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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Powdrell-Culbert

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/01/2007

HB HJM 22

SHORT TITLE Study Human Trafficking in New Mexico

SB

ANALYST Wilson

ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)

FY07

FY08 FY09 3 Year

Total Cost

Recurring or

Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

Total

$0.1

$0.1

Non-Recurring General

Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Joint Memorial 22 requests the secretary of the Department of Public Safety to assemble

and chair a task force. The task force should consist of a representative of the Attorney General's

Office (AGO), the United States Attorney's Office; the Labor Department, the Department of

Health and the Children, Youth and Families Department.

The purpose of the task force will be to:

•

assess the nature and extent of human trafficking in New Mexico

•

assess state responses to date

•

make recommendations to the legislature for development of state law to prosecute

traffickers

•

study the nature and extent of human trafficking in this state

•

investigate collaborative models for protecting victims of trafficking

•

evaluate New Mexico's progress in preventing trafficking

•

evaluate approaches by other state and local governments to increase public awareness of

human trafficking

•

analyze existing laws dealing with trafficking

According to the memorial the task force must prepare a report detailing its findings and

recommendations, including methods to address human trafficking and to provide a coordinated

system of support and assistance to its victims.

House Joint Memorial 22– Page

2

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The task force report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the legislature by

July 1, 2008.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The agencies serving on the task force will have to absorb any costs with there current funding.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Human trafficking is a serious problem in the United States and throughout the world.

Human traffickers prey on the most vulnerable and turn a commercial profit at the expense of

innocent lives.

Victims of trafficking are recruited, transported or sold into all forms of forced labor and

servitude, including prostitution, sweatshops, domestic service and farming.

Each year an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 women, men and children are trafficked across

international borders, 14,500 to 17,500 of whom are trafficked into the United States.

Approximately eighty percent of trafficking victims are female and many are trafficked for sex

and the commercial sex industry; and

The southwest border continues to serve as the biggest point of illegal entry into the United

States, largely because traffickers are able to get undocumented people across without

documents.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Agencies on the task force will have to absorb any administrative cost involved by serving on the

task force.

DW/csd