AN ACT CONCERNING OVERSIGHT OF EFFORTS TO PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE USE OF CONFIDENTIAL CRISIS HOTLINES AT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

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Public Act No. 26-70

AN ACT CONCERNING OVERSIGHT OF EFFORTS TO PREVENT
HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE USE OF CONFIDENTIAL CRISIS
HOTLINES AT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) As used in this section, "human
trafficking" has the same meaning as "trafficking", as defined in section
46a-170 of the general statutes, as amended by this act. The Criminal
Justice Policy and Planning Division within the Office of Policy and
Management shall evaluate the coordination of efforts among executive
branch state agencies and law enforcement agencies to prevent human
trafficking in the state and shall develop a comprehensive plan for how
activities and pr ograms of executive branch state agencies and other
multidisciplinary partners should be coordinated to combat human
trafficking in the state. All executive branch state agencies shall provide
any assistance, information or data needed by the division to p erform
the planning duties established under this section, to the extent
permitted under state and federal law.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2027, the division shall submit a copy of
the comprehensive plan developed under subsection (a) of this section,
in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes,
to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having
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cognizance of matters relating to government oversight, the judiciary
and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies. Such report shall
include, but need not be limited to, any recommendations for legislation
to implement the division's recommendations.
Sec. 2. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 46a -170 of the 2026
supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
(a) There is established a Trafficking in Persons Council that shall be
within the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and
Opportunity for administrative purposes only.
(b) The council shall consist of the following members: (1) The Chief
State's Attorney, or a designee; (2) the Chief Public Defender, or a
designee; (3) the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public
Protection, or the commissioner's designee; (4) the Labor Commissioner,
or the commissioner's designee; (5) the Commissioner of Social Services,
or the commissioner's designee; (6) the Commissioner of Public Health,
or the commissioner's designee; (7) the Commissioner of Mental Health
and Addiction Services, or the commissioner's designee; (8) the
Commissioner of Children and Families, or the commissioner's
designee; (9) the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, or the
commissioner's designee; (10) the Commissioner of Developmental
Services, or the commissione r's designee; (11) the Commissioner of
Transportation, or the commissioner's designee; (12) the director of the
Basic Training Division of the Police Officer Standards and Training
Council, or the director's designee; (13) the Child Advocate, or the Child
Advocate's designee; (14) the Victim Advocate, or the Victim Advocate's
designee; (15) a chairperson of the Commission on Women, Children,
Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the chairperson's designee; (16) the
Secretary of the State, or the Secretary's designee; (17) one representative
of the Office of Victim Services of the Judicial Branch appointed by the
Chief Court Administrator; [(17)] (18) a municipal police chief
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appointed by the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, or a designee;
[(18)] (19) the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's
designee; [(19)] (20) a judge of the Superior Court, appointed by the
Chief Court Administrator; [(20)] (21) a state's attorney appointed by the
Chief State's Attorney; [(21)] (22) a public defender appointed by the
Chief Public Defender; and [(22)] (23) sixteen public members appointed
as follows: The Governor shall appoint four members, one of whom
shall represent victims of commercial exploitation of children, one of
whom shall represent sex trafficking victims who are children and one
of whom shall represent a coalition of children's advocacy centers and
multidisciplinary teams that are dedicated to serving child abuse
victims and their families, the president pro tempore of the Senate shall
appoint two members, one of whom shall represent the Connecticut
Alliance to End Sexual Violence and one of whom shall represent an
organization that provides civil legal services to low-income
individuals, the speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint
two members, one of whom shall represent the Connecticut Coalition
Against Domestic Violence and one of whom shall represent the
Connecticut Lodging Association, the majority leader of the Senate shall
appoint two members, one of whom shall represent an organization that
deals with behavioral health needs of women and children and one of
whom shall represent the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness,
the majority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint two
members, one of whom shall represent an organization that advocates
on social justice and human rights issues and one of whom shall
represent the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the
minority leader of the Senate shall appoint two members, one of whom
shall represent the Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition and
one of whom shall represent massage therapists, and the minority
leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint two members, one
of whom shall represent the Motor Transport Association of
Connecticut, Inc. and one of whom shall represent an organization that
works with adult victims of trafficking.
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Sec. 3. Subsection (b) of section 17a -3 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2026):
(b) The state -wide program of services shall provide services and
placements that are clinically indicated and appropriate to the needs of
each child or youth. In furtherance of this purpose, the department shall:
(1) Develop a comprehensive program for preven tion and treatment of
problems experienced by children and youths and provide a flexible,
innovative and effective program for the placement, care and treatment
of children and youths committed by any court to the department,
transferred to the departm ent by other departments, or voluntarily
admitted to the department; (2) provide appropriate services to the
families of children and youths as needed to achieve the purposes of
sections 17a-1 to 17a-26, inclusive, 17a-28 to 17a-49, inclusive, and 17a -
51; (3) establish incentive paid work programs for children and youths
under the care of the department and the rates to be paid such children
and youths for work done in such programs, and may provide
allowances to children and youths in the custody of the department; (4)
collect, interpret and publish statistics relating to children and youths
committed to the department; (5) conduct studies of any program,
service or facility developed, operated, contracted for, licensed or
supported by the department in ord er to evaluate its effectiveness; (6)
establish staff development and other training and educational
programs designed to improve the quality of departmental services and
programs, which shall include, but not be limited to, training in the
prevention, identification and effects of family violence and the training
on human trafficking developed under section 17a-106h, as amended by
this act , and may establish educational or training programs for
children, youths, parents or other interested persons on any matter
related to the promotion of the well-being of children, including, but not
limited to, the prevention and treatment of mental illness, substance use
disorders and other disabilities in children and youths; (7) require each
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social worker trainee to complete the training in the prevention,
identification and effects of family violence established pursuant to
subdivision (6) of this subsection and on and after January 1, 2027, the
training on human trafficking developed under section 17a -106h, as
amended by this act, prior to being assigned a case load; (8) develop and
implement aftercare and follow-up services appropriate to the needs of
any child or youth under the care of the department; (9) establish a case
audit unit to monitor each regional office's compliance with regulations
and procedures; (10) develop and maintain a database listing available
community service programs funded by the department; (11) provide
outreach and assistance to persons caring for children whose parents are
unable to care for such children by informing such persons of programs
and benefits for which they may be eligible; and (12) collect data
sufficient to identify the housing needs of children served by the
department and share such data with the Department of Housing.
Sec. 4. Section 17a-106h of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from
passage):
(a) The Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with
the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, shall
develop an initial educational training program and refresher training
program for the accurate and prompt identification and re porting of
suspected human trafficking.
(b) The training program shall include a presentation, developed and
approved by said commissioners, that offers awareness of human
trafficking issues and guidance to (1) law enforcement personnel, (2)
judges of the Superior Court, (3) prosecutors, (4) public defenders and
other attorneys who represent criminal defendants, (5) hospital
emergency room staff, urgent care facility staff and emergency medical
services personnel who have contact with patients, and (6) persons
employed by a local or regional board of education or a constituent unit,
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as defined in section 10a -1, who have contact with students. The
Commissioner of Children and Families shall, within available
appropriations, provide the training developed pursuant to this section
to all employees of the Department of Children and Families and all
providers that provide services pursuant to a cont ract with the
department, except such training shall not be required for employees or
providers who do not have regular contact with children while in the
course of employment or while providing such services. Such training
may consist of a recorded training.
(c) [Any] (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection,
any person described in subsection (b) of this section shall complete the
initial educational training program not later than July 1, 2018, and shall
complete the refresher training program every three years thereafter,
provided any person being employed as such a person shall complete
such initial educational training program not later than six months after
beginning such employment or July 1, 2018, whichever is later.
(2) Each employee of the Department of Children and Families or
contracted-with provider shall complete the initial educational training
program not later than July 1, 2027, and shall complete the refresher
training program every three years thereafter, pr ovided any such
employee shall complete such initial educational training program not
later than six months after beginning such employment or July 1, 2027,
whichever is later, or in the case of a provider, not later than six months
after entering into a c ontract with the department or July 1, 2027,
whichever is later.
Sec. 5. (NEW) ( Effective October 1, 2026 ) (a) The Chief Court
Administrator shall, within available appropriations, develop and
provide training to all employees of the Court Support Services Division
within the Judicial Branch regarding the trafficking of minor children
and adults. The training shall include, but need not be limited to, (1)
awareness and compliance with the laws and protocols concerning
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human trafficking, (2) identification of, access to and provision of
services for victims of trafficking, (3) de -escalation and harm reduction
techniques when encountering victims of human trafficking, and (4)
techniques on receiving disclosures of trauma from minor children. The
Chief Court Administrator may use a recorded training curriculum to
satisfy the requirements of this section.
(b) Each employee of the division shall complete the initial
educational training program not later than July 1, 2027, and shall
complete the refresher training program every three years thereafter,
provided any such employee shall complete such initial ed ucational
training program not later than six months after beginning such
employment or July 1, 2027, whichever is later.
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section, (1)
"child care facility" or "facility" has the same meaning as provided in
section 17a-93 of the general statutes, (2) "operator" means the person
responsible for the total operation of the child care facility, and (3)
"department" means the Department of Children and Families.
(b) Any operator of a child care facility shall:
(1) Maintain policies covering its plans, program and services which
shall be clearly stated in writing and reviewed for necessary updates not
less than annually and, upon request, submit evidence of such annual
review to the Department of Children and Fam ilies, in a manner
prescribed by the department;
(2) Maintain personnel policies for the training and education of
employees, temporary workers, volunteers and interns that include, but
are not limited to, (A) introductory orientation; (B) ongoing training and
development; (C) supervision; and (D) annual evaluations;
(3) Develop a plan for ongoing training which includes a written
curriculum and a minimum number of hours of annual training, review
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such plan not less than once every two years, update such plan as
necessary for consistency with best practices and document the
implementation of such training in a manner prescribed by the
department;
(4) Submit to the department not less than once every two years a
written quality assurance plan that describes how the operator intends
to monitor the quality of the facility services, the extent to which the
facility complies with its stated purpose, pro gram objectives, security
requirements and any other requirements of the department, including
any documentation of the implementation of the quality assurance plan,
with findings and, if applicable, an improvement plan, and make
immediately available any revision of the quality assurance plan to staff
of the facility and the department;
(5) Provide internal and external security measures necessary to
ensure the safety of residents of the facility; and
(6) Provide supervisory staff capable of ensuring (A) the health and
safety of each child; (B) the security and well -being of each child; and
(C) appropriate security of the facility while maintaining a home -like
atmosphere.
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 46a -13l of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
2026):
(a) The Child Advocate shall:
(1) Evaluate the delivery of services to children by state agencies and
those entities that provide services to children through funds provided
by the state;
(2) Review periodically the procedures established by any state
agency providing services to children to carry out the provisions of
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sections 46a-13k to 46a-13p, inclusive, with a view toward the rights of
the children and recommend revisions to such procedures;
(3) Review complaints of persons concerning the actions of any state
or municipal agency providing services to children and of any entity
that provides services to children through funds provided by the state,
make appropriate referrals and investigate those w here the Child
Advocate determines that a child or family may be in need of assistance
from the Child Advocate or that a systemic issue in the state's provision
of services to children is raised by the complaint;
(4) Pursuant to an investigation, provide assistance to a child or
family who the Child Advocate determines is in need of such assistance
including, but not limited to, advocating with an agency, provider or
others on behalf of the best interests of the child;
(5) Periodically review the facilities and procedures of any and all
institutions or residences, public or private, where a juvenile has been
placed by any agency or department , including, but not limited to,
Specialized Trauma-Informed Treatment Assessment and Reunification
Enhancement Plan homes;
(6) Recommend changes in state policies concerning children
including changes in the system of providing juvenile justice, child care,
foster care and treatment;
(7) Take all possible action including, but not limited to, conducting
programs of public education, undertaking legislative advocacy and
making proposals for systemic reform and formal legal action, in order
to secure and ensure the legal, civil and special rights of children who
reside in this state;
(8) Provide training and technical assistance to attorneys
representing children and guardians ad litem appointed by the Superior
Court;
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(9) Periodically review the number of special needs children in any
foster care or permanent care facility and recommend changes in the
policies and procedures for the placement of such children;
(10) Serve or designate a person to serve as a member of the child
fatality review panel established in subsection (b) of this section;
(11) Take appropriate steps to advise the public of the services of the
Office of the Child Advocate, the purpose of the office and procedures
to contact the office;
(12) Prepare an in -depth report on conditions of confinement,
including, but not limited to, compliance with section 46a -152,
regarding children twenty-one years of age or younger who are held in
secure detention or correctional confinement in any facility operated by
a state agency. Such report shall be submitted, in accordance with the
provisions of section 11 -4a, to the joint standing committee of the
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children not
later than March 1, 2017, and every two years thereafter; and
(13) Present to the advisory committee, established pursuant to
section 46a-13r at least three times each year, a report on the goals of and
projects undertaken by the Office of the Child Advocate, within
available appropriations, that are consistent with the r esponsibilities of
the Child Advocate.
Sec. 8. (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) The Statewide Steering Committee of
the Regionalized Human Trafficking Recovery Taskforce established by
the Division of Criminal Justice shall establish a Human Trafficking
Prevention and Response Subcommittee consisting of members
appointed by the Regionalized Human Trafficking Recovery Taskforce
as necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. Such
subcommittee shall serve as a public -private partnership to implement
the recommendations set forth in the Regiona lized Human Trafficking
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Recovery Taskforce's report entitled "A Blueprint to Strengthen
Connecticut's Response to Human Trafficking".
(b) Such implementation shall include, but need not be limited to:
(1) Advancing development of a permanent state -wide governing
body to coordinate the state's anti -trafficking response across agencies
and service providers, to assist both minor children and adult victims of
trafficking, as defined in section 46a -170 of t he general statutes, as
amended by this act, and to create state-wide standards related to such
coordination;
(2) Creating and implementing a standardized, cross -disciplinary
human trafficking training framework and centralized learning
management system;
(3) Developing and implementing a unified state-wide data collection
process based on shared definitions, standardized reporting fields and
secure data-sharing protocols;
(4) Designing and implementing standardized, trauma -informed
screening questions and referral pathways to ensure consistent
identification of and response to victims of human trafficking across
systems;
(5) Expanding and strengthening state -wide service capacity by
mapping and verifying existing providers, identifying service and
funding gaps, and supporting development of a vetted state -wide
resource directory; and
(6) Reviewing trafficking trends, identifying systemic gaps and
developing policy recommendations to be submitted to the Trafficking
in Persons Council, established pursuant to section 46a -170 of the
general statutes, as amended by this act, consistent wit h the work
undertaken pursuant to this subsection.
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(c) The subcommittee shall not replace or supersede the statutory
authority of Trafficking in Persons Council, established pursuant to
section 46a-170 of the general statutes, as amended by this act.
Sec. 9. Subsection (b) of section 17a -106a of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
2026):
(b) The Commissioner of Children and Families, as department head
of the lead agency, and the appropriate state's attorney [may] shall
establish multidisciplinary teams for the purposes of (1) reviewing
particular cases or particular types of cases, (2) coordinating the
intervention in and prevention of child abuse or neglect or trafficking of
children and the treatment of abused, neglected or trafficked children in
each judicial district, (3) reviewing selected cases of child abuse or
neglect or trafficking of chi ldren, (4) advancing and coordinating the
prompt investigation of suspected cases of child abuse or neglect or
trafficking of children, (5) reducing the trauma experienced by alleged
victims of such abuse or neglect or trafficking and, (6) ensuring the
treatment of abused, neglected or trafficked children and the protection
of such children and their families . The head of the local law
enforcement agency or such head's designee may request the assistance
of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency
Services and Public Protection in order to accomplish such purposes.
Sec. 10. Section 17a -106f of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
(a) The Commissioner of Children and Families may: (1) Provide
child welfare services for any minor child residing in the state who is
identified by the Department of Children and Families as a victim of
trafficking, as defined in section 46a-170, as amended by this act; and (2)
provide appropriate services to a minor child residing in the state who
the Department of Children and Families reasonably believes may be a
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victim of trafficking in order to safeguard the welfare of such minor
child. For purposes of this section and section 17a-106a, as amended by
this act, "minor child" means any person under eighteen years of age.
(b) The Commissioner of Children and Families [may] shall, within
available appropriations and in collaboration with the Criminal Justice
Policy and Planning Division within the Office of Policy and
Management, provide assistance to the Police Officer Standards and
Training Council in developing training [to] for law enforcement
[officials] officers regarding the trafficking of minor children [. The
training shall include, but not be limited to, (1) awareness and
compliance with the laws and protocols concerning trafficking of minor
children, (2) identification of, access to and provision of services for
minor children who are victims of trafficking, and (3) any other services
the department deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this
section and section 17a -106a] and adults, as described in section 11 of
this act.
Sec. 11. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) Each police basic or review
training program conducted or administered by the Police Officer
Standards and Training Council established under section 7-294b of the
general statutes or a municipal police department in the state shall
include training on t he trafficking of minor children and adults,
developed pursuant to section 17a -106f of the general statutes, as
amended by this act. The training shall include, but not be limited to, (1)
awareness and compliance wi th the laws and protocols concerning
trafficking of minor children and adults, (2) identification of, access to
and provision of services for minor children and adults who are victims
of trafficking, and (3) any other services the council deems necessary to
carry out the provisions of sections 17a-106a and 17a-106f of the general
statutes, as amended by this act.
Sec. 12. ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) Not later than October 1, 2026, the
Commissioner of Correction shall issue a request for proposals to obtain
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proposals for a confidential crisis hotline to report incidents of sexual
violence for purposes of making such hotline available to correction
officers and persons who are incarcerated in a correctional institution,
including, but not limited to, the York Correctional Institution. Not later
than January 1, 2027, the commissioner shall report the results of such
request for proposals and any request for appropriations to establish
such hotline, in accordance with the provisions of section 11 -4a of the
general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to government
oversight, judiciary and appropriations and the budgets of state
agencies.
Sec. 13. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) Not later than December 1,
2026, the Commissioner of Correction shall (1) revise the Department of
Correction's existing policy concerning the use of any confidential crisis
hotline to report incidents of sexual violence that is available to
correction officers and persons who are incarcerated in a correctional
institution, and (2) post such revised pol icy on the Internet web site of
the department. The revised policy shall ensure that persons who are
incarcerated can access such hotline at no charge, in a location that
enables such persons to access such hotline confidentially and without
the supervision of, or permission from, any employee of the Department
of Correction.
Sec. 14. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 4 -68m of the 2026
supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
(a) There is established a Criminal Justice Policy and Planning
Division within the Office of Policy and Management. The division shall
be under the direction of an undersecretary.
(b) The division shall promote a more effective and cohesive state
criminal justice system by:
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(1) Conducting an in-depth analysis of the criminal justice system;
(2) Determining the long -range needs of the criminal justice system
and recommending policy priorities for the system;
(3) Identifying critical problems in the criminal justice system and
recommending strategies to solve those problems;
(4) Assessing the cost-effectiveness of the use of state and local funds
in the criminal justice system;
(5) Recommending means to improve the deterrent and rehabilitative
capabilities of the criminal justice system;
(6) Advising and assisting the General Assembly in developing plans,
programs and proposed legislation for improving the effectiveness of
the criminal justice system;
(7) Making computations of daily costs and comparing interagency
costs on services provided by agencies that are a part of the criminal
justice system;
(8) Making population computations for use in planning for the long-
range needs of the criminal justice system;
(9) Determining long-range information needs of the criminal justice
system and acquiring that information;
(10) Cooperating with the Office of the Victim Advocate by providing
information and assistance to the office relating to the improvement of
crime victims' services;
(11) Serving as the liaison for the state to the United States
Department of Justice on criminal justice issues of interest to the state
and federal government relating to data, information systems and
research;
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(12) Measuring the success of community -based services and
programs in reducing recidivism;
(13) Developing and implementing a comprehensive reentry strategy
as provided in section 18-81w;
(14) Engaging in other activities consistent with the responsibilities of
the division; [and]
(15) Advising and providing assistance to the state concerning
development of coordination of trafficking prevention efforts among
executive branch state agencies and other multidisciplinary partners ,
including, but not limited to, assisting in providing training pursuant to
section 17a-106f, as amended by this act; and
[(15)] (16) Developing and implementing policies for the state -wide
delivery of postsecondary educational programs in correctional
facilities, including, but not limited to, policies pertaining to federal Pell
grants and prison education programs.