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DELAWARE Legislation
Human Trafficking- House Bill 164
Date Enacted/Effected:
2/14/18
Synopsis/ Summary:
This Act clarifies that the representative appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services to the Human Trafficking Interagency Coordinating Council shall serve as the Council’s temporary chair for the purposes of organizing the initial meeting of the members. A permanent Chair and Vice Chair are to be elected at the first organizational meeting and shall be elected annually thereafter from among the members of the Council.
Bill Text:
HOUSE BILL NO. 291
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend § 787 of Title 11 of the Delaware code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
(k) The Human Trafficking Coordinating Council is hereby dissolved and reestablished as the Human Trafficking Interagency Coordinating Council to assume the functions of the Human Trafficking Coordinating Council and to administer and implement this chapter, and to perform such other responsibilities as may be entrusted to it by law.
(1) The Human Trafficking Interagency Coordinating Council shall consist of 13 members:
a. Two representatives of the Judicial Branch, as appointed by the Chief Justice;
b. A representative of the Department of Justice to be appointed by the Attorney General;
c. A representative of the Office of Defense Services to be appointed by the Chief Defender;
d. A representative of the law-enforcement community to be appointed by the Speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives;
e. A representative of the health-care community to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Delaware State Senate;
f. A representative of the Department of Health and Social Services to be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services and shall serve as Chair of the Human Trafficking Interagency Coordinating Council ;
g. A representative of the Department of Labor to be appointed by the Secretary of Labor;
h. A representative of the Department of Services for the Children, Youth and Their Families to be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Services for the Children, Youth and Their Families;
i. Four members who are advocates or persons who work with victims of human trafficking to be appointed by the Governor for a 3-year term and shall be eligible for reappointment. Members shall include representation from all 3 counties of the State.
j. The representative appointed to the Council by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services shall serve as the temporary Chair of the Council to guide the initial organization of the council by setting a date, time, and place for the initial organizational meeting, and by supervising the preparation and distribution of the notice and agenda for the initial organizational meeting of the council. Members of the Council shall elect a Chair and a Vice Chair from among the members of the Council at the initial organizational meeting. Thereafter, the a Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected annually from among the members.