AN ACT to appropriate funds to the North carolina human trafficking commission to coordinate and support the development or use of a human trafficking reporting and response system.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Article 29 of Chapter 7A of the General Statutes reads as rewritten:

Article 29.

Administrative Office of the Courts.

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§ 7A‑354.  North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission.

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(c)        Powers. – The Commission shall have the following powers:

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(8)        To coordinate and support the development or use of a reporting and response system as required by G.S. 7A‑354.2.

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§ 7A‑354.2.  Human trafficking reporting and response system.

The North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission shall coordinate and support the development or use of a secure, technology‑driven, and survivor‑centered human trafficking reporting and response system, with a focus on areas of the State where access to anti‑human trafficking resources is most limited.

SECTION 2.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Administrative Office of the Courts, North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission, the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) in recurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used to coordinate and support the development or use of a secure, technology‑driven, and survivor‑centered human trafficking reporting and response system, with a targeted focus on western North Carolina, where access to anti‑human trafficking resources remains extremely limited.

SECTION 2.(b)  The uses for the funds appropriated in this section may include, but are not limited to, each of the following:

(1)        Expanding the reach of a reporting and response system, as referenced in subsection (a) of this section, in western North Carolina.

(2)        Funding one full‑time regional operations coordinator to perform at a minimum each of the following job functions in relation to the reporting and response system required to be developed or used pursuant to G.S. 7A‑354.2:

a.         Oversee implementation of the development or use of the system.

b.         Strengthen partnerships with law enforcement and service providers regarding the use of the system.

c.         Ensure the effectiveness of the system in western North Carolina and other areas of the State deemed to have the most need for the system.

(3)        Launching a targeted public awareness and outreach campaign to increase utilization of the reporting and response system among at‑risk communities, first responders, and the general public.

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.