Lawmakers back an interim study to coordinate Nevada’s response to human trafficking

Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 (SCR3) would direct the joint interim standing committee on the judiciary to conduct an interim study of Nevada’s statewide response to human trafficking, with the stated goal of improving prevention, victim support and offender accountability through a coordinated system of care.

Sen. Julie Pizzina (Senate District 12) presented the resolution and said it would “bring together many entities, including law enforcement, prosecutors, nonprofits, government entities, and academic partners to assess current efforts and develop actionable solutions.” Joel Kiser, a retired law enforcement investigator and co‑presenter, told the committee Nevada still ranks among the highest states for trafficking per capita and said SCR3 aims to strengthen and expand the existing Human Trafficking Coalition established by AB143 (2021).

Nut graf: Supporters said Nevada needs a coordinated, sustainable statewide system to identify victims earlier, standardize data collection, and ensure survivors receive trauma‑informed, long‑term services; the resolution would create a formal interim study to evaluate gaps and recommend changes.

Key points of the proposal - Scope: SCR3 would examine prevention, reporting, legal framework, data collection, service coordination and sustainable funding models, and would seek to include survivor voices in the study. - Partners: The resolution envisions participation from law enforcement, prosecutors, nonprofit service providers, academic partners (UNLV/UNR mentioned), health‑care professionals, and survivors. - Background: Presenters noted AB143 (2021) created the Human Trafficking Coalition; SCR3 is described as building on those prior efforts rather than starting from scratch.

Evidence and data cited at the hearing - Joel Kiser cited a 2019–2023 per‑capita statistic the committee was given: an average of 58.48 victims per 100,000 residents (presenters attributed the number to a statewide calculation). Kiser also summarized a 2020 Arizona State University study that analyzed 833 child trafficking cases in Southern Nevada from 2011–2019 involving 922 child victims; he said that study showed the majority of cases were identified through visa dings and casino security and that only about 28.1% of victims cooperated with investigations.

Stakeholder testimony and concerns - Nonprofits and victim services: Representatives from the Junior League of Las Vegas, St. Jude Ranch for Children, SafeNest and the Victim Policy Institute urged passage and emphasized survivor‑centered care, expanded mandatory reporting in frontline professions, and improved trauma‑informed services. Dr. Tia Mathis‑Coleman of the Junior League said the coalition must address gaps in service coordination and consistent access to trauma‑informed care. - Law enforcement and prosecutors: John Jones of the Nevada District Attorneys Association and several law enforcement and labor‑union groups testified in support and emphasized the need for better investigative tools and data sharing to improve prosecutions and victim identification. - Data and coordination gaps: Presenters and committee members highlighted a lack of standardized, shareable datasets. Joel Kiser and others told the committee that UNLV currently serves as a data warehouse but is not receiving consistent, searchable data from all jurisdictions; MOUs and data‑sharing agreements may be required to improve reporting and analysis.

Questions from committee members - Several senators, including Senator Hansen and Senator Ellison, asked how SCR3 would differ from prior studies and what concrete changes could come from another review. Kiser and other proponents said that prior efforts established structures (for example, AB143 and the Human Trafficking Coalition) but lacked operational alignment, consistent data practices and sustainable funding; SCR3 would examine those implementation gaps and propose measurable system changes. - On taking recommendations beyond study: presenters emphasized the resolution’s goal of producing actionable, operational recommendations — including improved mandatory reporting protocols, MOUs for data sharing, survivor participation and models to sustain the coalition’s work beyond a single legislative session.

Supporters who testified (selected) - Joel Kiser, Pinnacle Consulting and Advisors / R Rescue (co‑presenter) - Tia Mathis‑Coleman, Junior League of Las Vegas (co‑presenter) - Carlos Hernandez, Nevada State AFL‑CIO - William Horn, SafeNest - Kaysia Caldwell, Junior League of Las Vegas, licensed clinical social worker and nonprofit founder - Dr. Christina Vela, CEO, St. Jude Ranch for Children - Lianne McAllister, Nevada Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics - John Jones, Nevada District Attorneys Association

Ending and next steps Committee members expressed broad support for a coordinated, survivor‑centered approach and for ensuring the interim study includes survivor participation and data‑sharing fixes. The transcript records no committee vote on SCR3 at the hearing; presenters said the resolution includes a conceptual amendment to ensure survivor voice and to limit undue burden on service providers. If adopted by the Legislature, the resolution would direct the interim study described in its text and return findings or recommended statutory and operational changes to the Legislature for consideration.