[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 950 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 950

To authorize assistance to support programs to protect children who are 
   homeless or orphaned as a result of the tsunamis that occurred on 
    December 26, 2004, in the Indian Ocean from becoming victims of 
                              trafficking.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 17, 2005

  Mrs. Maloney (for herself, Mr. Rangel, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. 
  Wexler, and Mr. Gonzalez) introduced the following bill; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize assistance to support programs to protect children who are 
   homeless or orphaned as a result of the tsunamis that occurred on 
    December 26, 2004, in the Indian Ocean from becoming victims of 
                              trafficking.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Prevention of Trafficking of Tsunami 
Orphans Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Indian Ocean tsunamis left thousands of children in 
        the countries of South and Southeast Asia homeless or orphaned.
            (2) Because of the breakdown of the social infrastructures 
        in the South and Southeast Asian countries affected by the 
        Indian Ocean tsunamis, relief agencies are attempting to assess 
        how many children are homeless or orphaned as a result of the 
        tsunamis, establish programs to care for children who are 
        homeless or orphaned as a result of the tsunamis, and reunite 
        such homeless and orphaned children with their surviving family 
        members.
            (3) Children who are homeless or orphaned as a result of 
        the Indian Ocean tsunamis may be vulnerable to individuals who 
        would exploit them for purposes of trafficking, particularly 
        trafficking to induce such children to engage in commercial sex 
        acts or unlawful labor or services.
            (4) The governments of the countries of South and Southeast 
        Asia affected by the Indian Ocean tsunamis should be--
                    (A) commended for their efforts to protect children 
                who are homeless or orphaned as a result of the 
                tsunamis from being exploited for the purpose of 
                trafficking; and
                    (B) encouraged to expand efforts to address the 
                serious and ongoing concern of modern-day slavery in 
                the region.

SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO PROTECT CHILDREN WHO ARE 
              HOMELESS OR ORPHANED AS A RESULT OF THE INDIAN OCEAN 
              TSUNAMIS.

    The Secretary of State, acting through the Director of the Office 
to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, and the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development are authorized to provide 
assistance to support programs that are being carried out by 
nongovernmental organizations to protect children who are homeless or 
orphaned as a result of the Indian Ocean tsunamis from becoming victims 
of trafficking.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development shall submit to Congress a report 
on the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Children.--The term ``children'' means persons who have 
        not attained 18 years of age.
            (2) Indian ocean tsunamis.--The term ``Indian Ocean 
        tsunamis'' means the tsunamis that resulted from the earthquake 
        that occurred off the west coast of northern Sumatra, 
        Indonesia, on December 26, 2004.
            (3) Victim of trafficking.--The term ``victim of 
        trafficking'' has the meaning given the term in section 103(14) 
        of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
        7102(14)).

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency 
for International Development to carry out this Act $2,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2005.
    (b) Availability.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated under 
subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until expended.
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