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Purpose and scope

• Bill S-235 would require the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to maintain and update the existing National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.
• It would create statutory review and reporting obligations. It defines human trafficking by reference to specified Criminal Code provisions; the provided text does not amend those provisions.

Strategy requirements

The strategy would have to include measures to:

• Support people with lived experience in regaining independence and reintegrating into their communities, and promote sufficient investment in support services.
• Increase awareness and prevention, including by addressing root causes such as poverty and discrimination.
• Protect vulnerable groups, including Indigenous, Black and Asian women and girls, at-risk youth and migrants, through culturally and linguistically sensitive support and training.
• Increase criminal justice capacity to identify and prosecute cases using a trauma-informed approach, and strengthen national and international cooperation.
• Create and maintain a public resource website, provide ongoing trauma-informed training and resources to federal employees, and monitor progress against objectives and timelines.
• Ensure that Survivor Advisory Committee members and the minister’s Chief Advisor to Combat Human Trafficking have lived experience of trafficking.

The minister would also have to make every reasonable effort to ensure the strategy provides for fulfilment of Canada’s obligations under four listed international agreements.

Reviews and reporting

• The minister would have to review the strategy within two years after the Act comes into force, and every five years after that day.
• Each review must include public participation and consultations with provincial and municipal representatives, disproportionately affected communities, people with lived experience, public safety and health-care representatives, and other stakeholders the minister considers appropriate.
• Reviews must consider human rights and trauma-informed principles, among other specified principles. Review reports must address consultation results and state any planned strategy changes.
• Review reports must be tabled in each House of Parliament within the specified 15-sitting-day period and published online within 10 days after tabling in both Houses.
• Within three months after each fiscal year ends, the minister must prepare an annual report on implementation and progress. It must also be tabled in each House within the specified 15-sitting-day period.

Costs

• The bill calls for measures to promote sufficient investment in support services, but the provided text specifies no funding amount.