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Please see http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov for the production version.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a Human Trafficking Council in the Department of Justice.
Under the bill, the council consists of the following members: the secretary or a
designee of the Departments of Administration, Children and Families, Health
Services, Safety and Professional Services, Transportation, and Workforce
Development; the state superintendent of public instruction, or his or her designee;
the state public defender, or his or her designee; two senators and two
representatives to the assembly from the two major political parties; one district
attorney; one chief of police; two sheriffs; four representatives of organizations that
provide human trafficking victim support services; one Native American; one
representative of the Office of Crime Victim Services; and the director of the
Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation Human Trafficking and
Internet Crimes Against Children Bureau, or his or her designee.
The duties of the Human Trafficking Council are to compile an inventory of
human trafficking prevention programs and services and maintain an online

database to share information about human trafficking; review and assess the
efficacy of the expenditure of state funds for human trafficking prevention; compile
and analyze data about human trafficking arrests and prosecutions; assess sex
trafficking activities in each county, establish criteria to be used as the basis for
recommendations to counties, and make recommendations to counties as to whether
a human trafficking task force should be established in that county or that a law
enforcement agency in that county designate a law enforcement officer to coordinate
the law enforcement agency's human trafficking prevention and enforcement efforts;
assess the regulation and oversight of facilities that provide residential care in a
congregate living environment; assess the use of social media platforms for human
trafficking purposes in the state and develop recommendations on how to stop,
reduce, or prevent such use; develop a state strategic plan for reducing human
trafficking generally; develop protocols for interaction with human trafficking
victims; develop a model training program for counties relating to reducing interest
in solicitation by individuals who solicit or facilitate commercial sex acts; and
annually submit a report that summarizes the data collected by, activities of, and
obstacles faced by the council during the previous year.
The bill authorizes the Human Trafficking Council to request from, and
requires DOJ and DOA provide, any data needed by the council to complete its
duties.
The bill provides that, in counties to which the Human Trafficking Council has
provided a recommendation, the county board is encouraged to establish a sex
trafficking task force to combat sex trafficking in that county, and each person in
charge of a law enforcement agency in the county is encouraged to designate an
officer to coordinate the agency's human trafficking prevention and enforcement
efforts.
The bill requires the Law Enforcement Standards Board to develop a list of
recommended training courses for law enforcement officers relating to human
trafficking prevention and enforcement.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB978-ASA2,1 1Section 1 . 15.257 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
AB978-ASA2,2,42 15.257 (3) Human trafficking council. There is created in the department of
3justice a human trafficking council. The council shall consist of the following
4members:
AB978-ASA2,2,55 (a) The secretary of administration, or his or her designee.
AB978-ASA2,2,66 (b) The secretary of children and families, or his or her designee.
AB978-ASA2,3,1
1(c) The secretary of health services, or his or her designee.
AB978-ASA2,3,22 (d) The state superintendent of public instruction, or his or her designee.
AB978-ASA2,3,33 (e) The secretary of safety and professional services, or his or her designee.
AB978-ASA2,3,44 (f) The secretary of transportation, or his or her designee.
AB978-ASA2,3,55 (g) The secretary of workforce development, or his or her designee.
AB978-ASA2,3,66 (h) The state public defender, or his or her designee.
AB978-ASA2,3,87 (i) Two senators and 2 representatives to the assembly from the 2 major
8political parties, appointed as are members of standing committees.
AB978-ASA2,3,109 (j) To be appointed by the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association, one district
10attorney holding office in this state.
AB978-ASA2,3,1311 (k) To be appointed by the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, one chief of
12police or chief of a combined protective services department holding office in this
13state.
AB978-ASA2,3,1514 (L) To be appointed by the Badger State Sheriffs' Association, one sheriff
15holding office in this state.
AB978-ASA2,3,1716 (m) To be appointed by the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association,
17one sheriff holding office in this state.
AB978-ASA2,3,2118 (n) To be appointed by the attorney general, 4 representatives of organizations
19that provide human trafficking victim support services. The representatives
20appointed under this paragraph shall be from organizations that serve different
21geographic areas of the state, including both urban and rural communities.
AB978-ASA2,3,2322 (o) To be appointed by the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc., one Native
23American member.
AB978-ASA2,3,2424 (p) One representative of the office of crime victim services.
AB978-ASA2,4,3
1(q) The director of the department of justice division of criminal investigation
2human trafficking and Internet crimes against children bureau, or his or her
3designee.
AB978-ASA2,2 4Section 2. 15.257 (3) of the statutes, as created by 2023 Wisconsin Act .... (this
5act), is repealed.
AB978-ASA2,3 6Section 3. 59.54 (29) of the statutes is created to read:
AB978-ASA2,4,137 59.54 (29) Sex trafficking task forces. In any county that has received a
8recommendation from the human trafficking council under s. 165.29 (1) (d), the
9board shall review the recommendation, and the board is encouraged to establish a
10sex trafficking task force that includes representatives from law enforcement
11agencies, county departments, and local nonprofit groups to coordinate efforts to
12combat sex trafficking in that county, including identifying and investigating sex
13trafficking, supporting victims, and raising community awareness.
AB978-ASA2,4 14Section 4. 59.54 (29) of the statutes, as created by 2023 Wisconsin Act .... (this
15act), is repealed.
AB978-ASA2,5 16Section 5 . 66.0511 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB978-ASA2,4,18 1766.0511 (title) Law enforcement agency agencies; certain policies on
18use of force and citizen complaint procedures
.
AB978-ASA2,6 19Section 6 . 66.0511 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
AB978-ASA2,4,2420 66.0511 (4) Human trafficking prevention and enforcement. Each person in
21charge of a law enforcement agency in a county that has received a recommendation
22from the human trafficking council under s. 165.29 (1) (d) is encouraged to designate
23a law enforcement officer of the law enforcement agency to coordinate the law
24enforcement agency's human trafficking prevention and enforcement efforts.
AB978-ASA2,7
1Section 7. 66.0511 (4) of the statutes, as created by 2023 Wisconsin Act .... (this
2act), is repealed.
AB978-ASA2,8 3Section 8. 165.29 of the statutes is created to read:
AB978-ASA2,5,5 4165.29 Human trafficking council. (1) The human trafficking council shall
5do all of the following:
AB978-ASA2,5,126 (a) Compile and maintain an inventory of human trafficking prevention
7programs and services in this state and develop, maintain, and keep current an
8online database to share information among counties, law enforcement agencies,
9state agencies that have responsibilities relating to sex trafficking, and
10organizations that provide human trafficking prevention programs and services or
11victim support programs and services. The database shall include an online portal
12that is accessible by each such entity.
AB978-ASA2,5,1513 (b) Beginning on July 1, 2028, and once every 3 years thereafter, define, review,
14and assess the efficacy of the expenditure of state funds allocated to human
15trafficking prevention.
AB978-ASA2,5,1916 (c) Compile data on human trafficking offenses committed in this state using
17metrics the council determines to be of use, including at a minimum the annual
18number of arrests, prosecutions, and convictions for human trafficking offenses
19under s. 940.302 or 948.051.
AB978-ASA2,5,2520 (d) Assess sex trafficking activities in each county, establish criteria to be used
21as the basis for recommendations to counties, and make recommendations to
22counties as to whether a human trafficking task force should be established in that
23county or that a law enforcement agency in that county designate a law enforcement
24officer to coordinate the law enforcement agency's human trafficking prevention and
25enforcement efforts.
AB978-ASA2,6,4
1(e) Assess the regulation and oversight of facilities that provide residential care
2in a congregate living environment, including community-based residential
3facilities, as defined in s. 50.01 (1g), and group homes licensed under s. 48.625, as it
4relates to victims of human trafficking.
AB978-ASA2,6,95 (f) Assess the frequency and extent to which social media platforms are used
6to assist, facilitate, or support human trafficking in this state; establish a process to
7detect such use on a consistent basis; and develop recommendations on how to stop,
8reduce, or prevent social media platforms from being used for human trafficking
9purposes.
AB978-ASA2,6,1410 (g) Develop a state strategic plan for preventing human trafficking, providing
11resources for law enforcement initiatives, providing resources to organizations that
12provide human trafficking prevention programs and services or human trafficking
13victim support services programs and services, and creating or providing access to
14relevant training programs for law enforcement or such organizations.
AB978-ASA2,6,1715 (h) In consultation with the department of justice, develop a model protocol for
16interviewing and interacting with individuals who are victims of human trafficking
17offenses under s. 940.302 or 948.051.
AB978-ASA2,6,1918 (i) Develop a model training program for counties relating to reducing interest
19in solicitation by individuals who solicit or facilitate commercial sex acts.
AB978-ASA2,6,2520 (j) 1. By July 1 of each year, submit to the chief clerk of each house of the
21legislature for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) and post on the
22department of administration's and department of justice's websites a report that
23summarizes the data collected by the council during the previous year, the activities
24of the council during the previous year, and any obstacles that prevented the council
25from successfully carrying out its duties during the previous year.
AB978-ASA2,7,4
12. In the 3rd report submitted under subd. 1., include a recommendation as to
2whether the council should continue to operate after June 30, 2029, and
3recommendations relating to moving the council's ongoing initiatives to state
4agencies or counties or other local units of governments.
AB978-ASA2,7,7 5(2) The human trafficking council may request from, and the department of
6administration and department of justice shall collaborate to provide, any data
7necessary to carry out the human trafficking council's duties under sub. (1).
AB978-ASA2,9 8Section 9. 165.29 of the statutes, as created by 2023 Wisconsin Act .... (this
9act), is repealed.
AB978-ASA2,10 10Section 10. 165.85 (3m) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB978-ASA2,7,1511 165.85 (3m) (d) Develop a list of recommended training courses for law
12enforcement officers relating to preventing, recognizing, and investigating human
13trafficking, apprehending and prosecuting human traffickers, and coordinating
14human trafficking response efforts with other law enforcement agencies and
15organizations.
AB978-ASA2,11 16Section 11. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication,
17except as follows:
AB978-ASA2,7,1918 (1) The creation of ss. 15.257 (3), 59.54 (29), 66.0511 (4), and 165.29 takes effect
19on July 1, 2025.
AB978-ASA2,7,2120 (2) The repeal of ss. 15.257 (3), 59.54 (29), 66.0511 (4), and 165.29 takes effect
21on June 30, 2029.
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