On June 27, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved en bloc, by voice vote, the End Trafficking in Government Contracting Act of 2012 (S. 2234). The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing on the issue in November (see The Source, 11/4/11). The measure would amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386).
The bill would expand the authority of federal agencies to terminate grants, contracts, and corporate agreements with government contractors that engage in human trafficking. Under the measure, an agency would be able to terminate these contracts if the contractors or grantees employ individuals who are engaged in human trafficking, destroy immigration documents, employ workers under false pretenses, charge “exorbitant placement fees” for recruited workers, or provide inhumane living conditions. The legislation also would ensure that federal agencies could not enter into contracts worth more than $1 million unless the contractor implements a plan to prevent human trafficking. The bill would impose stricter punishments for hiring workers for government contracts under false pretenses, with a possible prison sentence of up to five years or a fine.
During its consideration of the bill, the committee adopted, by voice vote, the following amendment:
