Title 34, Chapter 207
Crime Control and Law Enforcement — 14 active sections
Table of Contents (14 sections)
- § 20701 Prevention of domestic trafficking in persons
- § 20702 Establishment of a grant program to develop, expand, and strengthen assistance programs for certain persons subject to trafficking
- § 20703 Victim-centered child human trafficking deterrence block grant program
- § 20704 Grant accountability
- § 20705 Enhancing State and local efforts to combat trafficking in persons
- § 20706 Senior Policy Operating Group
- § 20707 Definitions
- § 20708 Grants for specialized human trafficking training and technical assistance for service providers
- § 20709 Combat Human Trafficking Act
- § 20709a Holistic training for Federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors
- § 20709b Encouraging a victim-centered approach to training of Federal law enforcement personnel
- § 20709c Training of tribal law enforcement and prosecutorial personnel
- § 20710 Education and outreach to trafficking survivors
- § 20711 Establishing a national strategy to combat human trafficking
§ 20701. Prevention of domestic trafficking in persons
- (a)
- (1)
- (A) The Attorney General shall use available data from State and local authorities as well as research data to carry out a biennial comprehensive research and statistical review and analysis of severe forms of trafficking in persons, and a biennial comprehensive research and statistical review and analysis of sex trafficking and unlawful commercial sex acts in the United States, and shall submit to Congress separate biennial reports on the findings.
- (B) The research and statistical review and analysis under this paragraph shall consist of two separate studies, utilizing the same statistical data where appropriate, as follows:
- (i) The first study shall address severe forms of trafficking in persons in the United States and shall include, but need not be limited to—
- (I) the estimated number and demographic characteristics of persons engaged in acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons; and
- (II) the number of investigations, arrests, prosecutions, and incarcerations of persons engaged in acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons by States and their political subdivisions.
- (ii) The second study shall address sex trafficking and unlawful commercial sex acts in the United States and shall include, but need not be limited to—
- (I) the estimated number and demographic characteristics of persons engaged in sex trafficking and commercial sex acts, including purchasers of commercial sex acts;
- (II) the estimated value in dollars of the commercial sex economy, including the estimated average annual personal income derived from acts of sex trafficking;
- (III) the number of investigations, arrests, prosecutions, and incarcerations of persons engaged in sex trafficking and unlawful commercial sex acts, including purchasers of commercial sex acts, by States and their political subdivisions; and
- (IV) a description of the differences in the enforcement of laws relating to unlawful commercial sex acts across the United States.
- (i) The first study shall address severe forms of trafficking in persons in the United States and shall include, but need not be limited to—
- (2)
- (A) The Attorney General, in consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall conduct an annual conference in each of the fiscal years 2006, 2007, and 2008, and thereafter conduct a biennial conference, addressing severe forms of trafficking in persons and commercial sex acts that occur, in whole or in part, within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. At each such conference, the Attorney General, or his designee, shall—
- (i) announce and evaluate the findings contained in the research and statistical reviews carried out under paragraph (1);
- (ii) disseminate best methods and practices for enforcement of laws prohibiting acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons and other laws related to acts of trafficking in persons, including, but not limited to, best methods and practices for training State and local law enforcement personnel on the enforcement of such laws;
- (iii) disseminate best methods and practices for training State and local law enforcement personnel on the enforcement of laws prohibiting sex trafficking and commercial sex acts, including, but not limited to, best methods for investigating and prosecuting exploiters and persons who solicit or purchase an unlawful commercial sex act; and
- (iv) disseminate best methods and practices for training State and local law enforcement personnel on collaborating with social service providers and relevant nongovernmental organizations and establishing trust of persons subjected to commercial sex acts or severe forms of trafficking in persons.
- (B) Each annual conference conducted under this paragraph shall involve the participation of persons with expertise or professional responsibilities with relevance to trafficking in persons, including, but not limited to—
- (i) Federal Government officials, including law enforcement and prosecutorial officials;
- (ii) State and local government officials, including law enforcement and prosecutorial officials;
- (iii) persons who have been subjected to severe forms of trafficking in persons or commercial sex acts;
- (iv) medical personnel;
- (v) social service providers and relevant nongovernmental organizations; and
- (vi) academic experts.
- (C) The Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall prepare and post on the respective Internet Web sites of the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services reports on the findings and best practices identified and disseminated at the conference described in this paragraph.
- (A) The Attorney General, in consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall conduct an annual conference in each of the fiscal years 2006, 2007, and 2008, and thereafter conduct a biennial conference, addressing severe forms of trafficking in persons and commercial sex acts that occur, in whole or in part, within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. At each such conference, the Attorney General, or his designee, shall—
- (1)
- (b)
- (c) There are authorized to be appropriated—
- (1) $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2011 to carry out the activities described in subsection (a)(1)(B)(i) and $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2011 to carry out the activities described in subsection (a)(1)(B)(ii); and
- (2) $250,000 for each of the fiscal years 2014 through 2021 to carry out the activities described in subsection (a)(2).
§ 20702. Establishment of a grant program to develop, expand, and strengthen assistance programs for certain persons subject to trafficking
- (a) In this section:
- (1) The term “Assistant Secretary” means the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services.
- (2) The term “Assistant Attorney General” means the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice.
- (3) The term “eligible entity” means a State or unit of local government that—
- (A) has significant criminal activity involving sex trafficking of minors;
- (B) has demonstrated cooperation between Federal, State, local, and, where applicable, tribal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and social service providers in addressing sex trafficking of minors;
- (C) has developed a workable, multi-disciplinary plan to combat sex trafficking of minors, including—
- (i) building or establishing a residential care facility for minor victims of sex trafficking;
- (ii) the provision of rehabilitative care to minor victims of sex trafficking;
- (iii) the provision of specialized training for law enforcement officers and social service providers for all forms of sex trafficking, with a focus on sex trafficking of minors;
- (iv) prevention, deterrence, and prosecution of offenses involving sex trafficking of minors;
- (v) cooperation or referral agreements with organizations providing outreach or other related services to runaway and homeless youth; and
- (vi) law enforcement protocols or procedures to screen all individuals arrested for prostitution, whether adult or minor, for victimization by sex trafficking and by other crimes, such as sexual assault and domestic violence; and
- (D) provides assurance that a minor victim of sex trafficking shall not be required to collaborate with law enforcement to have access to residential care or services provided with a grant under this section.
- (4) The term “minor victim of sex trafficking” means an individual who—
- (A) is younger than 18 years of age, and is a victim of an offense described in section 1591(a) of title 18 or a comparable State law; or
- (B)
- (i) is not younger than 18 years of age nor older than 20 years of age;
- (ii) before the individual reached 18 years of age, was described in subparagraph (A); and
- (iii) was receiving shelter or services as a minor victim of sex trafficking.
- (5) The term “qualified nongovernmental organization” means an organization that—
- (A) is not a State or unit of local government, or an agency of a State or unit of local government;
- (B) has demonstrated experience providing services to victims of sex trafficking or related populations (such as runaway and homeless youth), or employs staff specialized in the treatment of sex trafficking victims; and
- (C) demonstrates a plan to sustain the provision of services beyond the period of a grant awarded under this section.
- (6) The term “sex trafficking of a minor” means an offense described in section 1591(a) of title 18 or a comparable State law, against a minor.
- (b)
- (1)
- (A) The Assistant Attorney General, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary, may make block grants to 4 eligible entities located in different regions of the United States to combat sex trafficking of minors.
- (B) Not fewer than 1 of the block grants made under subparagraph (A) shall be awarded to an eligible entity with a State population of less than 5,000,000.
- (C) Subject to the availability of appropriations under subsection (g) to carry out this section, each grant made under this section shall be for an amount not less than $1,500,000 and not greater than $2,000,000.
- (D)
- (i) A grant made under this section shall be for a period of 1 year.
- (ii)
- (I) The Assistant Attorney General may renew a grant under this section for up to 3 1-year periods.
- (II) In making grants in any fiscal year after the first fiscal year in which grants are made under this section, the Assistant Attorney General shall give priority to an eligible entity that received a grant in the preceding fiscal year and is eligible for renewal under this subparagraph, taking into account any evaluation of the eligible entity conducted under paragraph (4), if available.
- (E) In carrying out this section, the Assistant Attorney General shall consult with the Assistant Secretary with respect to—
- (i) evaluations of grant recipients under paragraph (4);
- (ii) avoiding unintentional duplication of grants; and
- (iii) any other areas of shared concern.
- (2)
- (A) Not less than 67 percent of each grant made under paragraph (1) shall be used by the eligible entity to provide residential care and services (as described in clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (B)) to minor victims of sex trafficking through qualified nongovernmental organizations.
- (B) Grants awarded pursuant to paragraph (2) may be used for—
- (i) providing residential care to minor victims of sex trafficking, including temporary or long-term placement as appropriate;
- (ii) providing 24-hour emergency social services response for minor victims of sex trafficking;
- (iii) providing minor victims of sex trafficking with clothing and other daily necessities needed to keep such victims from returning to living on the street;
- (iv) case management services for minor victims of sex trafficking;
- (v) mental health counseling for minor victims of sex trafficking, including specialized counseling and substance abuse treatment;
- (vi) legal services for minor victims of sex trafficking;
- (vii) specialized training for social service providers, public sector personnel, and private sector personnel likely to encounter sex trafficking victims on issues related to the sex trafficking of minors and severe forms of trafficking in persons;
- (viii) outreach and education programs to provide information about deterrence and prevention of sex trafficking of minors;
- (ix) programs to provide treatment to individuals charged or cited with purchasing or attempting to purchase sex acts in cases where—
- (I) a treatment program can be mandated as a condition of a sentence, fine, suspended sentence, or probation, or is an appropriate alternative to criminal prosecution; and
- (II) the individual was not charged with purchasing or attempting to purchase sex acts with a minor; and
- (x) screening and referral of minor victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons.
- (3)
- (A) Each eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Assistant Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Assistant Attorney General may reasonably require.
- (B) Each application submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall—
- (i) describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought; and
- (ii) provide such additional assurances as the Assistant Attorney General determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.
- (4) The Assistant Attorney General shall enter into a contract with an academic or non-profit organization that has experience in issues related to sex trafficking of minors and evaluation of grant programs to conduct an annual evaluation of each grant made under this section to determine the impact and effectiveness of programs funded with the grant.
- (1)
- (c) An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section that is found to have utilized grant funds for any unauthorized expenditure or otherwise unallowable cost shall not be eligible for any grant funds awarded under the grant for 2 fiscal years following the year in which the unauthorized expenditure or unallowable cost is reported.
- (d) An eligible entity shall not be eligible to receive a grant under this section if, during the 5 fiscal years before the eligible entity submits an application for the grant, the eligible entity has been found to have violated the terms or conditions of a Government grant program by utilizing grant funds for unauthorized expenditures or otherwise unallowable costs.
- (e) The cost of administering the grants authorized by this section shall not exceed 3 percent of the total amount appropriated to carry out this section.
- (f) For fiscal years 2016 and 2017, the Inspector General of the Department of Justice shall conduct an audit of all 4 eligible entities that receive block grants under this section.
- (g) An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall provide a non-Federal match in an amount equal to not less than—
- (1) 15 percent of the grant during the first year;
- (2) 25 percent of the grant during the first renewal period;
- (3) 40 percent of the grant during the second renewal period; and
- (4) 50 percent of the grant during the third renewal period.
- (h) An entity that applies for a grant under section 20705 of this title is not prohibited from also applying for a grant under this section.
- (i) There are authorized to be appropriated $8,000,000 to the Attorney General for each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2021 to carry out this section.
- (j) Not later than 30 months after March 7, 2013 , the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report to Congress that contains—
- (1) an evaluation of the impact of this section in aiding minor victims of sex trafficking in the jurisdiction of the entity receiving the grant; and
- (2) recommendations, if any, regarding any legislative or administrative action the Comptroller General determines appropriate.
§ 20703. Victim-centered child human trafficking deterrence block grant program
- (a) The Attorney General may award block grants to an eligible entity to develop, improve, or expand domestic child human trafficking deterrence programs that assist law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judicial officials, and qualified victims’ services organizations in collaborating to rescue and restore the lives of victims, while investigating and prosecuting offenses involving child human trafficking.
- (b) Grants awarded under subsection (a) may be used for—
- (1) the establishment or enhancement of specialized training programs for law enforcement officers, first responders, health care officials, child welfare officials, juvenile justice personnel, prosecutors, and judicial personnel to—
- (A) identify victims and acts of child human trafficking;
- (B) address the unique needs of child victims of human trafficking;
- (C) facilitate the rescue of child victims of human trafficking;
- (D) investigate and prosecute acts of human trafficking, including the soliciting, patronizing, or purchasing of commercial sex acts from children, as well as training to build cases against complex criminal networks involved in child human trafficking; and
- (E) utilize, implement, and provide education on safe harbor laws enacted by States, aimed at preventing the criminalization and prosecution of child sex trafficking victims for prostitution offenses, and other laws aimed at the investigation and prosecution of child human trafficking;
- (2) the establishment or enhancement of dedicated anti-trafficking law enforcement units and task forces to investigate child human trafficking offenses and to rescue victims, including—
- (A) funding salaries, in whole or in part, for law enforcement officers, including patrol officers, detectives, and investigators, except that the percentage of the salary of the law enforcement officer paid for by funds from a grant awarded under this section shall not be more than the percentage of the officer’s time on duty that is dedicated to working on cases involving child human trafficking;
- (B) investigation expenses for cases involving child human trafficking, including—
- (i) wire taps;
- (ii) consultants with expertise specific to cases involving child human trafficking;
- (iii) travel; and
- (iv) other technical assistance expenditures;
- (C) dedicated anti-trafficking prosecution units, including the funding of salaries for State and local prosecutors, including assisting in paying trial expenses for prosecution of child human trafficking offenders, except that the percentage of the total salary of a State or local prosecutor that is paid using an award under this section shall be not more than the percentage of the total number of hours worked by the prosecutor that is spent working on cases involving child human trafficking;
- (D) the establishment of child human trafficking victim witness safety, assistance, and relocation programs that encourage cooperation with law enforcement investigations of crimes of child human trafficking by leveraging existing resources and delivering child human trafficking victims’ services through coordination with—
- (i) child advocacy centers;
- (ii) social service agencies;
- (iii) State governmental health service agencies;
- (iv) housing agencies;
- (v) legal services agencies; and
- (vi) nongovernmental organizations and shelter service providers with substantial experience in delivering wrap-around services to victims of child human trafficking; and
- (E) the establishment or enhancement of other necessary victim assistance programs or personnel, such as victim or child advocates, child-protective services, child forensic interviews, or other necessary service providers;
- (3) activities of law enforcement agencies to find homeless and runaway youth, including salaries and associated expenses for retired Federal law enforcement officers assisting the law enforcement agencies in finding homeless and runaway youth; and
- (4) the establishment or enhancement of problem solving court programs for trafficking victims that include—
- (A) mandatory and regular training requirements for judicial officials involved in the administration or operation of the court program described under this paragraph;
- (B) continuing judicial supervision of victims of child human trafficking, including case worker or child welfare supervision in collaboration with judicial officers, who have been identified by a law enforcement or judicial officer as a potential victim of child human trafficking, regardless of whether the victim has been charged with a crime related to human trafficking;
- (C) the development of a specialized and individualized, court-ordered treatment program for identified victims of child human trafficking, including—
- (i) State-administered outpatient treatment;
- (ii) life skills training;
- (iii) housing placement;
- (iv) vocational training;
- (v) education;
- (vi) family support services; and
- (vii) job placement;
- (D) centralized case management involving the consolidation of all of each child human trafficking victim’s cases and offenses, and the coordination of all trafficking victim treatment programs and social services;
- (E) regular and mandatory court appearances by the victim during the duration of the treatment program for purposes of ensuring compliance and effectiveness;
- (F) the ultimate dismissal of relevant non-violent criminal charges against the victim, where such victim successfully complies with the terms of the court-ordered treatment program; and
- (G) collaborative efforts with child advocacy centers, child welfare agencies, shelters, and nongovernmental organizations with substantial experience in delivering wrap-around services to victims of child human trafficking to provide services to victims and encourage cooperation with law enforcement.
- (1) the establishment or enhancement of specialized training programs for law enforcement officers, first responders, health care officials, child welfare officials, juvenile justice personnel, prosecutors, and judicial personnel to—
- (c)
- (1) An eligible entity shall submit an application to the Attorney General for a grant under this section in such form and manner as the Attorney General may require.
- (2) An application submitted under this subsection shall—
- (A) describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought;
- (B) include a detailed plan for the use of funds awarded under the grant;
- (C) provide such additional information and assurances as the Attorney General determines to be necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section; and
- (D) disclose—
- (i) any other grant funding from the Department of Justice or from any other Federal department or agency for purposes similar to those described in subsection (b) for which the eligible entity has applied, and which application is pending on the date of the submission of an application under this section; and
- (ii) any other such grant funding that the eligible entity has received during the 5-year period ending on the date of the submission of an application under this section.
- (3) In reviewing applications submitted in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2), the Attorney General shall give preference to grant applications if—
- (A) the application includes a plan to use awarded funds to engage in all activities described under paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (b); or
- (B) the application includes a plan by the State or unit of local government to continue funding of all activities funded by the award after the expiration of the award.
- (4) No eligible entity shall be disadvantaged in being awarded a grant under subsection (a) on the grounds that the eligible entity has only recently begun soliciting data on child human trafficking.
- (d)
- (1) A grant under this section shall expire 3 years after the date of award of the grant.
- (2) A grant under this section shall be renewable not more than 2 times and for a period of not greater than 2 years.
- (e) The Attorney General shall—
- (1) enter into a contract with a nongovernmental organization, including an academic or nonprofit organization, that has experience with issues related to child human trafficking and evaluation of grant programs to conduct periodic evaluations of grants made under this section to determine the impact and effectiveness of programs funded with grants awarded under this section;
- (2) instruct the Inspector General of the Department of Justice to review evaluations issued under paragraph (1) to determine the methodological and statistical validity of the evaluations; and
- (3) submit the results of any evaluation conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) to—
- (A) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; and
- (B) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.
- (f) An eligible entity awarded funds under this section that is found to have used grant funds for any unauthorized expenditure or otherwise unallowable cost shall not be eligible for any grant funds awarded under the block grant for 2 fiscal years following the year in which the unauthorized expenditure or unallowable cost is reported.
- (g) An eligible entity shall not be eligible to receive a grant under this section if within the 5 fiscal years before submitting an application for a grant under this section, the grantee has been found to have violated the terms or conditions of a Government grant program by utilizing grant funds for unauthorized expenditures or otherwise unallowable costs.
- (h) The cost of administering the grants authorized by this section shall not exceed 5 percent of the total amount expended to carry out this section.
- (i) The Federal share of the cost of a program funded by a grant awarded under this section shall be—
- (1) 70 percent in the first year;
- (2) 60 percent in the second year; and
- (3) 50 percent in the third year, and in all subsequent years.
- (j) For purposes of carrying out this section, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, is authorized to award not more than $7,000,000 of the funds available in the Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund, established under section 3014 of title 18 , for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020.
- (k) In this section—
- (1) the term “child” means a person under the age of 18;
- (2) the term “child advocacy center” means a center created under subtitle A of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 13001 et seq.); 1 1 See References in Text note below.
- (3) the term “child human trafficking” means 1 or more severe forms of trafficking in persons (as defined in section 7102 of title 22 ) involving a victim who is a child; and
- (4) the term “eligible entity” means a State or unit of local government that—
- (A) has significant criminal activity involving child human trafficking;
- (B) has demonstrated cooperation between Federal, State, local, and, where applicable, tribal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and social service providers in addressing child human trafficking;
- (C) has developed a workable, multi-disciplinary plan to combat child human trafficking, including—
- (i) the establishment of a shelter for victims of child human trafficking, through existing or new facilities;
- (ii) the provision of trauma-informed, gender-responsive rehabilitative care to victims of child human trafficking;
- (iii) the provision of specialized training for law enforcement officers and social service providers for all forms of human trafficking, with a focus on domestic child human trafficking;
- (iv) prevention, deterrence, and prosecution of offenses involving child human trafficking, including soliciting, patronizing, or purchasing human acts with children;
- (v) cooperation or referral agreements with organizations providing outreach or other related services to runaway and homeless youth;
- (vi) law enforcement protocols or procedures to screen all individuals arrested for prostitution, whether adult or child, for victimization by sex trafficking and by other crimes, such as sexual assault and domestic violence; and
- (vii) cooperation or referral agreements with State child welfare agencies and child advocacy centers; and
- (D) provides an assurance that, under the plan under subparagraph (C), a victim of child human trafficking shall not be required to collaborate with law enforcement officers to have access to any shelter or services provided with a grant under this section.
- (l) No grant funds under this section may be awarded or transferred to any entity unless such entity has demonstrated substantial experience providing services to victims of human trafficking or related populations (such as runaway and homeless youth), or employs staff specialized in the treatment of human trafficking victims.
§ 20704. Grant accountability
- (a) In this section, the term “covered grant” means a grant awarded by the Attorney General under section 20703 of this title , as amended by section 103.
- (b) All covered grants shall be subject to the following accountability provisions:
- (1)
- (A) Beginning in the first fiscal year beginning after May 29, 2015 , and in each fiscal year thereafter, the Inspector General of the Department of Justice shall conduct audits of recipients of a covered grant to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of funds by grantees. The Inspector General shall determine the appropriate number of grantees to be audited each year.
- (B) In this paragraph, the term “unresolved audit finding” means a finding in the final audit report of the Inspector General that the audited grantee has utilized grant funds for an unauthorized expenditure or otherwise unallowable cost that is not closed or resolved within 12 months from the date when the final audit report is issued.
- (C) A recipient of a covered grant that is found to have an unresolved audit finding shall not be eligible to receive a covered grant during the following 2 fiscal years.
- (D) In awarding covered grants the Attorney General shall give priority to eligible entities that did not have an unresolved audit finding during the 3 fiscal years prior to submitting an application for a covered grant.
- (E) If an entity is awarded a covered grant during the 2-fiscal-year period in which the entity is barred from receiving grants under subparagraph (C), the Attorney General shall—
- (i) deposit an amount equal to the grant funds that were improperly awarded to the grantee into the General Fund of the Treasury; and
- (ii) seek to recoup the costs of the repayment to the fund from the grant recipient that was erroneously awarded grant funds.
- (2)
- (A) For purposes of this paragraph and covered grants, the term “nonprofit organization” means an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of title 26 and is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of title 26 .
- (B) The Attorney General may not award a covered grant to a nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax described in section 511(a) of title 26 .
- (C) Each nonprofit organization that is awarded a covered grant and uses the procedures prescribed in regulations to create a rebuttable presumption of reasonableness for the compensation of its officers, directors, trustees and key employees, shall disclose to the Attorney General, in the application for the grant, the process for determining such compensation, including the independent persons involved in reviewing and approving such compensation, the comparability data used, and contemporaneous substantiation of the deliberation and decision. Upon request, the Attorney General shall make the information disclosed under this subsection available for public inspection.
- (3)
- (A) No amounts transferred to the Department of Justice under this title, 1 1 See References in Text note below. or the amendments made by this title, 1 may be used by the Attorney General, or by any individual or organization awarded discretionary funds through a cooperative agreement under this title, 1 or the amendments made by this title, 1 to host or support any expenditure for conferences that uses more than $20,000 in Department funds, unless the Deputy Attorney General or such Assistant Attorney Generals, Directors, or principal deputies as the Deputy Attorney General may designate, provides prior written authorization that the funds may be expended to host a conference.
- (B) Written approval under subparagraph (A) shall include a written estimate of all costs associated with the conference, including the cost of all food and beverages, audiovisual equipment, honoraria for speakers, and any entertainment.
- (C) The Deputy Attorney General shall submit an annual report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives on all approved conference expenditures referenced in this paragraph.
- (D) Beginning in the first fiscal year beginning after May 29, 2015 , the Attorney General shall submit, to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, an annual certification that—
- (i) all audits issued by the Office of the Inspector General under paragraph (1) have been completed and reviewed by the appropriate Assistant Attorney General or Director;
- (ii) all mandatory exclusions required under paragraph (1)(C) have been issued;
- (iii) all reimbursements required under paragraph (1)(E) have been made; and
- (iv) includes a list of any grant recipients excluded under paragraph (1) from the previous year.
- (4)
- (A) Amounts awarded under this title, 1 or any amendments made by this title, 1 may not be utilized by any grant recipient to—
- (i) lobby any representative of the Department of Justice regarding the award of grant funding; or
- (ii) lobby any representative of a Federal, State, local, or tribal government regarding the award of grant funding.
- (B) If the Attorney General determines that any recipient of a covered grant has violated subparagraph (A), the Attorney General shall—
- (i) require the grant recipient to repay the grant in full; and
- (ii) prohibit the grant recipient from receiving another covered grant for not less than 5 years.
- (A) Amounts awarded under this title, 1 or any amendments made by this title, 1 may not be utilized by any grant recipient to—
- (1)
§ 20705. Enhancing State and local efforts to combat trafficking in persons
- (a)
- (1) The Attorney General may make grants to States and local law enforcement agencies to establish, develop, expand, or strengthen programs—
- (A) to investigate and prosecute acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons, and related offenses that occur, in whole or in part, within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States;
- (B) to train law enforcement personnel how to identify victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons and related offenses;
- (C) to investigate and prosecute persons who engage in the purchase of commercial sex acts and prioritize the investigations and prosecutions of those cases involving minor victims;
- (D) to educate persons charged with, or convicted of, purchasing or attempting to purchase commercial sex acts;
- (E) to educate and train law enforcement personnel in how to establish trust of persons subjected to trafficking and encourage cooperation with prosecution efforts; and
- (F) as appropriate, to designate at least 1 prosecutor for cases of severe forms of trafficking in persons (as such term is defined in section 7102(9) 1 1 See References in Text note below. of title 22).
- (2) In this subsection, the term “related offenses” includes violations of tax laws, transacting in illegally derived proceeds, money laundering, racketeering, and other violations of criminal laws committed in connection with an act of sex trafficking or a severe form of trafficking in persons.
- (1) The Attorney General may make grants to States and local law enforcement agencies to establish, develop, expand, or strengthen programs—
- (b) Grants under subsection (a) may be made only for programs in which the State or local law enforcement agency works collaboratively with social service providers and relevant nongovernmental organizations, including organizations with experience in the delivery of services to persons who are the subject of trafficking in persons.
- (c) The Federal share of a grant made under this section may not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of the projects described in the application submitted.
- (d) An entity that applies for a grant under section 20702 of this title is not prohibited from also applying for a grant under this section.
- (e) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2014 through 2021.
- (f) Not later than 30 months after March 7, 2013 , the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study of and submit to Congress a report evaluating the impact of this section on—
- (1) the ability of law enforcement personnel to identify victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons and investigate and prosecute cases against offenders, including offenders who engage in the purchasing of commercial sex acts with a minor; and
- (2) recommendations, if any, regarding any legislative or administrative action the Comptroller General determines appropriate to improve the ability described in paragraph (1).
§ 20706. Senior Policy Operating Group
Each Federal department or agency involved in grant activities related to combatting trafficking or providing services to persons subjected to trafficking inside the United States shall apprise the Senior Policy Operating Group established by section 105(f) 1 1 See References in Text note below. of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7103(f) ), under the procedures established by the Senior Policy Operating Group, of such activities of the department or agency to ensure that the activities are consistent with the purposes of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
§ 20707. Definitions
In this chapter:
- (1) The term “severe forms of trafficking in persons” has the meaning given the term in section 7102(9) 1 1 See References in Text note below. of title 22.
- (2) The term “sex trafficking” has the meaning given the term in section 7102(10) 1 of title 22.
- (3) The term “commercial sex act” has the meaning given the term in section 7102(4) of title 22 .
§ 20708. Grants for specialized human trafficking training and technical assistance for service providers
- (a) In this section:
- (1) The term “act of trafficking” means an act or practice described in paragraph (9) 1 1 See References in Text note below. of section 7102 of title 22 .
- (2) The term “eligible entity” means—
- (A) a State or unit of local government;
- (B) a federally recognized Indian tribal government, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior;
- (C) a victim service provider;
- (D) a nonprofit or for-profit organization (including a tribal nonprofit or for-profit organization);
- (E) a national organization; or
- (F) an institution of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education).
- (3) The term “State” means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and any other territory or possession of the United States.
- (4) The term “victim of trafficking” means a person subjected to an act of trafficking.
- (b) The Attorney General may award grants to eligible entities to—
- (1) provide training to identify and protect victims of trafficking;
- (2) improve the quality and quantity of services offered to trafficking survivors; and
- (3) improve victim service providers’ partnerships with Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies and other relevant entities.
- (c) A grant awarded under this section shall be used to—
- (1) train law enforcement personnel to identify and protect victims of trafficking, including training such personnel to utilize Federal, State, or local resources to assist victims of trafficking;
- (2) train law enforcement or State or local prosecutors to identify, investigate, or prosecute acts of trafficking;
- (3) train law enforcement or State or local prosecutors to utilize laws that prohibit acts of trafficking and to assist in the development of State and local laws to prohibit acts of trafficking;
- (4) provide technical assistance on the range of services available to victim service providers who serve trafficking victims;
- (5) develop and distribute materials, including materials identifying best practices in accordance with Federal law and policies, to support victim service providers working with human trafficking victims;
- (6) identify and disseminate other publicly available materials in accordance with Federal law to help build capacity of service providers;
- (7) provide training at relevant conferences, through webinars, or through other mechanisms in accordance with Federal law; or
- (8) assist service providers in developing additional resources such as partnerships with Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies and other relevant entities in order to access a range of available services in accordance with Federal law.
- (d)
- (1) An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may use not more than 5 percent of the total amount of such grant for administrative expenses.
- (2) Nothing in this section may be construed to restrict the ability of an eligible entity to apply for or obtain funding from any other source to carry out the training described in subsection (c).
- (e) There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to carry out the provisions of this section.
§ 20709. Combat Human Trafficking Act
- (a) This section may be cited as the “Combat Human Trafficking Act of 2015”.
- (b) In this section:
- (1) The terms “commercial sex act”, “severe forms of trafficking in persons”, “State”, and “Task Force” have the meanings given those terms in section 7102 of title 22 .
- (2) The term “covered offender” means an individual who obtains, patronizes, or solicits a commercial sex act involving a person subject to severe forms of trafficking in persons.
- (3) The term “covered offense” means the provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a commercial sex act involving a person subject to severe forms of trafficking in persons.
- (4) The term “Federal law enforcement officer” has the meaning given the term in section 115 of title 18 .
- (5) The term “local law enforcement officer” means any officer, agent, or employee of a unit of local government authorized by law or by a local government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of criminal law.
- (6) The term “State law enforcement officer” means any officer, agent, or employee of a State authorized by law or by a State government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of criminal law.
- (c)
- (1)
- (A) The Attorney General shall ensure that each anti-human trafficking program operated by the Department of Justice, including each anti-human trafficking training program for Federal, State, or local law enforcement officers, includes technical training on—
- (i) effective methods for investigating and prosecuting covered offenders;
- (ii) facilitating the provision of physical and mental health services by health care providers to persons subject to severe forms of trafficking in persons;
- (iii) individually screening all adults and children who are suspected of engaging in commercial sex acts or who are subject to labor exploitation that may be in violation of child labor laws to determine whether each individual screened is a victim of human trafficking; and
- (iv) how—
- (I) victims of sex or labor trafficking often engage in criminal acts as a direct result of severe trafficking in persons; and
- (II) such individuals are victims of a crime and affirmative measures should be taken to avoid arresting, charging, or prosecuting such individuals for any offense that is the direct result of their victimization.
- (B) The Attorney General shall ensure that each anti-human trafficking program operated by the Department of Justice for United States attorneys or other Federal prosecutors includes training on seeking restitution for offenses under chapter 77 of title 18 to ensure that each United States attorney or other Federal prosecutor, upon obtaining a conviction for such an offense, requests a specific amount of restitution for each victim of the offense without regard to whether the victim requests restitution.
- (C) The Federal Judicial Center shall provide training to judges relating to the application of section 1593 of title 18 with respect to ordering restitution for victims of offenses under chapter 77 of such title.
- (A) The Attorney General shall ensure that each anti-human trafficking program operated by the Department of Justice, including each anti-human trafficking training program for Federal, State, or local law enforcement officers, includes technical training on—
- (2) The Attorney General shall ensure that Federal law enforcement officers are engaged in activities, programs, or operations involving the detection, investigation, and prosecution of covered offenders.
- (1)
- (d)
- (e) The Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics shall—
- (1) prepare an annual report on—
- (A) the number of—
- (i) arrests of individuals by State law enforcement officers for a covered offense, noting the number of covered offenders;
- (ii) prosecutions (including specific charges) of individuals in State court systems for a covered offense, noting the number of covered offenders; and
- (iii) convictions of individuals in State court systems for a covered offense, noting the number of covered offenders; and
- (B) sentences imposed on individuals convicted in State court systems for a covered offense; and
- (A) the number of—
- (2) submit the annual report prepared under paragraph (1) to—
- (A) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives;
- (B) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
- (C) the Task Force;
- (D) the Senior Policy Operating Group established under section 7103(g) of title 22 ; and
- (E) the Attorney General.
- (1) prepare an annual report on—
- (f)
- (1) Not later than 180 days after December 21, 2018 , the Attorney General shall issue a screening protocol for use during all anti-trafficking law enforcement operations in which the Department of Justice is involved.
- (2) The protocol required to be issued under paragraph (1) shall—
- (A) require the individual screening of all adults and children who are suspected of engaging in commercial sex acts or who are subject to labor exploitation that may be in violation of child labor laws to determine whether each individual screened is a victim of human trafficking;
- (B) require affirmative measures to avoid arresting, charging, or prosecuting human trafficking victims for any offense that is the direct result of their victimization;
- (C) require all Federal law enforcement officers and relevant department personnel who participate in human trafficking investigations to receive training on enforcement of the protocol;
- (D) be developed in consultation with State and local law enforcement agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services, survivors of human trafficking, and nongovernmental organizations that specialize in the identification, prevention, and restoration of victims of human trafficking; and
- (E) include—
- (i) procedures and practices to ensure that the screening process minimizes trauma or revictimization of the person being screened; and
- (ii) guidelines on assisting victims of human trafficking in identifying and receiving victim services.
§ 20709a. Holistic training for Federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors
All training required under section 20709 of this title and section 7105(c)(4) 1 1 See References in Text note below. of title 22 shall—
- (1) emphasize that an individual who knowingly solicits or patronizes a commercial sex act from a person who was a minor (consistent with section 1591(c) of title 18 ) or was subject to force, fraud, or coercion is guilty of an offense under chapter 77 of title 18 and is a party to a human trafficking offense;
- (2) develop specific curriculum for—
- (A) under appropriate circumstances, arresting and prosecuting buyers of commercial sex, child labor that is a violation of law, or forced labor as a form of primary prevention; and
- (B) investigating and prosecuting individuals who knowingly benefit financially from participation in a venture that has engaged in any act of human trafficking; and
- (3) specify that any comprehensive approach to eliminating human trafficking shall include a demand reduction component.
§ 20709b. Encouraging a victim-centered approach to training of Federal law enforcement personnel
- (a) The Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Secretary of Labor shall periodically, but not less frequently than once every 2 years, implement improvements to the training programs on human trafficking for employees of the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Labor, respectively, after consultation with survivors of human trafficking, or trafficking victims service providers, and Federal law enforcement agencies responsible for the prevention, deterrence, and prosecution of offenses involving human trafficking (such as individuals serving as, or who have served as, investigators in a Federal agency and who have expertise in identifying human trafficking victims and investigating human trafficking cases).
- (b)
- (1) Not later than 1 year after December 21, 2018 , the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall develop an advanced training curriculum, to supplement the basic curriculum for investigative personnel of the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, respectively, that—
- (A) emphasizes a multidisciplinary, collaborative effort by law enforcement officers who provide a broad range of investigation and prosecution options in response to perpetrators, and victim service providers, who offer services and resources for victims;
- (B) provides guidance about the recruitment techniques employed by human traffickers to clarify that an individual who knowingly solicits or patronizes a commercial sex act from a person who was a minor (consistent with section 1591(c) of title 18 ) or was subject to force, fraud, or coercion is guilty of an offense under chapter 77 of title 18 and is a party to a human trafficking offense; and
- (C) explains that—
- (i) victims of sex or labor trafficking often engage in criminal acts as a direct result of severe trafficking in persons and such individuals are victims of a crime and affirmative measures should be taken to avoid arresting, charging, or prosecuting such individuals for any offense that is the direct result of their victimization; and
- (ii) a comprehensive approach to eliminating human trafficking should include demand reduction as a component.
- (2) The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide training using the curriculum developed under paragraph (1) to—
- (A) all law enforcement officers employed by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, respectively, who may be involved in the investigation of human trafficking offenses; and
- (B) members of task forces that participate in the investigation of human trafficking offenses.
- (1) Not later than 1 year after December 21, 2018 , the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall develop an advanced training curriculum, to supplement the basic curriculum for investigative personnel of the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, respectively, that—
§ 20709c. Training of tribal law enforcement and prosecutorial personnel
The Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Tribal Justice, shall carry out a program under which tribal law enforcement officials may receive technical assistance and training to pursue a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting severe forms of trafficking in persons (as defined in section 7102 of title 22 ).
§ 20710. Education and outreach to trafficking survivors
The Attorney General shall make available, on the website of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, a database for trafficking victim advocates, crisis hotline personnel, foster parents, law enforcement personnel, and crime survivors that contains information on—
- (1) counseling and hotline resources;
- (2) housing resources;
- (3) legal assistance; and
- (4) other services for trafficking survivors.
§ 20711. Establishing a national strategy to combat human trafficking
- (a) The Attorney General shall implement and maintain a National Strategy for Combating Human Trafficking (referred to in this section as the “National Strategy”) in accordance with this section.
- (b) The National Strategy shall include the following:
- (1) Integrated Federal, State, local, and tribal efforts to investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases, including—
- (A) the development by each United States attorney, in consultation with State, local, and tribal government agencies, of a district-specific strategic plan to coordinate the identification of victims and the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking crimes;
- (B) the participation in any Federal, State, local, or tribal human trafficking task force operating in the district of the United States attorney; and
- (C) any other efforts intended to enhance the level of coordination and cooperation, as determined by the Attorney General.
- (2) Case coordination within the Department of Justice, including specific integration, coordination, and collaboration, as appropriate, on human trafficking investigations between and among the United States attorneys, the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- (3) Annual budget priorities and Federal efforts dedicated to preventing and combating human trafficking, including resources dedicated to the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and all other entities that receive Federal support that have a goal or mission to combat the exploitation of adults and children.
- (4) An ongoing assessment of the future trends, challenges, and opportunities, including new investigative strategies, techniques, and technologies, that will enhance Federal, State, local, and tribal efforts to combat human trafficking.
- (5) Encouragement of cooperation, coordination, and mutual support between private sector and other entities and organizations and Federal agencies to combat human trafficking, including the involvement of State, local, and tribal government agencies to the extent Federal programs are involved.
- (6) A national strategy to prevent human trafficking and reduce demand for human trafficking victims.
- (1) Integrated Federal, State, local, and tribal efforts to investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases, including—
- (c) The Attorney General shall designate in each Federal judicial district not less than 1 assistant United States attorney to serve as the Human Trafficking Coordinator for the district who, in addition to any other responsibilities, works with a human trafficking victim-witness specialist and shall be responsible for—
- (1) implementing the National Strategy with respect to all forms of human trafficking, including labor trafficking and sex trafficking;
- (2) prosecuting, or assisting in the prosecution of, human trafficking cases;
- (3) conducting public outreach and awareness activities relating to human trafficking;
- (4) ensuring the collection of data required to be collected under clause (viii) of section 7103(d)(7)(Q) of title 22 , as added by section 17 of the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017, 1 1 See References in Text note below. is sought;
- (5) coordinating with other Federal agencies, State, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies, victim service providers, and other relevant non-governmental organizations to build partnerships on activities relating to human trafficking; and
- (6) ensuring the collection of restitution for victims is sought as required to be ordered under section 1593 of title 18 and section 2429 of such title, as added by section 3 of the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
- (d) Not later than 60 days after December 21, 2018 , the Attorney General shall designate an official who shall coordinate human trafficking efforts within the Department of Justice who, in addition to any other responsibilities, shall be responsible for—
- (1) coordinating, promoting, and supporting the work of the Department of Justice relating to human trafficking, including investigation, prosecution, training, outreach, victim support, grant-making, and policy activities;
- (2) in consultation with survivors of human trafficking, or anti-human trafficking organizations, producing and disseminating, including making publicly available when appropriate, replication guides and training materials for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, emergency responders, individuals working in victim services, adult and child protective services, social services, and public safety, medical personnel, mental health personnel, financial services personnel, and any other individuals whose work may bring them in contact with human trafficking regarding how to—
- (A) identify signs of human trafficking;
- (B) conduct investigations in human trafficking cases;
- (C) address evidentiary issues and other legal issues; and
- (D) appropriately assess, respond to, and interact with victims and witnesses in human trafficking cases, including in administrative, civil, and criminal judicial proceedings; and
- (3) carrying out such other duties as the Attorney General determines necessary in connection with enhancing the understanding, prevention, and detection of, and response to, human trafficking.