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Human Trafficking Bills Clear House

This week, the House passed several bills to address human trafficking: the Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act (H.R. 350); the Human Trafficking Prioritization Act (H.R. 514); the International Megan’s Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking Act (H.R. 515); the Human Trafficking Prevention Act (H.R. 357); the Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act (H.R. 468); the Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act (H.R. 469); a bill to improve the response to victims of child sex trafficking (H.R. 246); the Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act (H.R. 398); the Human Trafficking Detection Act (H.R. 460); the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act (H.R. 159); the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (H.R. 181); and the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation (SAVE) Act (H.R. 285).

H.R. 350

On January 27, the House approved, by voice vote, the Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act. The Judiciary Committee passed the legislation on January 21 (see The Source, 11/23/15).

Sponsored by Reps. Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Doris Matsui (D-CA), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, the measure would amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386) to authorize grants for programs that provide housing assistance to victims of trafficking. In addition, the legislation would direct the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking to review federal and state activities that deter individuals from committing trafficking offenses and prevent children from becoming victims of trafficking.

H.R. 514

Sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), H.R. 514 would amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386) to change the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to the Bureau to Combat Trafficking in Persons. An assistant secretary would head the newly established bureau; currently an ambassador-at-large heads the Office.

Current law allows countries to remain in Tier 2 of the State Department’s Watch List for four consecutive years before the department automatically downgrades them to Tier 3 for failing to meet the minimum standards to eliminate human trafficking. Some countries the State Department downgraded from, and later reinstated to, Tier 2 subsequently failed for four years to make progress in meeting the minimum anti-trafficking standards. To address what Rep. Smith called “gaming the tier ranking system,” the bill would limit to one year the amount of time that such countries could remain in Tier 2 without making such progress. Rep. Smith further explained this provision in his floor remarks.

The House approved H.R. 514 on January 26 by voice vote.

H.R. 515

Also sponsored by Rep. Smith, H.R. 515 would create the Angel Watch Center within the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center would receive, maintain, and archive information on international travel by registered child-sex offenders. The center would notify countries to which the sex offender is traveling. The bill also would require the center to establish a process to receive complaints by sex offenders who are affected by the notifications.

Among other provisions, the legislation would require the center to consult with nongovernmental organizations, foreign governments, and Internet service and software providers. The bill also would add sex tourism to the list of trafficking crimes the State Department uses to determine countries’ ranking on the annual Watch List.

The measure cleared the House by voice vote on January 26.

H.R. 357

Sponsored by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), the bill would require the State Department to train Foreign Service personnel to address human trafficking. Specifically, the legislation would require distance learning courses on human trafficking, human trafficking briefings for ambassadors and chiefs of mission before they deploy to their posts, and at least annual reminders of “key problems, threats, methods, and warning signs of trafficking in persons specific to the country or jurisdiction.”

H.R. 468

H.R. 468 would amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (P.L. 110-378) to include “severe forms of trafficking in persons” and sex trafficking to the criteria for which the Department of Health and Human Services may award grants to state and local governments and nongovernmental organizations to protect and care for runaway and homeless youth. Current law permits such grants for child sexual abuse and assault.

The bill also would expand the Street Outreach program to address the needs of children who are victims of human trafficking or are at risk of being trafficked.

The House passed the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV), by voice vote.

H.R. 469

On January 27, the House approved, 410-0, the Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act. Sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), the bill would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (P.L. 93-247) to require that states address child sex trafficking in their plans to combat child abuse and neglect. The measure would require states to identify and assess reports involving children who are sex trafficking victims, train child protective services to identify as assess the needs of such children, and provide services and procedures to care for such children.

The measure would require the secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on the type and prevalence of severe forms of child trafficking, the practices and protocols states use to identify and serve children who are, or are at-risk of becoming, victims of trafficking, and any federal barriers that may prevent identification and assessment of children who are such victims.

H.R. 246

On January 27, the House approved, 411-0, a bill to improve the response to victims of child sex trafficking (H.R. 246).

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), would amend the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (P.L. 113-38) to require that National Center for Missing and Exploited Children use part of its annual grant to operate a cyber tipline to provide an effective means of reporting Internet-related child sexual exploitation, including child sex trafficking and child prostitution.

H.R. 398

Sponsored by Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC), the bill would provide for “the development and dissemination of evidence-based best practices for health care professionals to recognize victims of a severe form of trafficking.”

This bill would authorize the secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to an eligible medical school for the “development of best practices” in identifying and responding to victims of trafficking.

To be eligible, the school would need experience in treating victims of human trafficking. Among other provisions, the legislation would require the medical school to work with law enforcement officials, social service providers, and others to create materials to assist health care professionals who treat victims of trafficking.

The measure cleared the House by voice vote on January 26.

H.R. 460

Sponsored by Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC), the legislation would authorize the secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement a program to train Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other DHS personnel how to successfully detect and disrupt human trafficking. The bill would ensure that such personnel receive current information on matters related to human trafficking.

In addition, the training would include methods for identifying suspected victims and perpetrators of human trafficking, methods for approaching a victim, and a post-training evaluation of trainees.

The House approved H.R. 460 on January 27 by voice vote.

H.R. 159, H.R. 181, and H.R. 285

The House also passed on January 27 the following bills by voice vote: the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation (SAVE) Act. The Judiciary Committee approved the bills on January 21 (see The Source, 11/23/15).