SF 531

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 02/03/2017 08:42am

A bill for an act
relating to health; modifying duties of the director of child sex trafficking
prevention; transferring certain forfeited money from the commissioner of public
safety to the commissioner of health; appropriating money for shelter, services,
and other activities for sexually exploited youth and youth at risk of sexual
exploitation; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections 145.4716, subdivision
2; 609.5315, subdivision 5c.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 145.4716, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Duties of director.

The director of child sex trafficking prevention is responsible
for the following:

(1) developing and providing comprehensive training on sexual exploitation of youth
for social service professionals, medical professionals, public health workers, and criminal
justice professionals;

(2) collecting, organizing, maintaining, and disseminating information on sexual
exploitation and services across the state, including maintaining a list of resources on the
Department of Health Web site;

(3) monitoring and applying for federal funding for antitrafficking efforts that may
benefit victims in the state;

(4) managing grant programs established under sections 145.4716 to 145.4718 deleted text begin , and deleted text end new text begin ; new text end
609.3241, paragraph (c), clause (3); new text begin and 609.5315, subdivision 5c, clause (3);
new text end

(5) managing the request for proposals for grants for comprehensive services, including
trauma-informed, culturally specific services;

(6) identifying best practices in serving sexually exploited youth, as defined in section
260C.007, subdivision 31;

(7) providing oversight of and technical support to regional navigators pursuant to section
145.4717;

(8) conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the statewide program for safe harbor of
sexually exploited youth; and

(9) developing a policy consistent with the requirements of chapter 13 for sharing data
related to sexually exploited youth, as defined in section 260C.007, subdivision 31, among
regional navigators and community-based advocates.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 609.5315, subdivision 5c, is amended to read:

Subd. 5c.

Disposition of money; prostitution.

Money forfeited under section 609.5312,
subdivision 1, paragraph (b), must be distributed as follows:

(1) 40 percent must be forwarded to the appropriate agency for deposit as a supplement
to the agency's operating fund or similar fund for use in law enforcement;

(2) 20 percent must be forwarded to the prosecuting authority that handled the forfeiture
for deposit as a supplement to its operating fund or similar fund for prosecutorial purposes;
and

(3) the remaining 40 percent must be forwarded to the commissioner of deleted text begin public safety deleted text end new text begin
health new text end to be deposited in the safe harbor for youth account in the special revenue fund and
is appropriated to the commissioner for distribution to crime victims services organizations
that provide services to sexually exploited youth, as defined in section 260C.007, subdivision
31.

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; SEXUALLY EXPLOITED YOUTH AND YOUTH AT
RISK OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Commissioner of human services. new text end

new text begin (a) $500,000 in fiscal year 2018 and
$500,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of human services for emergency shelter and transitional and long-term housing beds for
sexually exploited youth and youth at risk of sexual exploitation.
new text end

new text begin (b) $100,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $100,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of human services for statewide youth outreach workers
connecting sexually exploited youth and youth at risk of sexual exploitation with shelter
and services.
new text end

new text begin (c) Youth 24 years of age or younger are eligible for shelter, housing beds, and services
under this subdivision. In funding shelter, housing beds, and outreach workers under this
subdivision, the commissioiner shall emphasize activities that promote capacity-building
and development of resources in greater Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Commissioner of health. new text end

new text begin (a) $325,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $325,000 in
fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of health for
trauma-informed, culturally specific services for sexually exploited youth. Youth 24 years
of age or younger are eligible for services under this paragraph.
new text end

new text begin (b) $225,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $225,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of health for training, technical assistance, protocol
implementation, and evaluation activities related to the safe harbor program. Of these
appropriations:
new text end

new text begin (1) $100,000 each fiscal year is for providing training and technical assistance to
individuals and organizations that provide safe harbor services and receive funds for that
purpose from the commissioner of human services or commissioner of health;
new text end

new text begin (2) $100,000 each fiscal year is for protocol implementation, which includes providing
technical assistance in establishing best practices-based systems for effectively identifying,
interacting with, and referring sexually exploited youth to appropriate resources; and
new text end

new text begin (3) $25,000 each fiscal year is for program evaluation activities in compliance with
Minnesota Statutes, section 145.4718.
new text end

new text begin (c) In funding services and activities under this subdivision, the commissioner shall
emphasize activities that promote capacity-building and development of resources in greater
Minnesota.
new text end