HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2942

As Passed House:

February 10, 2010

Title: An act relating to human trafficking training for criminal justice and correctional personnel, and other public safety employees.

Brief Description: Offering human trafficking training for criminal justice and correctional personnel, and other public safety employees.

Sponsors: Representatives O'Brien, Pearson, Dickerson, Goodman, Ericks, Roberts, Kelley, Finn, Appleton, McCoy, Springer, Darneille, Hurst, Priest, Hinkle, Clibborn, Liias, Hope, Klippert, Herrera, Ormsby, Morrell, Conway, Santos, Johnson, Kenney, Hasegawa and McCune.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness: 1/29/10 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 2/10/10, 96-0.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Hurst, Chair; O'Brien, Vice Chair; Pearson, Ranking Minority Member; Klippert, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Appleton, Goodman, Kirby and Ross.

Staff: Yvonne Walker (786-7841).

Background:

The Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) was established in 1974. Its primary purpose is to provide basic law enforcement training, corrections training, and educational programs for criminal justice personnel, including commissioned officers, corrections officers, fire marshals, and prosecuting attorneys.

Basic law enforcement officer training is generally required of all law enforcement officers, with the exception of volunteers, and reserve officers employed in Washington. The training consists of a 720-hour program covering a wide variety of subjects including: constitutional and criminal law and procedures, criminal investigation, firearms training, and communication and writing skills. All law enforcement personnel hired, transferred, or promoted, are required to complete the core training requirements within six months unless the employee receives a waiver from the CJTC.

Human trafficking can generally be defined as any act that involves the recruitment or transportation of a person, within or across national borders, for work or services, by means of violence or threat of violence, debt bondage, deception or other coercion. A person may be trafficked for a number of reasons including forced prostitution, exploitative domestic service in private homes, and indentured servitude in sweatshops.

Summary of Bill:

The CJTC must offer training on the subject of human trafficking to all criminal justice and correctional personnel and all employees of state and local agencies that perform public safety duties.

The CJTC must consult with other appropriate public and private organizations that have expertise on the subject of reducing and preventing human trafficking. The training must include a minimum of one hour of classroom or Internet instruction on:

• how to identify suspicious illegal human trafficking activities; and

• suggestions on where victims of human trafficking can get healthcare, human services, housing, education, legal assistance, job training, interpreting services, language classes, and victim's compensation.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This is an important piece of legislation. Human trafficking has been going on since the beginning of time. Today many young people, both boys and girls, are forcibly involved in human trafficking. With the winter Olympics approaching, we can see the increase of brothels popping up near the international border as well as many prostitutes that are forced to stand and hang around. This bill requests the CJTC to include training to officers about human trafficking that specifically deals with the sex trade. About 20 percent of runaways in this country are forced into a sex trade within their first 48 hours on the street. Human trafficking is a real problem.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative O'Brien, prime sponsor.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.