In 2019, the Texas Legislature created the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinating Council to work towards effectively and efficiently eradicating human trafficking through the coordination and collaboration of programs, services, and state resources.  Texas Government Code 402.034 codifies the members and duties of the Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinating Council.

The Coordinating Council is comprised of representatives from:

  • Presiding Officer, Office of the Attorney General (OAG)
  • Office of the Texas Governor (OOG) 
  • Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)  
  • Department of Public Safety (DPS) 
  • Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) 
  • Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC)  
  • Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) 
  • Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
  • Texas Education Agency (TEA)
  • Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
  • Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
  • a representative of any other state agency appointed by the chief administrative officer of the agency, if the council determines that a representative from the state agency is a necessary member of the council.

The Coordinating Council’s work is comprehensive across all aspects of trafficking from prevention to victim identification, investigation, prosecution, rehabilitation, and beyond.

Pursuant to its legislative charge, the Coordinating Council published a five-year strategic plan assessing Texas’s current landscape of human trafficking partnerships, prevention, investigation, prosecution, and support services. This Strategic Plan, Charting an End to Human Trafficking, is a historic step toward eradicating human trafficking in Texas. 

Through a coordinated and strategic effort, the Coordinating Council identified the following pillars to guide the strategy to end human trafficking in Texas: 

Strategic Plan Pillars and Webinars

Prevent

Prevent human trafficking victimization before it occurs by identifying and providing prevention education and services to vulnerable populations, enhancing community awareness, and curbing the demand.

Protect

Protect and recover human trafficking victims with protective and empowering collaborative responses and trauma-informed investigations.

Prosecute

Prosecute all human trafficking cases to hold all exploiters accountable.

Provide Support

Provide support to survivors through trauma-informed and responsive services.

Partner

Partner between federal, state, and local jurisdictions, and nongovernmental organizations for increased collaboration and continuity of services.