TDLR describes expanded anti‑human‑trafficking enforcement, seeks resources as Legislature considers bills

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation officials and commissioners used the Feb. 14 meeting to summarize enforcement activity against suspected human‑trafficking operations and to describe legislative outreach seeking additional resources.

Executive Director Courtney (identified in the meeting as the agency’s executive director) told commissioners the agency has issued multiple emergency orders and closed establishments as part of a focused effort on trafficking within licensed industries. “We have a full court press with everybody in this room and online,” Courtney said, describing coordinated work with law enforcement and agency divisions. Commissioners and staff reported that the department’s legal team had served 19 executive orders on industrialized mobile businesses (IMBs) to date and had closed some establishments as part of enforcement; staff also reported 40 establishment closures in the enforcement effort.

Commissioners said they have raised the issue with lawmakers. The agency requested and has been allocated budget authority for 10 additional full‑time equivalent positions through the legislative exceptional‑item process; Courtney said those 10 FTEs and appropriation authority were likely to be included in the final approved budget and that additional requests would be discussed with leadership. Vice Chair Tom Butler and other commissioners commended staff, emphasizing partnerships with district attorneys, the FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety in investigations and legislative planning.

Staff described operational details: an enforcement heat map of closures and a public-facing plan to publish inspection results; a dashboard and reports the agency intends to publish on the website; and coordination with local groundwater districts and other agencies on inspection follow-ups when environmental impacts are possible. Deputy executive director Steve Bruno and deputy Susanna Holt Cottrell reported on inspection volumes and staffing: Bruno said customer-service contacts and licensing processing have improved and that inspection and licensing teams are working to reduce bottlenecks; Holt Cottrell reported the compliance division had conducted more than 80,000 technical inspections in the fiscal year and that regulatory‑services vacancy rates were approaching single digits.

Commissioners asked for periodic executive reports on enforcement metrics, including massage‑parlor and IMB enforcement activity, to convey progress to the Legislature. Several commissioners said the agency’s work to identify and close illicit operations would continue as a priority.