Expands duties of Commission on Human Trafficking to prevent human trafficking in women and children of color.

A2178

ASSEMBLY, No. 2178

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblywoman ROSAURA "ROSY" BAGOLIE

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Haider, Assemblymen McClellan, Stanley,
Assemblywomen Murphy, Lopez, Assemblyman Simonsen, Assemblywoman Flynn,
Assemblymen Miller and Rodriguez

SYNOPSIS

���� Expands duties of Commission on Human Trafficking to
prevent human trafficking in women and children of color.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning human trafficking, and amending
P.L.2013, c.51.

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

����� 1.�� Section
1 of P.L.2013, c.51 (C.52:17B-237) is amended to read as follows:

����� 1.�
a.� There is hereby created, in the Division of Criminal Justice in the
Department of Law and Public Safety, a commission to be known as the Commission
on Human Trafficking, consisting of 15 members as follows: the Attorney
General, or his designee; the Commissioner of Children and Families, or his
designee; the Commissioner of Human Services, or his designee; a county
prosecutor, appointed by the Governor based upon the recommendation of the
County Prosecutors Association of the State of New Jersey; one member of the
New Jersey Human Trafficking Task Force established within the Department of
Law and Public Safety, designated by the Attorney General; two public members
appointed by the Governor based upon the recommendation of the Senate
President, one representing law enforcement and one representing a victim's
assistance organization; one public member appointed by the Governor based upon
the recommendation of the Senate Minority Leader representing either a
non-profit health care facility or mental health services; two public members
appointed by the Governor based upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the
General Assembly, one representing law enforcement and one representing a
victim's assistance organization; one public member appointed by the Governor
based upon the recommendation of the Assembly Minority Leader representing
either a non-profit health care facility or mental health services; and four
public members appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be a representative
of a child advocacy organization concerning missing, abducted, or exploited
children, and one of whom shall be a human trafficking survivor.� All public
members shall have experience with, possess a background in, or demonstrate a
specialized knowledge of, the legal, policy, educational, social, or
psychological aspects of human trafficking.

����� b.�
(1)� Of the public members first appointed:

����� (a)� the
following shall serve for a term of three years:� one member appointed upon the
recommendation of the Senate President; one member appointed upon the
recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly; and two members
appointed by the Governor; and

����� (b)� the
following shall serve for a term of two years: one member appointed upon the
recommendation of the Senate President; one member appointed upon the
recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly; each member appointed
upon the recommendation of the Senate and Assembly Minority Leaders; and two
members appointed by the Governor.

����� (c)� Upon
the conclusion of the initial terms, each public member shall be appointed for
a term of three years.

����� (2)� Each
member appointed shall hold office for the term of appointment and until a
successor shall have been appointed and qualified.

����� (3)� Any
vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled by appointment in
the same manner as the original appointment was made.

����� c.�� (1)�
The commission shall organize upon the appointment of a majority of its
authorized membership.� The members shall elect one of the members to serve as
chair and vice-chair, and the chair may appoint a secretary, who need not be a
member of the commission.

����� (2)� The
commission shall meet at those times and places within the State of New Jersey
as the commission shall determine.� A majority of the commission's
[
authorized
]
membership shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of any business, for the performance of any duty, or for the
exercise of any power of the commission.

����� d.�� The
members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be
eligible for reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in
the performance of their official duties within the limits of funds
appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.

����� e.�� The
Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety shall,
at the direction of the Attorney General, provide legal, stenographic,
technical, clerical, and other staff and resource assistance to the commission,
and additionally the commission may incur expenses as may be necessary in order
to perform its duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made
available to it for its purposes.

����� f.��� It
shall be the duty of the commission to:

����� (1)� Evaluate
the existing law concerning human trafficking and the enforcement thereof, and
to make recommendations for legislation, if appropriate;

����� (2)� Review
existing victim assistance programs and analyze the costs, organization, and
availability of these services for victims of human trafficking and to make
recommendations for legislation, if appropriate;

����� (3)� Promote
a coordinated response by public and private resources for victims of human
trafficking;
[
and
]

����� (4)� Develop
mechanisms to promote public awareness of human trafficking, victim remedies
and services, and trafficking prevention including the creation of a public
awareness sign promoting the national, 24-hour toll-free hotline telephone
service on human trafficking described under section 18 of P.L.2013, c.51
(C.2C:13-11), and the promotion of training courses and other educational
materials for use by persons required under section 19 of P.L.2013, c.51
(C.2C:13-12) to undergo training on the handling of and response procedures for
suspected human trafficking activities
; and

�����
(5)� Study
issues related to human trafficking of women and children of color, including,
but not limited to, the social, demographic or other risk factors that make
members of these groups vulnerable to such exploitation; identify strategies to
prevent or reduce human trafficking of women and children of color; to enhance
and facilitate the delivery of support services for such victims and; make
recommendations for legislation, if appropriate
.

����� g.�� The
commission shall report annually to the Governor and to the Legislature,
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164

(C.52:14-19.1), its activities, as well as its findings and recommendations for
any needed new services or resources for victims of human trafficking, and any
proposed changes to the current law concerning human trafficking.

(cf:
P.L.2021, c.3, s.1)

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill expands the duties
of the Commission on Human Trafficking in the Division of Criminal Justice in
the Department of Law and Public Safety.� The bill requires the commission to
study issues related to human trafficking of women and children of color,
identify strategies to prevent or reduce human trafficking of women and
children of color, enhance and facilitate the delivery of support services for
such victims, and make recommendations for legislation, if appropriate.

���� The bill clarifies that a
majority of the members of Human Trafficking Commission (commission)
constitutes a quorum for purposes of the Commission performing any duty or
exercising any of its powers.� The bill removes the requirement that a majority
of the �authorized membership� be required for a quorum so as to prevent, in
the absence or vacancy of any members, the interruption of the commission�s
statutory mandate.