Office to combat human trafficking

1. An office to combat human trafficking is established within the department. The purpose of the office is to oversee and coordinate efforts to combat human trafficking in this state. 2. The commissioner shall appoint a coordinator to staff the office. Additional staff may be hired, subject to the availability of funding. 3. The office shall do all of the following: a. Serve as a point of contact for activities to combat human trafficking in this state. b. Consult with and work jointly with other governmental agencies and nongovernmental or community organizations that have expertise in the areas of human trafficking prevention, victim protection and assistance, law enforcement, and prosecution for the purpose of combatting human trafficking in this state. c. Develop a strategy to collect and maintain criminal history data on incidents related to human trafficking. d. Develop a strategy for sharing victim and offender data among governmental agencies. e. Apply for or assist other governmental agencies, as assistance is needed, to apply for grants to support human trafficking enforcement, prosecutions, trainings, and victim services. f. Research and recommend trainings to assist governmental agencies to identify and respond appropriately to human trafficking victims. g. Take other steps necessary to advance the purposes of the office. h. By November 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, submit a written report to the general assembly regarding the office’s activities related to combatting human trafficking and occurrences of human trafficking within this state. 4. For purposes of this section, “human trafficking” means the same as defined in section 710A.1.