Wash. Rev. Code § 43.280.091

Current through 2024

Section 43.280.091 - Statewide coordinating committee on sex trafficking

(1) The statewide coordinating committee on sex trafficking is established to address the issues of sex trafficking, to examine the practices of local and regional entities involved in addressing sex trafficking, and to develop a statewide plan to address sex trafficking.

(2) The committee is administered by the department of commerce and consists of the following members:

(a) Two members of the house of representatives, one from each caucus, and two members of the senate, one from each caucus, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate, respectively;

(b) A representative of the Washington attorney general's office;

(c) The president or corporate executive officer of the center for children and youth justice or his or her designee;

(d) The secretary of the children's administration or his or her designee;

(e) The secretary of the juvenile rehabilitation administration or his or her designee;

(f) The superintendent of public instruction or his or her designee;

(g) A representative of the administrative office of the courts appointed by the administrative office of the courts;

(h) The executive director of the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs or his or her designee;

(i) The executive director of the Washington state criminal justice training commission or his or her designee;

(j) Representatives of community advocacy groups that work to address the issues of human trafficking, to be appointed by the department of commerce's office of crime victims advocacy;

(k) A representative of the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys appointed by the association;

(l) Representatives of community service providers that serve victims of human trafficking, to be appointed by the department of commerce's office of crime victims advocacy;

(m) The executive director of Washington engage or his or her designee;

(n) A representative from shared hope international or his or her designee;

(o) The executive director of the Washington coalition of crime victim advocates or his or her designee;

(p) The executive director of the Washington coalition of sexual assault programs or his or her designee;

(q) The executive director of the Washington state coalition against domestic violence or his or her designee;

(r) The executive director of the Washington association of cities or his or her designee;

(s) The executive director of the Washington association of counties or his or her designee; and

(t) The director or a representative from the crime victims compensation program.

(3) The duties of the committee include, but are not limited to:

(a) Gathering and assessing service practices from diverse sources regarding service demand and delivery;

(b) Analyzing data regarding the implementation of sex trafficking legislation passed in recent years by the legislature, including reports submitted to the department of commerce pursuant to RCW 9.68A.105, 9A.88.120, and 9A.88.140, and assessing the efficacy of such legislation in addressing sex trafficking, as well as any obstacles to the impact of legislation on the commercial sex trade;

(c) Receiving and reviewing reports, recommendations, and statewide protocols as implemented in the pilot sites selected by the center for children and youth justice regarding commercially sexually exploited youth submitted to the committee by organizations that coordinate local community response practices and regional entities concerned with commercially sexually exploited youth; and

(d) Gathering and reviewing existing data, research, and literature to help shape a plan of action to address human trafficking in Washington to include:

(i) Strategies for Washington to undertake to end sex trafficking; and

(ii) Necessary data collection improvements.

(4) The committee shall meet twice and, by December 2014, produce a report on its activities, together with a statewide plan to address sex trafficking in Washington, to the governor's office and the legislature.

(5) All expenses of the committee shall come from the prostitution prevention and intervention account created in RCW 43.63A.740.

(6) The members of the committee shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060, within available resources.

(7) The committee expires June 30, 2015.

RCW 43.280.091

2013 c 121 § 2.

Intent-Finding- 2013 c 121: "The legislature recognizes there are many state agencies and private organizations that might be called on to provide services to victims of sex trafficking. Victims of human trafficking are often in need of services such as emergency medical attention, food and shelter, vocational and English language training, mental health counseling, and legal support. The state intends to improve the response of state, local, and private entities to incidents of trafficking of humans. Victims would be better served if there is an established, coordinated system of identifying the needs of sex trafficking victims, training of service delivery agencies and staff, timely and appropriate delivery of services, and better investigations and prosecutions of trafficking.

Leadership in providing services to victims of sex trafficking also extends beyond government efforts and is grounded in the work of highly dedicated individuals and community-based groups. Without these efforts the struggle against human trafficking will be very difficult to win. The legislature, therefore, finds that such efforts merit regular public recognition and appreciation. Such recognition and appreciation will encourage the efforts of all persons to end sex trafficking, and provide the public with information and education about the necessity of its involvement in this struggle." [2013 c 121 s 1.]