---
title: HB 1043. Georgia Trauma Informed Child and Youth Trafficking Response Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1043
cite_as: HB 1043, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1043
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1043.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1043/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72373
date: 2026-01-29
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1043.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1043
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-27
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Sandra Scott
- Kim Schofield
- Viola Davis
- Debra Bazemore
- Kimberly Alexander
- Rhonda Taylor
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1043/2025
upstream_id: 2095268
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- human trafficking
- child welfare
- school safety
- hospital protocols
- DFCS reform
---
# HB 1043. Georgia Trauma Informed Child and Youth Trafficking Response Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 1043
By: Representatives Scott of the 76th, Schofield of the 63rd, Davis of the 87th, Bazemore of
the 69th, Alexander of the 66th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to kidnapping, false imprisonment and related offenses, so as to create a unified,
trauma informed state-wide system regarding youth trafficking; to provide for legislative
findings; to provide for definitions; to establish a state-wide care coordination office; to
provide for training in hospitals, schools, the Division of Family and Children Services, law
enforcement, and local governments; to provide for reporting requirements; to provide for
related matters; to provide for a short title; to provide for an effective date; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Trauma Informed Child and Youth
Trafficking Response Act."
SECTION 2.
The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Children and youth who experience sex trafficking, labor trafficking, or online
exploitation suffer devastating trauma;
(2) Trafficking increasingly occurs within families, requiring specialized responses;
(3) Georgia lacks a unified state-wide system;
(4) Survivors often enter hospitals, schools, the Division of Family and Children Services,
law enforcement, or courts without coordination;
(5) Local governments, hospitals, and schools need standardized trauma informed
protocols; and
(6) Georgia can become the national and global leader in protecting trafficked children.
SECTION 3.
Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
kidnapping, false imprisonment and related offenses, is amended by adding a new Code
section to read as follows:
"16-5-48.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Certified human trafficking victim assistance organization' means any provider that
is certified by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
(2) 'Child' means any individual under the age of 18.
(3) 'Designated healthcare facility' means any hospital, emergency department, urgent
care, or inpatient facility in this state.
(4) 'DFCS' means the Division of Family and Children Services within the Department
of Human Services.
(5) 'Familial trafficking' means trafficking committed by a parent, guardian, custodian,
person in loco parentis, relative, or caregiver's partner.
(6) 'Human trafficking' means an offense provided for under Code Section 16-5-46.
(7) 'Multidisciplinary team (MDT)' means DFCS, law enforcement, prosecutors, courts,
hospitals, schools, and behavioral health and service providers.
(8) 'Office' means the state-wide Georgia Child and Youth Trafficking Care
Coordination Office created under this Code section.
(9) 'Regional navigator' means the individual or entity coordinating victim services.
(10) 'Trauma informed approach' means practices primarily based in understanding
trauma and avoiding re-traumatization.
(11) 'Youth' means any individual under the age of 21 who is a survivor or at risk.
(b) There is created within the Department of Human Services the Georgia Child and
Youth Trafficking Care Coordination Office, and, subject to appropriations, such office
shall:
(1) Operate a state-wide hotline and reporting portal for child victims of trafficking for
labor or sexual servitude;
(2) Develop a trauma informed care coordination system;
(3) Assign regional navigators; and
(4) Maintain a state-wide data system and provide training and protocols for hospitals,
schools, DFCS, courts, and law enforcement.
(c) The office shall divide the state into regions and appoint regional navigators who shall:
(1) Respond to referrals;
(2) Coordinate MDTs;
(3) Ensure trauma informed service plans; and
(4) Prioritize familial trafficking safety measures.
(d) Each region shall maintain at least one MDT, and such MDTs shall:
(1) Coordinate investigations;
(2) Provide resources that avoid re-traumatization; and
(3) Develop integrated service plans.
(e) All agencies shall screen for familial trafficking indicators.
(f)(1) The DFCS shall consider familial trafficking as aggravated child abuse and may
order emergency removal of the child.
(2) Courts shall not order reunification without clear and convincing evidence of safety.
(g) No child victim shall be prosecuted for offenses resulting from trafficking.
(h)(1) All designated healthcare facilities shall adopt written trauma informed protocols,
including private screenings, advocate access, referrals to regional navigators, and safety
planning.
(2) Hospitals shall train emergency department, pediatric, obstetric, behavioral health,
and social work staff.
(3) Designated healthcare facilities shall not contact law enforcement for the purpose of
arresting a child victim.
(i) Counties and municipalities shall adopt trafficking response protocols aligned with this
Code section, and each shall designate a local coordinator.
(j) The office shall develop model trafficking policies for use in schools. Local school
boards shall adopt aligned policies and training, and school counselors and social workers
shall receive training.
(k) Nothing contained in this Code section shall prevent the state from receiving grants,
gifts, or bequests for the purposes of this Code section and appropriating any such moneys
for such purposes.
(l) The Department of Human Services shall prepare an annual report detailing:
(1) The number of referrals for resources;
(2) Familial trafficking data;
(3) Activity of MDTs;
(4) Designated healthcare facility compliance;
(5) School compliance; and
(6) Recommendations for improvement.
(m) The report provided for in subsection (l) of this Code section shall be submitted to the
Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of the Senate by
December 31 of each year and made available on the website of the Department of Human
Services."
SECTION 4.
This Act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
SECTION 5.
All laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would create a statewide office and coordinated response system for child and youth trafficking victims, requiring hospitals, schools, DFCS, and law enforcement to follow new trauma informed protocols starting July 1, 2026.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia currently lacks a single coordinated system for responding to child and youth trafficking, and survivors often move through hospitals, schools, the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), law enforcement, and courts without any coordination. This bill, called the Georgia Trauma Informed Child and Youth Trafficking Response Act, creates the Georgia Child and Youth Trafficking Care Coordination Office inside the Department of Human Services to fix that gap.
The office would run a statewide hotline, assign regional navigators to coordinate cases, and set up multidisciplinary teams in every region combining DFCS, police, prosecutors, courts, hospitals, and schools. Hospitals would have to adopt written trauma informed protocols and could not contact police to arrest a child victim. DFCS would treat trafficking by a family member as aggravated child abuse. Counties, cities, and school boards would have to adopt aligned policies and training. Child victims could not be prosecuted for trafficking-related offenses. The law would take effect July 1, 2026, subject to state funding being appropriated.
### What it does
- Creates the Georgia Child and Youth Trafficking Care Coordination Office within the Department of Human Services to run a statewide hotline and reporting portal.
- Requires the office to divide the state into regions, assign regional navigators, and maintain multidisciplinary teams that include DFCS, police, courts, hospitals, and schools.
- Directs DFCS to treat trafficking by a parent or caregiver as aggravated child abuse and allows emergency removal of the child, with reunification barred absent clear and convincing evidence of safety.
- Bars prosecution of child victims for offenses resulting from trafficking and prohibits hospitals from calling police to arrest a child trafficking victim.
- Requires hospitals, counties, municipalities, and school boards to adopt written trauma informed protocols, training, and local coordinators aligned with the new law.
- Requires the Department of Human Services to submit an annual report on referrals, familial trafficking data, and compliance to the Governor and legislative leaders by December 31 each year.
### Who it affects
Child and youth trafficking survivors and their families, hospitals and emergency room staff, public school boards, counselors, and social workers, county and city governments, DFCS caseworkers, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, and the Department of Human Services, which would run the new statewide office.
### Why it matters
Trafficked children currently move through hospitals, schools, DFCS, and courts with no shared coordination, which can mean repeated trauma or missed cases. This bill would set statewide protocols, staff training, and a dedicated office meant to standardize how victims are identified, protected, and connected to services, while shielding child victims from prosecution.
### Key provisions
- Section 3 adds new Code Section 16-5-48 defining key terms including familial trafficking, human trafficking, and trauma informed approach.
- Subsection (b) creates the Georgia Child and Youth Trafficking Care Coordination Office within the Department of Human Services, subject to appropriations, to run a hotline, data system, and training programs.
- Subsection (c) and (d) require the office to appoint regional navigators and maintain at least one multidisciplinary team per region to coordinate investigations and service plans.
- Subsection (f) directs DFCS to treat familial trafficking as aggravated child abuse and requires clear and convincing evidence of safety before reunification.
- Subsection (g) bars prosecution of child victims for offenses arising from their trafficking.
- Subsection (h) requires designated healthcare facilities to adopt written trauma informed protocols and bars contacting law enforcement to arrest a child victim.
- Subsection (i) and (j) require counties, municipalities, and school boards to adopt aligned response protocols, local coordinators, and staff training.
- Subsection (l) and (m) require an annual report to the Governor and legislative leaders by December 31 each year, posted on the Department of Human Services website.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-27)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-01-29)
- Sponsors: Sandra Scott, Kim Schofield, Viola Davis, Debra Bazemore, Kimberly Alexander, Rhonda Taylor
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72373
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1043.md?full=1