HB 118-COUNCIL ON HUMAN AND SEX TRAFFICKING  1:06:05 PM CHAIR GRAY announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 118, "An Act establishing the Council on Human and Sex Trafficking; and providing for an effective date." CHAIR GRAY opened public testimony on HB 118. 1:06:34 PM MIKE COONS, representing self, testified during the hearing on HB 118. He spoke in opposition to the "business model" of sex trafficking and its profitability. 1:08:33 PM The committee took a brief at-ease at 1:08 p.m. 1:08:41 PM CHRIS DIMOND, Lead Representative for Alaska, Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, testified during the hearing on HB 118. He suggested adding a labor component to the bill and two seats for labor representatives on the Council on Human and Sex Trafficking ("the council") to help guide the conversation and share their observations. He said [human trafficking] hurts local workers, contractors, and the economy, as well as the victims themselves, adding that labor trafficking is a genuine problem in the construction industry. 1:10:21 PM MAXINE DOOGAN, President, Community United for Safety and Protection, testified in opposition to HB 118. She opined that the council was handpicked to promote a false and misleading narrative about forced labor in the sex trade and claimed that sex workers had been systematically excluded from the public meetings. She expressed concern that the bill would not protect the community that it intends to serve and expressed concern about inflating numbers in the sex worker industry for funding. 1:12:41 PM BRENDA STANFILL, Executive Director, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA), testified in support of HB 118. She spoke to the separation of the council from the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA), as the two may overlap on sex trafficking but differ with regard to human trafficking. She explained that the network understands the importance of the issue, supports the creation of the council, and would continue to engage in efforts to further its success. 1:14:13 PM CHAIR GRAY closed public testimony on HB 118. 1:14:28 PM The committee took a brief at-ease at 1:14 p.m. 1:14:48 PM REPRESENTATIVE VANCE in response to testifiers, pointed out that labor trafficking is included in the definition of human trafficking: on page 3, line 26, a member of the Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DLWD) was specifically included to avoid the exclusion of labor; on page 3, line 30, it states that the governor may appoint members of the public who may be representatives of labor organizations or employers themselves who have experience with these issues. She further noted that the bill requires quarterly meetings subject to the Open Meetings Act, which would allow members of the public to speak. She added that by establishing the council in statute, the director would be enabled to address concerns and interface with anyone interested in the topic. [HB 74 was held over.]