Office of Crime Victims Advocacy. The Office of Crime Victim Advocacy (OCVA) is housed within the Department of Commerce. Crime victim programs work with governments, community-based organizations and individuals to reduce the impact of crime, substance abuse, and violence. The programs use advocacy, prevention, education, treatment, and law enforcement to stop violence, substance abuse, and their social impacts so that Washington’s communities are the best places to work and live.
The OCVA is designated as a single point of contact in state government regarding the trafficking of persons. The Washington State Clearinghouse on Human Trafficking is created as an information portal to share and coordinate statewide efforts to combat the trafficking of persons.
Commercially Sexually Exploited Children. The Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Statewide Coordinating Committee (Committee) addresses issues related to children who are commercially sexually exploited, examines the practices of local and regional entities involved in addressing sexually exploited children, and makes recommendations on statewide laws and practices. The Committee must meet at least annually.
The Committee is convened by the Office of the Attorney General. The Committee members include representatives from the Legislature, the Governor's Office, state agencies, courts, victim advocates, law enforcement, service providers, regional task forces on commercially sexually exploited children, attorneys, and a survivor of human trafficking.
The Committee expires on June 30, 2023, and must annually report its findings to the appropriate committees of the Legislature and to any other known statewide committees addressing trafficking or the commercial sex trade.
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) must provide services to support commercially sexually exploited children, including providing at least one liaison position in each of the six regions of the DCYF.
DCYF administers funding for two receiving center programs for commercially sexually exploited youth ages 12 to 17 on the west and east side of the Cascade Mountains. The receiving centers:
Subject to appropriation, OCVA is to administer funding for healing, support, and transition services for adults with the lived experience of sex trafficking. At least one of the healing, support, and transition service providers is to be in eastern Washington and one in western Washington.
The healing, support, and transition service providers must:
The OCVA shall:
By December 1, 2024, OCVA is to submit an initial report to the Legislature that includes the following information by service providers:
Beginning December 1, 2025, OCVA is to submit an annual report to the Legislature that includes the following information by service provider:
Beginning December 1, 2025, OCVA is to submit an annual report to DCYF that includes data on current and former foster youth provided healing, support, and transition services. DCYF shall use this data for coordination with its liaisons for commercially sexually exploited children.
Definitions. Adult with lived experience of sex trafficking means any person age 18 or older who was a person who has been forced or coerced to perform a commercial sex act including, but not limited to, being a victim of offenses defined in RCW 9A.40.100, 9A.88.070, 9.68A.101, and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, 22 U.S.C. Sec. 7101 et seq.; or a person who was induced to perform a commercial sex act when they were less than 18 years of age, including but not limited to, the offenses defined in chapter 9.68A RCW.
Healing, support, and transition service provider means an entity or person that provides healing and transition services that meet the self-determined needs of adults with lived experience of sex trafficking ages 18 and older.
Healing, support, and transition services means safe and trauma-informed services tailored to the self-determined needs of each individual. Healing, support, and transition services include advocacy, safety planning, housing and related support including support related to relocation, substance use disorder treatment; medical and behavioral health services and other trauma-informed services; legal advocacy, which may include immigration system support, vacatur support, or other civil legal assistance, translation and interpretation, education, job training, employment support, outreach; and emergency financial assistance.
The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard. PRO: In 2020, the national human trafficking hotline rated Washington as 11th highest number of reported cases of human trafficking in the nation yet there are very few resources and supports available to support individuals who are victims. People of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community are accessing these services disproportionately and need help. Around 300 of missing indigenous people were forced or coerced into trafficking in 2022. A system is needed to help victims of trafficking once they are found. Transitional services are the difference between life and death for many trafficking survivors. This problem requires more than a band aid, a collaborative and nonjudgmental program to support survivors is needed to meet them where they are at.
OTHER: We need to expand the scope of the services to include prostitutes. Many people don't even realize they are trafficked.
PRO: Trafficking is a huge problem occurring all over Washington State. This bill concentrates on ensuring that programs throughout the state help victims heal and transition out of the sex trades. It will build a network to provide health, safety, and wellness services to society's most vulnerable. The fiscal note is based on an estimate of programs around the state. Less may be needed to help them do their work.