CSHB 264(HSS): "An Act requiring the Department of Family and Community Services to develop a shared screening methodology; requiring shelters for runaway minors to screen minors for victimization relating to sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and commercial sexual exploitation; requiring the Department of Family and Community Services to screen children in need of aid for victimization relating to sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and commercial sexual exploitation; and relating to the duty of the Department of Family and Community Services to investigate the experiences of missing children in need of aid who have been located."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 264(HSS) 01 "An Act requiring the Department of Family and Community Services to develop a 02 shared screening methodology; requiring shelters for runaway minors to screen minors 03 for victimization relating to sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and commercial sexual 04 exploitation; requiring the Department of Family and Community Services to screen 05 children in need of aid for victimization relating to sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and 06 commercial sexual exploitation; and relating to the duty of the Department of Family 07 and Community Services to investigate the experiences of missing children in need of aid 08 who have been located." 09 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 10 * Section 1. AS 47.10.394(c) is amended to read: 11 (c) In this section, 12 (1) "child abuse or neglect" has the meaning given in AS 47.17.290;
01 (2) "commercial sexual exploitation" means the sexual abuse or 02 exploitation of a child for the financial benefit of any person or in exchange for 03 anything of value given or received by any person. 04 * Sec. 2. AS 47.10.394 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 05 (d) A shelter for runaway minors shall use the screening methods developed in 06 AS 47.14.100(u) to screen minors receiving services to determine whether the minor is 07 a victim, or at risk of becoming a victim, of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or 08 commercial sexual exploitation. A shelter for runaway minors shall screen a minor 09 upon intake and any time the shelter receives information that circumstances exist 10 indicating that the minor is at a heightened risk for sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or 11 commercial sexual exploitation. 12 * Sec. 3. AS 47.14.100(t) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 13 (4) "commercial sexual exploitation" means the sexual abuse or 14 exploitation of a child for the financial benefit of any person or in exchange for 15 anything of value given or received by any person. 16 * Sec. 4. AS 47.14.100 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 17 (u) The department shall work with agency partners and advocacy 18 organizations to develop a shared screening methodology to appropriately identify 19 whether a child is a victim of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or commercial sexual 20 exploitation. The methods shall support the trafficking information-gathering efforts in 21 the state. The department shall screen a child committed to the department upon the 22 child's initial commitment to the department and when the department receives 23 information indicating that the child may be a victim of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, 24 or commercial sexual exploitation. 25 (v) Upon locating a child committed to the custody of the department who was 26 missing, abducted, or ran away, the department shall 27 (1) investigate the child's experiences while absent from the custody of 28 the department; 29 (2) determine the primary factors that caused or contributed to the 30 child's absence; and 31 (3) screen the child to determine whether the child is a victim of sexual
01 abuse, sex trafficking, or commercial sexual exploitation. 02 * Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 03 read: 04 TRANSITION. The Department of Family and Community Services shall develop and 05 begin using the shared screening methodology required by sec. 4 of this Act not later than one 06 year after the date this Act takes effect.