LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1428

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: MARCH 28, 2018

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Establishes Child Trafficking Awareness Pilot Program in DOE to train school district staff about warning signs and how to prevent child trafficking.

Type of Impact:

Multiyear Expenditure Increase in State General Fund.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Education.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Year 1 

Year 2 

Year 3 

 

State Cost

Indeterminate Increase

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) notes that the legislation would lead to an indeterminate increase in State expenditures over the duration of the three-year pilot program plus the amount of time it would take the Department of Education to establish the program and prepare the required program evaluation report.  To the extent that the bill provides the department with significant discretion in developing the pilot program, the cost would be contingent on implementation decisions by the department, which the OLS cannot independently forecast.  However, the OLS anticipates that any cost increase would likely be insignificant.  First, the pilot program would be limited to six districts.  Second, a significant amount of material currently exists regarding identifying warning signs of child trafficking.  The OLS anticipates that the department would adapt such material to implement the bill, thereby minimizing the resources needed for that purpose.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      The bill directs the Department of Education to establish a three-year Child Trafficking Awareness Pilot Program to provide school district teachers, staff, and students with training about the warning signs of, and risk factors associated with, child trafficking and how to prevent child trafficking.  The department would select six districts to participate in the pilot program, two districts in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State.  The department would provide participating districts with a list of resources for training purposes, and sample policies and procedures for identifying a victim of child trafficking and responding to a disclosure that a student is a victim thereof.  At the conclusion of the pilot program, the department is to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature regarding the pilot program’s implementation, including a recommendation regarding the feasibility of implementing the program on a Statewide basis.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS notes that the legislation would lead to an indeterminate increase in State expenditures over the duration of the three-year pilot program plus the amount of time it would take the Department of Education to establish the program and prepare the required program evaluation report.  To the extent that the bill provides the department with significant discretion in determining how to implement the pilot program, the cost would be contingent on the department’s decisions in that regard, which the OLS cannot independently forecast.  However, the OLS anticipates that any cost increase would be insignificant.  First, the pilot program would be limited to a small number of districts.  Second, other states have already developed material for the same purpose.[1]  The OLS expects that the department would adapt such material to implement the bill, thereby minimizing the resources needed to create the pilot program.

 

 

Section:

Education

Analyst:

Allen T. Dupree

Principal Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Frank W. Haines III

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).



[1] Examples include “Human Trafficking Prevention Education: Guidance for Implementation of Youth Programs,” developed by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in response to House Bill No. 59 of 2013, and “Texas RISE to the Challenge: An Introduction to Human Trafficking for Education Professionals,” written by the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force in response to House Bill No. 1272 of 2013.