In Washington state, there are three task forces that are identifying the resources needed to address human trafficking. This includes looking at services, public policy, and the ways various systems and supportive services are working together.
Chaired by OCVA, The Washington State Task Force Against the Trafficking of Persons is made up of community members with expertise on labor and sex trafficking. The task force was reauthorized in 2015 by Senate Bill 5884 (PDF). The founding legislation can be read at RCW 7.68.350.
Requirements
The task force is directed to:
- Measure and evaluate the resource needs of victims and survivors of human trafficking
- Measure and evaluate trafficking prevention activities in WA, including work happening in other states and nationally
- Identify available federal, state, and local programs that provide services to victims and survivors of trafficking. These services may include (but are not limited to):
- Health care
- human services
- housing
- education
- legal assistance
- job training or preparation, victim’s compensation;
- Make recommendations to improve coordinated systems of support for victims of trafficking; and
- Review the statutory response to human trafficking, analyze the impact and effectiveness of strategies contained in the current state laws, and make recommendations on future legislation
Membership
The Task Force is chaired by the Managing Director of the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy. Other members include:
- Four legislators, one from each caucus in the House and Senate
- Eight state agencies
- A survivor of human trafficking
- Representatives from 25 organizations, including programs serving victims of trafficking
Meetings
The task force meets two-to-three times per year. The agenda and other materials for meetings will be posted as they are available.
Washington Advisory Committee on Trafficking (WashACT) is a multi-disciplinary taskforce convened by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
WashACT’s mission is to:
- Ensure that victims of trafficking receive all of the resources available to them
- Investigate and identify human traffickers and prosecuted them to the utmost extent of the law.
WashACT is co-chaired by Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Seattle Police Department’s Vice High-Risk Victims Unit and the Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network. Members meet quarterly to:
- Share information on trafficking and resources to victims of trafficking
- identify and remedy gaps in services to victims
- Coordinate investigations and prosecution of trafficking cases
Meetings are invitation only.
WashACT hosts quarterly information sessions to inform the community on anti-trafficking efforts in Western Washington. These sessions share how service providers, law enforcement, practitioners and mobilization groups collaborate to disrupt human trafficking. WashACT information sessions are free and open to the public.
The CSEC Statewide Coordinating Committee examines local and regional practices to make recommendations for increasing protections for youth. Committee members include representatives from the Attorney General’s Office, the Legislature, state and local agencies, criminal justice entities and advocacy organizations.
Created by the Legislature in 2013 through Senate Bill 5308, the Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Statewide Coordinating Committee is authorized in RCW 7.68.801. The CSEC Statewide Coordinating Committee is convened by the Office of the Attorney General.
Members of the public are welcome at meetings to observe the work of the committee.
For more information, see the CSEC Committee’s website.