CSHB 259(STA): "An Act establishing the Council on Human and Sex Trafficking; relating to the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 259(STA) 01 "An Act establishing the Council on Human and Sex Trafficking; relating to the Council 02 on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 18.66.050 is amended to read: 05 Sec. 18.66.050. Duties of the council. The council shall 06 (1) select two of its members by majority vote to serve on a joint 07 hiring committee with two members of the Council on Human and Sex 08 Trafficking to recruit and hire an executive director to oversee the council and the 09 Council on Human and Sex Trafficking, and the executive director may hire staff; 10 the executive director is in the exempt service under AS 39.25.110 and staff members 11 are in the classified service under AS 39.25.100; 12 (2) elect one of its members as presiding officer; 13 (3) in consultation with authorities in the field, develop, implement, 14 maintain, and monitor domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and
01 prevention programs, including educational programs, films, and school curricula on 02 the cause, prevention, and treatment of domestic violence and sexual assault; 03 (4) coordinate services provided by the Department of Law, the 04 Department of Education and Early Development, the Department of Public Safety, 05 the Department of Health, the Department of Corrections, and other state agencies and 06 community groups dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis 07 intervention and prevention, and provide technical assistance as requested by those 08 state agencies and community groups; 09 (5) develop and implement a standardized data collection system on 10 domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and prevention; 11 (6) conduct public hearings and studies on issues relating to violence, 12 including domestic violence and sexual assault, and on issues relating to the role of 13 crisis intervention and prevention; 14 (7) receive and dispense state and federal money and award grants and 15 contracts from appropriations for the purpose to qualified local community entities for 16 domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and prevention programs; 17 (8) oversee and audit domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis 18 intervention and prevention programs that receive money under this chapter; 19 (9) provide fiscal and technical assistance to plan, organize, 20 implement, and administer domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention 21 and prevention programs; 22 (10) make an annual report to the governor on the activities of the 23 council, plans of the council for new services and programs, and concerns of the 24 council, including recommendations for legislation necessary to carry out the purposes 25 of this chapter; the council shall notify the legislature that the report is available; 26 (11) adopt regulations in accordance with AS 44.62 (Administrative 27 Procedure Act) to carry out the purposes of this chapter and to protect the health, 28 safety, well-being, and privacy of persons receiving services financed with grants or 29 contracts under this chapter; 30 (12) consult with the Department of Health in the formulation of 31 standards and procedures for the delivery of services to victims of domestic violence
01 by health care facilities and practitioners of healing arts and personnel in those 02 facilities as required in AS 18.66.300; 03 (13) consult with the Alaska Police Standards Council and other police 04 training programs in the state to develop training programs regarding domestic 05 violence for police officers and for correction, probation, and parole officers; 06 (14) consult with public employers, the Alaska Supreme Court, school 07 districts, and prosecuting authorities who are required by AS 18.66.300 - 18.66.310 to 08 provide continuing education courses in domestic violence to employees. 09 * Sec. 2. AS 18.66.050 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 10 (b) The commissioner of public safety or the commissioner's designee shall 11 chair the joint hiring committee under (a)(1) of this section. Only one representative 12 from a department may serve on the committee. If both the council and the Council on 13 Human and Sex Trafficking select a member from the same department to serve on the 14 joint hiring committee, the presiding officer of the council shall coordinate with the 15 chair of the Council on Human and Sex Trafficking to jointly determine which 16 member will serve on the committee. 17 * Sec. 3. AS 39.25.110(38) is amended to read: 18 (38) the executive director of the Council on Domestic Violence and 19 Sexual Assault established under AS 18.66.010 and the Council on Human and Sex 20 Trafficking established under AS 44.41.150; 21 * Sec. 4. AS 39.50.200(b) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 22 (65) Council on Human and Sex Trafficking (AS 44.41.150). 23 * Sec. 5. AS 44.41 is amended by adding new sections to read: 24 Article 2. Council on Human and Sex Trafficking. 25 Sec. 44.41.150. Council on Human and Sex Trafficking. The Council on 26 Human and Sex Trafficking is created in the Department of Public Safety. The 27 purpose of the council is to provide planning and coordination of programs specific to 28 victim services, education, public awareness, data collection and dissemination, and 29 reducing demand for human and sex trafficking. 30 Sec. 44.41.155. Duties. (a) The council shall 31 (1) elect one of its members as chair;
01 (2) develop and implement a standardized data collection system on 02 human and sex trafficking, including methods for synthesizing and disseminating data 03 and establishing standardized definitions as necessary; 04 (3) receive and dispense state and federal money and award grants and 05 contracts from appropriations to qualified local community entities for the purpose of 06 human and sex trafficking intervention and prevention programs; 07 (4) oversee and audit qualified local community entities that receive 08 money from the council; 09 (5) coordinate and consult with the Department of Education and Early 10 Development, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health, the 11 Department of Law, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the 12 Department of Family and Community Services, the Department of Public Safety, 13 other state agencies and qualified local community entities dealing with human and 14 sex trafficking, including the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and 15 survivors of human and sex trafficking to develop educational materials and resources 16 related to, and increase public awareness of, human and sex trafficking; 17 (6) provide technical assistance as requested by the state agencies and 18 qualified local community entities listed in (5) of this subsection; 19 (7) conduct public hearings and create opportunities for public input on 20 issues relating to human and sex trafficking in the state; 21 (8) make an annual report to the governor on the activities of the 22 council, plans of the council for new services and programs, and concerns of the 23 council, including recommendations for legislation necessary to carry out the purposes 24 of AS 44.41.150 - 44.41.175; the council shall notify the legislature that the report is 25 available; 26 (9) select two of its members by majority vote to serve on a joint hiring 27 committee with two members of the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual 28 Assault to recruit and hire an executive director to oversee the council and the Council 29 on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and the executive director may hire staff; 30 the executive director is in the exempt service under AS 39.25.110 and staff members 31 are in the classified service under AS 39.25.100.
01 (b) The council may create advisory subcommittees. 02 (c) The commissioner of public safety or the commissioner's designee shall 03 chair the joint hiring committee under (a)(9) of this section. Only one representative 04 from a department may serve on the committee. If both the council and the Council on 05 Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault select a member from the same department to 06 serve on the joint hiring committee, the chair shall coordinate with the presiding 07 officer of the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault to jointly determine 08 which member will serve on the committee. 09 Sec. 44.41.160. Membership. (a) The council consists of the following 17 10 members: 11 (1) seven members appointed by the governor as follows: 12 (A) two members who are mayors or elected officials in local 13 government; 14 (B) one member who represents a victim advocacy 15 organization; 16 (C) one member who represents an Alaska Native organization; 17 in this subparagraph, "Alaska Native organization" has the meaning given in 18 AS 18.66.020(d); 19 (D) one member who represents a local law enforcement 20 agency; 21 (E) one member who represents a faith-based community 22 organization; and 23 (F) one member who represents an organization that provides 24 direct services to the homeless; 25 (2) the chief executive officer of the Alaska Mental Health Trust 26 Authority or the chief executive officer's designee; 27 (3) the commissioner of health or the commissioner's designee; 28 (4) the attorney general or the attorney general's designee; 29 (5) the commissioner of public safety or the commissioner's designee; 30 (6) the commissioner of corrections or the commissioner's designee; 31 (7) the commissioner of education and early development or the
01 commissioner's designee; 02 (8) the commissioner of labor and workforce development or the 03 commissioner's designee; 04 (9) the commissioner of family and community services or the 05 commissioner's designee; and 06 (10) two nonvoting members appointed as follows: 07 (A) one ex officio member from the house of representatives, 08 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and 09 (B) one ex officio member from the senate, appointed by the 10 president of the senate. 11 (b) Public members of the council appointed under (a)(1) and (2) of this 12 section serve three-year terms. A public member serves at the pleasure of the governor 13 and may not serve more than two consecutive terms. Nonvoting members appointed 14 under (a)(10) of this section serve staggered three-year terms and may not serve more 15 than two full terms. A vacancy on the council shall be filled for the unexpired term by 16 appointment by the governor. 17 (c) A person who receives compensation from or is an employee of the state or 18 a human or sex trafficking crisis intervention or prevention program may not be 19 appointed as a public member of the council. 20 Sec. 44.41.165. Meetings and quorum. (a) The council shall meet at least 21 quarterly at times and locations to be determined by the chair. Additional meetings 22 may be called by the chair. The council and its advisory subcommittees shall, to the 23 extent practicable, allow participation by council members by teleconference or other 24 electronic means. 25 (b) The council may convene public meetings to present information and 26 receive public comment. 27 (c) Eight members of the council or a majority of filled positions, whichever is 28 less, constitutes a quorum for conducting business. 29 Sec. 44.41.170. Compensation and expenses. The members of the council 30 receive no salary but are entitled to transportation expenses and per diem in 31 accordance with AS 39.20.180.
01 Sec. 44.41.175. Definitions. In AS 44.41.150 - 44.41.175, 02 (1) "council" means the Council on Human and Sex Trafficking; 03 (2) "human and sex trafficking" means conduct in violation of 04 AS 11.41.360, 11.41.365, or AS 11.66.110 - 11.66.130. 05 * Sec. 6. AS 44.66.010(a) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 06 (15) Council on Human and Sex Trafficking (AS 44.41.150) - June 30, 07 2028. 08 * Sec. 7. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 09 read: 10 TRANSITION: DIRECTOR. (a) Notwithstanding AS 18.66.050(1), as amended by 11 sec. 1 of this Act, and AS 44.41.155(a)(9), enacted by sec. 5 of this Act, the person serving as 12 the executive director of the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault on the day 13 before the effective date of this Act shall also serve, under the same terms and conditions, as 14 the executive director of the Council on Human and Sex Trafficking, created under 15 AS 44.41.150, enacted by sec. 5 of this Act. 16 (b) On or after the effective date of this Act, when a vacancy occurs in the executive 17 director position for the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the Council 18 on Human and Sex Trafficking, that position shall be filled as provided in AS 18.66.050(1), as 19 amended by sec. 1 of this Act, and AS 44.41.155(a)(9), enacted by sec. 5 of this Act. 20 * Sec. 8. This Act takes effect March 1, 2025.