A6172

An Act concerning the appointment of a State Human Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention Coordinator and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Commissioner of Children and Families shall appoint a State Human Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention Coordinator. The coordinator shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the position. The duties and responsibilities of the State coordinator shall include:

a. developing and providing comprehensive training on the human trafficking, childhood trauma, and child sexual exploitation for child welfare professionals, health care professionals, public health workers, criminal justice professionals, and other individuals providing services to youth who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation;

b. coordinating with existing State programs, services, facilities, and agencies that provide services and other assistance to youth who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation;

c. collecting, organizing, maintaining, and disseminating information on human trafficking, childhood trauma, child sexual exploitation, and the services available across the State for youth who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation, including maintaining a list of resources available to such survivors on the Department of Children and Families Internet website;

d. identifying service gaps and best practices in the provision of appropriate services and other assistance by State departments, offices, divisions, agencies, and community-based organizations to youth who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation;

e. administering the grant program established pursuant to section 3 of this act to provide comprehensive services and other assistance, including trauma-informed, culturally specific services to youth who are survivors, or who are at risk of, human trafficking or child sexual exploitation; and

f. applying for and accepting federal grant funding available for anti-human trafficking efforts and child sexual exploitation prevention services that may benefit youth who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation.

2. The State Human Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention Coordinator appointed pursuant to section 1 of this act shall be authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of the State to supply the State coordinator with data and any other information or assistance available to the department, office, division, or agency as the State coordinator deems necessary to discharge the coordinator’s duties.

Each department, office, division, or agency, to the extent not inconsistent with law, shall cooperate fully with the State coordinator within the limits of its statutory authority, and provide such assistance on a timely basis to enable the State coordinator to perform the coordinator’s duties pursuant to this act.

The State coordinator may consult with experts or other knowledgeable individuals in the public or private sector on any aspect of the coordinator's mission.

3. a. There is established in the Department of Children and Families a grant program, administered by the State Human Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention Coordinator appointed pursuant to section 1 of this act, to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed, culturally specific services to youth, between the ages of 16 and 25, who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation.

b. Grants under the program shall be awarded by the State Human Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention Coordinator on a competitive basis. Community-based agencies contracted with the Department of Children and Families, law enforcement organizations, victim's assistance organizations, and health care and mental health services facilities that provide services and other assistance to youth who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation, receiving a grant under the program shall use the funds to establish, expand, or improve trauma-informed, culturally specific services programs and services that:

(1) increase the identification of youth who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation;

(2) provide for the coordination of new and existing State programs, services, facilities, and agencies that provide services and other assistance to youth who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation; and

(3) improve access to support and housing services available for homeless youth who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation.

c. To be eligible for consideration of a grant award under the program, agencies, organizations, and facilities seeking to participate in the program shall submit an application in a form and manner prescribed by the State coordinator.

d. The State coordinator shall establish:

(1) selection criteria for the awarding of grants under the program and grants shall be awarded based upon review of the applications and subject to the availability of funds; and

(2) the amount for each grant that is approved.

e. No later than 12 months after the establishment of the grant program, and annually thereafter, the State Human Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention Coordinator shall submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall include, but not be limited to, information on the number of grant applicants, the number and amounts of the grant awards, and any recommendations concerning the continuation or expansion of the grant program.

4. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after the date of enactment, except that the Commissioner of Children and Families may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Commissioner of Children and Families to appoint a State Human Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention Coordinator. The coordinator is to be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the position as outlined in the bill.

The State Human Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Coordinator is authorized to call upon any State department, office, division, or agency to supply the State coordinator with data and any other information or assistance as the State coordinator deems necessary to discharge the coordinator’s duties. The coordinator may consult with experts or other knowledgeable individuals on any aspect of the coordinator's mission.

The bill also establishes a grant program, administered by the State coordinator, to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed, culturally specific services to youth, between the ages of 16 and 25, who are survivors of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation.

Grants under the program are to be awarded by the State coordinator on a competitive basis, and agencies, organizations, and facilities as specified in the bill receiving grants are to use the funds to establish, expand, or improve trauma-informed, culturally specific services programs and services.

To be eligible for consideration of a grant award under the program, agencies, organizations, and facilities seeking to participate in the program are to submit an application in a form and manner prescribed by the State coordinator. The State coordinator is to establish selection criteria for the awarding of grants and the amount of each grant based upon the review of the applications and subject to the availability of funds.

No later than 12 months after the establishment of the grant program, and annually thereafter, the State coordinator is to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature that is to include information on: the number of grant applicants; the number and amounts of the grant awards; and any recommendations concerning the continuation or expansion of the grant program.