On August 5, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved, by voice vote, the Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act (S. 2925), after adopting, by unanimous consent, a substitute amendment by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
Sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the bill would authorize the attorney general, in conjunction with the assistant secretary for children and families at the Department of Health and Human Services, to award six block grants that could be used to provide shelter, clothing, other daily necessities, counseling and legal services to victims, as well as specialized training and salaries for law enforcement officials. The funds also could be used to cover investigation expenses, including wire taps, consulting with sex trafficking experts, travel, and other necessary technical assistance.
The measure also includes a sense of the Senate that the attorney general should implement changes to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database that would automatically designate children entered into the database at least three times in a one-year period as “endangered juveniles.” The bill would encourage the attorney general to update the database so that it can cross-reference historical information already contained in the database, as well as include visual cues that may assist law enforcement in recognizing children and providing services to them.
The measure would authorize annually in FY2011-2014 $45 million for the block grant program, $1.5 million to conduct an annual evaluation of the program, and $3.5 million for the attorney general to implement the changes to the NCIC database.
The substitute amendment would provide protection for minor victims or witnesses who are being intimidated, harassed, or threatened. It also would direct the U.S. Sentencing Commission to increase the penalties for convictions for sex trafficking and sexual abuse. The substitute amendment expresses the sense of the Senate that minor trafficking victims should be treated as crime victims and not as defendants or juvenile delinquents. The substitute amendment makes such victims eligible for compensation from state crime victim funds.
During consideration of the bill, the committee also adopted, by voice vote:
