The Texas Senate approved SB 72 Wednesday, creating the Statewide Human Trafficking Coordinating Council whose members include all state agencies that receive an appropriation to address human trafficking. The bill was authored by Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound.
“Human trafficking is a scourge on our society, and we have to end this epidemic once and for all,” Nelson said. “This bill will ensure that state resources are being maximized and that agencies are working together to root out traffickers and help victims.”
SB 72 directs the Council to develop a strategic plan to ensure cross-agency coordination in the effort to combat human trafficking — an illegal enterprise that victimizes over 300,000 people in Texas every year, according to a news release from Nelson’s office. SB 1, the Senate’s base budget, approves all agency requests related to combatting human trafficking totaling $84.5 million, an increase of $59.3 million — more than three times the current funding level.
Nelson represents District 12, including portions of Tarrant and Denton Counties. She is Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the highest-ranking Republican in the Texas Senate.
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