(KXNET) — A group of advocates are asking North Dakota lawmakers for more support to help prevent child sex abuse in the state.

The tax force was first set up back in 2017, which includes social workers, law enforcement, as well as school and health workers. This team gathers information on where cases of sexual abuse are happening around the state, and they then report to the governor.

“It’s a really ugly topic that we don’t want to talk about,” Task Force Director Lindsey Burkhardt said. “There’s a lot of stigma around it. And because of that, until we break down those walls and accept that this is something that happens in North Dakota and it’s a problem. When we do that, we can start to understand prevention better, understand what is happening, and how we can prevent it.”

Senate Bill 2257 would extend the task force through June 2025. The task force is funded through the state’s health and human services budget.