a) Collect and organize data concerning the nature and

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extent of trafficking in persons in Florida and measure and

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evaluate the progress in the state in preventing trafficking,

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protecting and providing assistance to victims of trafficking,

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and prosecuting persons engaged in trafficking activities;

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     (b) Identify available federal, state, and local programs

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in this state which provide services to victims of trafficking,

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including, but are not limited to, health care and human

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services, housing services, education services, legal assistance,

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job training or preparation classes, interpreting services,

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English as a Second Language classes, and victim's compensation;

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     (c) Evaluate approaches to increase public awareness of

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trafficking, particularly the risks of becoming a trafficking

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victim; the common recruitment techniques; the use of debt

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bondage, blackmail, forced labor and services, prostitution, and

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other coercive tactics; the crime victims' rights; and the

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reporting of recruitment activities involved in trafficking;

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     (d) Analyze the current state, local, and federal criminal

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statutes for their adequacy in addressing trafficking and, if the

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analysis determines that those statutes are inadequate, recommend

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revisions to those statutes or the enactment of new statutes that

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specifically define and address trafficking; and

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     (e) Consult with governmental and nongovernmental

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organizations, especially those specializing in stopping

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trafficking or representing diverse communities

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disproportionately affected by trafficking, in developing

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recommendations to strengthen state and local efforts to prevent

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trafficking, protect and assist victims of trafficking, and

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prosecute traffickers.

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     (5) The task force is abolished on July 1, 2010.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.