SENATE BILL No. 596

 

 

October 3, 2013, Introduced by Senators ROBERTSON, HANSEN, ANDERSON, GREGORY, WARREN, JANSEN, PROOS, NOFS, JONES, PAPPAGEORGE, ANANICH, HOPGOOD, CASPERSON, MOOLENAAR, BRANDENBURG, MARLEAU, ROCCA, MEEKHOF, CASWELL, BOOHER, COLBECK, YOUNG, HILDENBRAND, KAHN, RICHARDVILLE, BIEDA and EMMONS and referred to the Committee on Families, Seniors and Human Services.

 

 

     A bill to create the human trafficking board act; to provide

 

for an interdepartmental human trafficking board; to prescribe the

 

membership of the human trafficking board; and to prescribe the

 

duties and responsibilities of the human trafficking board.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "human

 

trafficking board act".

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Board" means the human trafficking board created in

 

section 3.

 

     (b) "Human trafficking" means a violation of chapter LXVIIA of

 

the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.462a to 750.462j.

 

     Sec. 3. (1) The human trafficking board is created as an

 

autonomous entity within the department of state police. The board

 


shall include all of the following members:

 

     (a) The governor or his or her designated representative from

 

within the office of the governor.

 

     (b) The state attorney general or his or her designated

 

representative from within the department of attorney general.

 

     (c) The director of the department of state police or his or

 

her designated representative from within the department of state

 

police.

 

     (d) The director of the department of human services or his or

 

her designated representative from within the department of human

 

services.

 

     (e) The director of the department of community health or his

 

or her designated representative from within the department of

 

community health.

 

     (f) The director of the department of licensing and regulatory

 

affairs or his or her designated representative from within the

 

department of licensing and regulatory affairs.

 

     (g) One individual appointed by the senate majority leader.

 

     (h) One individual appointed by the senate minority leader.

 

     (i) One individual appointed by the speaker of the house of

 

representatives.

 

     (j) One individual appointed by the minority leader of the

 

house of representatives.

 

     (k) One individual who is a circuit court judge and who is

 

appointed by the governor.

 

     (l) One individual who is a county prosecuting attorney and who

 

is appointed by the governor.

 


     (m) One individual who is a police officer and who is

 

appointed by the governor.

 

     (2) The members first appointed to the board under subsection

 

(1)(g) to (m) shall be appointed within 90 days after the effective

 

date of this act.

 

     (3) Members of the board appointed under subsection (1)(g) to

 

(h) shall serve for terms of 4 years or until a successor is

 

appointed, whichever is later.

 

     (4) If a vacancy occurs on the board, the appointing authority

 

shall make an appointment for the unexpired term in the same manner

 

as the original appointment.

 

     (5) The governor may remove a member of the board for

 

incompetence, dereliction of duty, malfeasance, misfeasance, or

 

nonfeasance in office, or any other good cause.

 

     (6) The first meeting of the board shall be called by January

 

1, 2014. At the first meeting, the board shall elect from among its

 

members a chairperson and other officers as it considers necessary

 

or appropriate. After the first meeting, the board shall meet at

 

least quarterly, or more frequently at the call of the chairperson

 

or if requested by a majority of the members then serving.

 

     (7) A majority of the members of the board constitute a quorum

 

for the transaction of business at a meeting of the board. A

 

majority of the members present and serving are required for the

 

official action of the board.

 

     (8) The business that the board may perform shall be conducted

 

at a public meeting of the board held in compliance with the open

 

meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.

 


     (9) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or

 

retained by the board in the performance of an official function is

 

subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231

 

to 15.246.

 

     (10) Members of the board shall serve without compensation.

 

However, members of the board may be reimbursed for their actual

 

and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their

 

official duties as members of the board.

 

     Sec. 4. The board shall do all of the following:

 

     (a) Collect and analyze information regarding human

 

trafficking in this state.

 

     (b) Identify state and local agencies within this state and

 

other states, as well as within the federal government, that are

 

involved with issues relating to human trafficking, and coordinate

 

the dissemination of information regarding human trafficking in

 

this state to those agencies.

 

     (c) Review the existing services available to assist victims

 

of human trafficking, including crime victim assistance, health

 

care, and legal assistance, and establish a program to make those

 

victims better aware of the services that are available to them.

 

     (d) Establish a program to improve public awareness of human

 

trafficking.

 

     (e) Review existing state laws and administrative rules

 

relating to human trafficking and make recommendations to the

 

legislature to improve those laws and rules to address human

 

trafficking violations in this state.

 

     (f) File an annual report with the secretary of the senate and

 


the clerk of the house of representatives regarding its activities

 

under this act. The report shall be filed not later than February 1

 

of each year.