OVP: Understanding Human Trafficking Council Role

To help accomplish its legislative mandates, the Council set forth a set of guiding principles.

• All forms of human trafficking are a human rights abuse.
• Survivor safety, security, and well-being are paramount.
• All services and referrals provided to survivors should be survivor-centered, accessible, and holistic.
• Combating human trafficking requires a trauma-informed, collaborative, and coordinated team approach that must be influenced by survivor voices.
• Decisions of the Council must be based on thoughtful discussions and deliberation of promising and/or evidence-informed practices, available research, and the expertise of council members.
• Offenders who perpetrate crimes of human trafficking should be held accountable.
• Elimination of human trafficking is our priority.
• The Council acknowledges and supports all victims and survivors of human trafficking, including but not limited to all genders, races, national origins, socio-economic statuses, sexual orientations, ages, and disabled individuals. 

Last updated in 2019

The Council's work focuses on the statutory mandates outlined in HB14-1273, SB15-30 and SB15-1019.  The mandates of the Council were updated due to the passage of SB 19-149.  The mandates include making recommendations to the Judiciary Committees of the House of Representatives and Senate on the following:

By January 1, 2016, make recommendations to the Judiciary Committees of the House and Senate concerning whether the General Assembly should:

Establish a grant program to which organizations that provide services to victims of human trafficking may apply for grants, including consideration of how such a grant program may be funded.
Whether the general assembly should enact legislation concerning:
The prosecution of, or granting of immunity to, a child victim of commercial sexual exploitation for offenses related to that exploitation; 
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, to implement those legal protections or defenses; 
Standards, guidelines, or mandates regarding the appropriate assessment, placement, and treatment of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. 
2. By January 1, 2017, (and each year thereafter), submit a report to the Judiciary Committees summarizing the activities of the council during the preceding year.
3. Make recommendations 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.  
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Identify best practices for the prevention of all forms of human trafficking, including but not limited to child sex trafficking and involuntary servitude.
7. 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.
8. Research and pursue funding opportunities for the council. 
9. 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.