2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 18 - Criminal Code
Article 3 - Offenses Against the Person
Part 5 - Human Trafficking and Slavery
§ 18-3-505. Human trafficking council - created - duties - repeal

(1) (a) There is created in the department of public safety the Colorado human trafficking council, referred to within this section as the "council". The purpose of the council is to bring together leadership from community-based and statewide anti-trafficking efforts, to build and enhance collaboration among communities and counties within the state, to establish and improve comprehensive services for victims and survivors of human trafficking, to assist in the successful prosecution of human traffickers, and to help prevent human trafficking in Colorado.

(b) The membership of the council shall reflect, to the extent possible, representation of urban and rural areas of the state and a balance of expertise, both governmental and non-governmental, in issues relating to human trafficking. The council shall include members with expertise in child welfare and human services to address the unique needs of child victims, including those child victims who are involved in the child welfare system. The membership of the council shall consist of the following persons, who shall be appointed as follows:

(I) Two representatives from the department of human services, each to be appointed by the executive director of the department of human services;

(II) A representative of the department of law, to be appointed by the attorney general;

(III) A representative of the state department of labor and employment, to be appointed by the executive director of the department of labor and employment;

(IV) A representative of the division of the Colorado state patrol that addresses human smuggling and human trafficking pursuant to section 24-33.5-211, C.R.S., to be appointed by the executive director of the department of public safety;

(V) A representative of a statewide association of police chiefs, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(VI) A representative of a statewide association of county sheriffs, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(VII) A representative of a statewide coalition for victims of sexual assault, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(VIII) A representative of a statewide organization that provides services to crime victims, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(IX) A representative of a statewide immigrant rights organization, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(X) A representative of a statewide organization of district attorneys, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XI) A representative of a statewide organization of criminal defense attorneys, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XII) At least three but not more than five persons, each representing a regional or city-wide human trafficking task force or coalition, each to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XIII) A representative of a nonprofit organization that facilitates the treatment or housing of human trafficking victims, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XIV) A representative of a college or university department that conducts research on human trafficking, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XV) A representative of a statewide organization that provides legal advocacy to abused, neglected, and at-risk children, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XVI) Two representatives of organizations that provide direct services to victims of human trafficking, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XVII) One representative of a faith-based organization that assists victims of human trafficking, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XVIII) Two persons, each of whom is a director of a county department of social services, one from an urban county and the other from a rural county, each to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XIX) One person who provides child welfare services for a county department of social services, to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XX) Two persons who are former victims of human trafficking, one who is a former victim of human trafficking for involuntary servitude and one who is a former victim of human trafficking for sexual servitude, each to be appointed by the governor or his or her designee;

(XXI) A representative of a child advocacy center;

(XXII) One person to be appointed by the commissioner of agriculture; and

(XXIII) One person representing the judicial branch, to be appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court.

(2) Each appointing authority described in subsection (1) of this section shall make his or her appointments to the council on or before August 1, 2014. The members of the council shall elect presiding officers for the council, including a chair and vice-chair, from among the council members appointed pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, which presiding officers shall serve terms of two years. Council members may reelect a presiding officer.

(3) Each member of the council shall serve at the pleasure of his or her appointing authority for a term of four years. The appointing authority may reappoint the member for an additional term or terms. Members of the council shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for actual travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(4) The council shall hold its first meeting on or before November 1, 2014, at a time and place to be designated by the executive director of the department of public safety, or by his or her designee. The council shall meet at least four times each year and shall carry out the following duties:

(a) On or before January 1, 2016, make recommendations to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and senate, or any successor committees, concerning:

(I) Whether the general assembly should establish standards and a process for the certification of organizations that provide services to victims of human trafficking;

(II) Whether the general assembly should establish a grant program for organizations that provide services to victims of human trafficking, including consideration of how such a grant program may be funded; and

(III) Whether the general assembly should enact legislation concerning:

(A) The prosecution of or granting of immunity to a child victim of commercial sexual exploitation for offenses related to that exploitation;

(B) The creation of other legal protections, including statutory defenses for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation for offenses related to that exploitation and the creation of any necessary changes to title 19, C.R.S., to implement those legal protections or defenses; or

(C) Standards, guidelines, or mandates regarding the appropriate assessment, placement, and treatment of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation through title 19, C.R.S., including but not limited to the use of locked placement.

(a.5) The recommendations submitted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (4) must include a full explanation of each recommendation with a discussion of the benefits of each recommendation, any problems that might be encountered, and how those problems, if any, might be mitigated.

(b) On or before January 1, 2017, and on or before January 17 of each year thereafter, submit a report to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and senate, or any successor committees, summarizing the activities of the council during the preceding year;

(c) Consider and make, as it deems necessary, recommendations to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and senate, or to any successor committees, concerning any statutory changes that the council deems necessary to facilitate the prosecution and punishment of persons who engage in, and to protect the victims of, human trafficking;

(d) Develop an implementation plan for a public awareness campaign to educate the public about human trafficking and place victims services contact information in places where victims of human trafficking are likely to see it;

(e) Develop training standards and curricula for organizations that provide assistance to victims of human trafficking, for persons who work in or who frequent places where human trafficking victims are likely to appear, and for law enforcement agencies;

(f) Identify best practices for the prevention of human trafficking, particularly for the prevention of child sex trafficking;

(g) Collect data relating to the prevalence of, and the efforts of law enforcement to combat, human trafficking in Colorado. The council shall annually report the data to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and senate, or to any successor committees.

(h) Research and pursue funding opportunities for the council;

(i) On or after January 1, 2019, perform a post-enactment review of section 18-7-201.3 and report its findings to the judiciary committees of the senate and house of representatives, or any successor committees.

(5) The department of public safety is authorized to accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for the purpose of assisting the council in fulfilling its duties pursuant to this section.

(6) This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2019. Before repeal, the department of regulatory agencies shall review the council pursuant to section 2-3-1203, C.R.S.