Substitute Bill No. 5476 establishes a Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinator within the Office of Policy and Management, effective July 1, 2026. This coordinator, appointed by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, will oversee state efforts to prevent human trafficking, develop training programs for stakeholders, and create a database for reporting incidents while protecting victims' personal information. The bill also amends the Trafficking in Persons Council to include the new coordinator and repeals certain subsections of existing statutes to facilitate these changes. An annual report detailing the coordinator's activities and recommendations will be submitted to relevant legislative committees.

Additionally, the bill enhances services for children under the care of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) by implementing flexible treatment programs and requiring social worker trainees to complete training on family violence and human trafficking. It mandates new training for DCF and Court Support Services Division employees, assesses the security of out-of-home placements, and requires the Child Advocate to evaluate service delivery. The bill also establishes a temporary Human Trafficking Prevention and Response Task Force and introduces several mandatory provisions, such as the establishment of multidisciplinary teams for reviewing child abuse and trafficking cases. Overall, the legislation aims to strengthen the state's response to child welfare and trafficking through improved oversight, advocacy, and collaboration among agencies.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
GOS Joint Favorable Substitute:
File No. 389:
APP Joint Favorable: