HB 2131 — Sex trafficked youth; DCJS to administer two-year pilot program to provide safe harbor for youth.

SESSION INTRODUCEDHOUSE 23102684DSUBSTITUTE I23106053D HOUSE BILL NO.

2131 NAMENDMENT OfferedIN JanuaryTHE 11,NATURE 2023OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by thon February 1, 2023)r Courts of Justice (Patron Prior to Substitute––Delegate Delaney) A BILL to require the Department of Criminal Justice Services to administer a two-year pilot program to provide a safe harbor for sex trafficked youth.

R –––––––––– Patrons––Delaney, Adams, D.M., Bennett-Parker, Clark, Gooditis, Guzman, Helmer, Kory, Maldonado, McNamara, Murphy, Price, Roem, Scott, D.L., Shin, Simon, Simonds, Subramanyam, Watts and D Williams Graves –––––––––– U Referred to C––––––––––or Courts of Justice C Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

E 1.

§"Department" 1.means the Department of Criminal Justice Services.nt meaning:

As"Pilot usedagency" means the lead agency in thisthe act,locality unlesschosen by the contextDepartment requiresto aconduct differentthe meaning:pilot program required by § 2 of this act.

"Department" means the Department of Criminal Justice Services.

D "Pilot agency" means the lead agency in the locality chosen by the Department to conduct the pilot program required by § 2 of this act.

The Department, in partnershipconsultation with the Virginia State Crime Commission, shall administeradmiHister abeginning two-year July 1, 2023, and ending July 1, 2025.

Such program shall consist of the following elements:ningelements: 1.

1.

(ii) utilizationutilizing of a multidisciplinary response team to coordinate assessment, treatment, and residential care for vHctimsvictims of sexvictims; trafficking;

(iii)and establishing(iv) ordesigning buildingan capacityalternative ofto residentialan carearrest andprotocol programsthat includes a 48-72 hour holSingicking mechanism for t2affickingyouth victims;either in partnership with a local department of social services, a local department of child protective services, or a local hospital or through court services.

(iv)The andstated designgoal ofofEthe anpilot alternative to arrest protocol that includes a 48-72 hour holdin3 mechanism for youth either in partnership with a local department of social services, a local d1partment program shall be to reduce the arrest of sex trafficking victimsvictims, regardless of age, reduce demand forhefor pilot commercial sex exploitation by focusing on buyers, and establish high-quality restorative residential care, education, alternative employment opportunities, and life skills for victims;victims;torative residential care, education, 2.

2.The Department shall be responsible for coordinating compliance with all federal laws.

TheAtSthe Departmentend shallof bethe responsiblepilot forprogram, coordinatingthe (i)Department ashall catalogreport ofthe bestoutcomes practicesof inthe otherpilot states,program (ii)to compliancethe withGovernor, allthe federalAttorney law,General, and (iii)the aVirginia databaseState toCrime recordCommission; outcomes for the pilot program.

Atand theU endordinances, ofand theregulations pilotinitially program,identified thefor Departmentelimination, shallamendment, reportor thestreamlining. outcomes of the pilot program to the Governor, the Attorney General, and the State Crime Commission;

andThe 33pilot ordinances,agency andshall regulationsidentify initiallyany identifiedlaw, ordinance, or regulation proposed for elimination,elimination amendment,or modificatioS that requires a change in state or streamlining.local law.

TheIf the pilot 34 agency shallis identifyunable anyto law,reach ordinance,this orgoal, regulationit proposedshall forprovide eliminationa orseparate modificationreport thatto 35the requiresDepartment astating changethe inreasons statefor ornot localmeeting law.the goal.

IfT to the pilotGovernor, agencythe isGeneral unableAssembly, toand reachthe thisAttorney goal,General itno shalllater providethan /October 1, 2024, andlly 36 aOctober separate1, report2025, toon the Departmentprogress statingof the reasonspilot forprogram notestablished meetingpursuant theto goal.this act.

T 37 B.C.

The Directorlocation of the Statepilot Crimeprogram Commission shall reportremain annuallyconfidential tountil theconclusion Governor, General Assembly, and the Attorney General no later than October 1, 2024, and October 1, 2025, on the progress of the pilotprogram. program established pursuant to this act.

Any / 38 reference to location shall be anonymized in published documents.

untilU conclusionT ofE theH program.1 H 1

Any