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School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies

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16 East 34th Street, 4th floor--------------------Stuart Basefsky

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Congressional Research Service (CRS)

 

Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 113th Congress

Alison Siskin, Coordinator,  Specialist in Immigration Policy

Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara, Specialist in Social Policy

Kristin Finklea,  Specialist in Domestic Security

May 19, 2014

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43555.pdf

[full-text, 28 pages]

 

Summary

Legislation aimed at preventing trafficking in persons (TIP) is unambiguously part of the

legislative agenda of the 113th Congress. TIP is believed to be one of the most prolific areas of

contemporary criminal activity and is of significant interest to the United States as a serious

human rights concern. TIP is both an international and domestic crime that involves violations of

labor, public health, and human rights standards, as well as criminal law. The Trafficking Victims

Protection Act (TVPA) is the primary law that addresses human trafficking. Domestically, anti-

TIP efforts provided under the TVPA include protection for victims, the investigation and

prosecution of trafficking offenses, and education of the public. Congress reauthorized the TVPA

in March 2013 (Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act; Title XII of P.L. 113-4).

While this report covers P.L. 113-4, a more complete treatment of that bill can be found in CRS

Report RL34317, Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress. This report

discusses TIP issues that have received legislative action or are of significant congressional

interest in the 113th Congress.

 

The House and Senate have acted on other TIP-related bills in the 113th Congress. Since human

trafficking issues intersect with many different policy areas (e.g., immigration, child welfare, the

criminal justice system, missing and exploited youth), legislation to address human trafficking is

varied. For example, the Fraudulent Overseas Recruitment and Trafficking Elimination Act (H.R.

3344) and Title III subsection F of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration

Modernization Act (S. 744), as passed by the Senate, would make changes to immigration policy

altering how foreign labor contractors operate to help prevent trafficking of noncitizen workers.

Two bills that have been reported out of committee—the Preventing Sex Trafficking and

Improving Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act (H.R. 4058) and the Supporting At-Risk

Children Act (S. 1870)—would address trafficking prevention through the child welfare system.

In addition to other provisions, the bills would require state child welfare agencies to develop and

implement policies to identify, screen, and determine appropriate state actions and services for

children believed to be victims of sex trafficking or at risk of being victims.

 

The Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act (H.R. 3610/S. 1733) and the SAVE [Stop

Advertising Victims of Exploitation] Act of 2014 (H.R. 4225) would amend criminal justice

policy in an attempt to obstruct human trafficking. H.R. 3610, as reported, and S. 1733 would

incentivize states to enact safe harbor legislation—legislation providing that children who were

found in prostitution would be treated as victims rather than perpetrators—and increase restitution

amounts for victims. H.R. 4225 would additionally provide penalties for knowingly advertising or

knowingly selling advertising that offers certain commercial sex acts. Other bills adopt a multiprong

approach to anti-TIP efforts. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 (H.R. 3530,

as ordered reported, and S. 1738) would create new grant programs for law enforcement and

victims services, and would amend the criminal code (Title 18 of the U.S. Code) to create new

crimes and enhance criminal penalties for certain trafficking-related activities. The International

Megan’s Law (H.R. 4573), as reported, would create a new center in DHS that would be

responsible for possibly notifying the destination country of international travel by child-sex

offenders.

 

The report accompanies CRS Report RL34317, Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for

Congress, by Alison Siskin and Liana Rosen and CRS Report R41878, Sex Trafficking of

Children in the United States: Overview and Issues for Congress, by Kristin Finklea, Adrienne L.

Fernandes-Alcantara, and Alison Siskin.

 

Contents

Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 1

Definition of Human Trafficking ..................................................................................................... 2

Select Anti-Trafficking Legislation in the 113th Congress ............................................................... 3

Restoring Victims: Services and Benefits ........................................................................................ 4

Adequacy of Services for Victims ............................................................................................. 5

Funding for Victims Services .................................................................................................... 6

Certification ............................................................................................................................... 7

Job Corps Program .................................................................................................................... 8

Restitution & Damages .............................................................................................................. 8

Unaccompanied Minor Trafficking Victims .................................................................................... 8

Protecting Foreign National Workers .............................................................................................. 9

Criminal Justice ............................................................................................................................. 10

Reducing Demand ................................................................................................................... 10

Improving Data ........................................................................................................................ 11

Domestic Sex Trafficking of Children ........................................................................................... 11

Missing and Exploited Children .............................................................................................. 12

Children’s Advocacy Centers .................................................................................................. 13

Response by the Child Welfare System ................................................................................... 13

Identifying and Serving Victims ........................................................................................ 14

Data Collection and Reporting .......................................................................................... 15

Recommendations to Congress for Expanding Housing for Youth Victims of

Trafficking ...................................................................................................................... 15

Children Missing From Foster Care .................................................................................. 16

National Advisory Committee on the Nation’s Response to Domestic Sex

Trafficking of Minors ..................................................................................................... 17

Grant Programs for Domestic Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking ........................................... 17

Juvenile Justice ........................................................................................................................ 18

Other Issues ................................................................................................................................... 18

Inter-agency Coordination/Efficiency ..................................................................................... 18

Sex Offender Registry ............................................................................................................. 19

 

Tables

Table A-1. Active Legislation in the 113th Congress that Addresses Human Trafficking .............. 21

 

Appendixes

Appendix. Table of Pending Bills that Have Received Congressional Action or Are of Significant Congressional Interest ........................................ 21

 

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