ADVOCATE | EDUCATE | COLLABORATE
IOWA LEGISLATION
Human Trafficking - Bill 545
Enacted: 03/21/2023
Bill Text:
A BILL FOR 1 An Act providing for a human traficking task force and 2 providing information in an annual report to the general 3 assembly. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. NEW SECTION. 80.45B Human traficking task 2 force. 3 1. The commissioner shall establish, by January 30, 2024, a 4 task force that shall do all of the following: 5 a. Collaborate with the ofice to combat human traficking. 6 b.
Examine the extent of human traficking of minors in the 7 state. 8 c. Identify current initiatives to eliminate human 9 traficking of minors in the state. 10 d. Identify current services available in the state to minor 11 victims of human traficking. 12 e.
Research and recommend a model of rehabilitative services 13 for minor victims of human traficking that includes input from 14 law enforcement, social services organizations, the judicial 15 system, and mental health professionals. 16 f. Identify barriers that prevent minor victims of human 17 traficking from seeking legal assistance or medical attention. 18 g. Create a procedure to be followed by all law enforcement 19 oficers statewide if a law enforcement oficer encounters a 20 minor who may be a victim of human traficking. For purposes 21 of this section, “law enforcement oficer” means an oficer 22 appointed by the director of the department of natural 23 resources, a member of a police force or other agency or 24 department of the state, county, city, or tribal government 25 regularly employed as such and who is responsible for the 26 prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of the 27 criminal laws of this state and all individuals, as determined 28 by the Iowa law enforcement academy council, who by the nature 29 of their duties may be required to perform the duties of a 30 peace oficer. 31 h. Create a pathway for the implementation of a safe harbor 32 law that prohibits the prosecution of minor victims of human 33 traficking, and directs minor victims of human traficking to 34 rehabilitative services. 35 i. Investigate and identify potential routes to eliminate -1- SF 545 (3) 90 ko/rh/mb 1/4 S.F. 545 1 human traficking of minors in the state. 2 j. Report on findings and make recommendations in the report 3 submitted by the ofice to combat human traficking to the 4 general assembly under subsection 5. 5 2. The task force shall consist of the following members: 6 a. The commissioner or the commissioner’s designee. 7 b. The coordinator of the ofice to combat human 8 traficking. 9 c. The director of the law enforcement academy or the 10 director’s designee. 11 d. The attorney general or the attorney general’s designee. 12 e. The director of health and human services or the 13 director’s designee. 14 f. The director of juvenile court services or the director’s 15 designee. 16 g. Two judges, each from a different juvenile court in this 17 state. 18 h. The following members who shall be appointed by the 19 governor: 20 (1) The chief of police or head law enforcement oficial of 21 a city in this
state with a population of two hundred thousand 22 or more as determined by the most recent population estimates 23 issued by the United States bureau of census. 24
(2) The chief of police or head law enforcement oficial of 25 a city in this state with a population of less than two hundred 26 thousand as determined by the most recent population estimates 27 issued by the United States bureau of census. 28 (3) A county sheriff. 29 (4) Two county attorneys who serve on child protection 30 assistance teams under section 915.35, subsection 4, paragraph 31 “a”. 32 (5) Three members of the multidisciplinary team created by 33 the department of health and human services for child abuse 34 investigations. 35 (6) Six members of the general public who are former human -2- SF 545 (3) 90 ko/rh/mb 2/4 S.F. 545 1 traficking victims. 2 (7) A representative of a victim services agency selected by 3 the Iowa coalition against sexual assault. 4 (8) Two criminal defense attorneys with experience in human 5 traficking cases. 6 3. a. The members of the task force appointed by the 7 governor shall serve six-year terms, except that of the 8 members first appointed, five shall serve an initial two-year 9 term, five shall serve an initial four-year term, and seven 10 shall serve an initial six-year term. Thereafter, all other 11 appointed members shall serve a six-year term. 12 b. The governor shall appoint a new member to fill a vacancy 13 that occurs before the end of the term of a member appointed by 14 the governor, and the newly appointed member shall serve for 15 the remaining period of the term. 16 c. A member of the task force may be appointed to serve more 17 than one term. 18 d. A member of the task force shall not continue to serve 19 on the task force beyond the date at which the member no longer 20 holds the ofice, employment, or status by which the member had 21 been eligible to serve on the task force. 22 e. A member of the task force appointed by the governor 23 may be removed from the task force for being absent from three 24 regularly scheduled meetings of the task force during any 25 six-month period. 26 f. Thirteen members of the task force shall constitute 27 a quorum and the task force shall have the power to act by 28 a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a 29 quorum is present. 30 4. The commissioner or the commissioner’s designee shall 31 serve as the chairperson of the task force. 32 5. The commissioner or the commissioner’s designee shall 33 provide the findings and recommendations of the task force 34 to the coordinator of the ofice to combat human traficking 35 for inclusion in the annual report submitted by the ofice to -3- SF 545 (3) 90 ko/rh/mb 3/4 S.F. 545 1 the general assembly pursuant to section 80.45, subsection 3, 2 paragraph “h”.