S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7278
I N S E N A T E
April 12, 2016
___________
Introduced by Sen. FUNKE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the composition
of the interagency task force on human trafficking and their meetings
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 483-ee of the social services law, as added by
chapter 74 of the laws of 2007 and subdivision (a) as amended by section
5 of part A-1 of chapter 56 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
follows:
S 483-ee. Establishment of interagency task force on human traffick-
ing. (a) There is established an interagency task force on trafficking
in persons, which shall consist of the following members or their desig-
nees: (1) the commissioner of the division of criminal justice services;
(2) the commissioner of the office of temporary and disability assist-
ance; (3) the commissioner of health; (4) the commissioner of the office
of mental health; (5) the commissioner of labor; (6) the commissioner of
the office of children and family services; (7) the commissioner of the
office of alcoholism and substance abuse services; (8) the director of
the office of victim services; (9) the executive director of the office
for the prevention of domestic violence; and (10) the superintendent of
the division of state police; AND THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL MEMBERS, WHO
SHALL BE PROMPTLY APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, EACH FOR A TERM OF TWO
YEARS, PROVIDED THAT SUCH PERSON'S MEMBERSHIP SHALL CONTINUE AFTER SUCH
TWO YEAR TERM UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED AND PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT
A MEMBER MAY BE REAPPOINTED IF AGAIN RECOMMENDED IN THE MANNER SPECIFIED
IN THIS SUBDIVISION: (11) TWO MEMBERS, WHO SHALL BE APPOINTED ON THE
RECOMMENDATION OF THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; (12) TWO
MEMBERS, WHO SHALL BE APPOINTED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SPEAKER OF
THE ASSEMBLY; (13) TWO MEMBERS, WHO SHALL BE APPOINTED ON THE RECOMMEN-
DATION OF THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN NEW YORK STATE THAT
RECEIVES THE LARGEST SHARE OF FUNDS, APPROPRIATED BY AND THROUGH THE
STATE BUDGET, FOR PROVIDING SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AS
SHALL BE IDENTIFIED ANNUALLY IN WRITING BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13996-01-6
S. 7278 2
AND (14) ONE MEMBER, WHO SHALL BE APPOINTED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE
PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION; and others as may be
necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities under this
section. The task force will be co-chaired by the commissioners of the
division of criminal justice services and the office of temporary and
disability assistance, or their designees. It shall meet as often as is
necessary, BUT NO LESS THAN THREE TIMES PER YEAR, and under circum-
stances as are appropriate to fulfilling its duties under this section.
ALL MEMBERS SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH WRITTEN NOTICE REASONABLY IN ADVANCE
OF EACH MEETING WITH DATE, TIME AND LOCATION OF SUCH MEETING.
(b) The task force shall: (1) collect and organize data on the nature
and extent of trafficking in persons in the state; (2) identify avail-
able federal, state and local programs that provide services to victims
of trafficking, including but not limited to case management, housing,
health care, mental health counseling, drug addiction screening and
treatment, language interpretation and translation services, English
language instruction, job training and placement assistance, post-em-
ployment services for job retention, and services to assist the individ-
ual and any of his or her family members to establish a permanent resi-
dence in New York state or the United States; (3) consult with
governmental and non-governmental organizations in developing recommen-
dations to strengthen state and local efforts to prevent trafficking,
protect and assist victims of trafficking and prosecute traffickers; (4)
establish interagency protocols and collaboration between federal,
state, and local law enforcement, state and governmental agencies, child
welfare agencies, and non-governmental organizations; (5) evaluate
approaches to increase public awareness about trafficking and make
recommendations on such approaches; (6) evaluate the effectiveness of
training programs on human trafficking that have been designed for law
enforcement personnel, criminal defense attorneys, social service
providers and non-governmental organizations, and make recommendations
for improving the quality and effectiveness of such programs; [and] (7)
measure and evaluate the progress of the state in preventing traffick-
ing, protecting and providing assistance to victims of trafficking, and
prosecuting persons engaged in trafficking; AND (8) CONVENE ANY SUBCOM-
MITTEE NECESSARY, PROVIDED SUCH SUBCOMMITTEE HAS AT LEAST ONE OF THE
MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE OR GOVERNOR, TO CONSIDER SPECIFIC ISSUES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO: FEDERAL, STATE AND/OR LOCAL COOPERATION; JUVENILES AND HUMAN
TRAFFICKING; THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING AND WHO SHOULD RECEIVE SUCH
TRAINING; HOW DATA IS COMPILED AND SHARED; AND SERVICES FOR AND TREAT-
MENT OF DOMESTIC VERSUS FOREIGN BORN VICTIMS.
(c) [One year from the effective date of this section, or earlier if
deemed appropriate, the] THE task force shall report to the governor
[and the legislature on these issues], THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE
MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE NO LESS THAN ANNUALLY, and it
shall [thereafter] ADDITIONALLY issue such reports and recommendations
as it deems necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
the amendments to section 483-ee of the social services law made by
section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and
shall be deemed to be repealed therewith.
