[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 767 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 767
To establish the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness
Training pilot program to address human trafficking in the health care
system.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 31, 2017
Mr. Cohen (for himself, Mr. Kinzinger, Mr. Cardenas, and Mrs. Wagner)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness
Training pilot program to address human trafficking in the health care
system.
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 ``SOAR to Health and Wellness Act of
2017''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Human trafficking.--The term ``human trafficking'' has
the meaning given the term ``severe forms of trafficking in
persons'' as defined in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a pilot program to
be known as ``Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness
Training'' (or ``SOAR to Health and Wellness Training'') (referred to
in this Act as the ``pilot program''), to provide training to health
care providers and other related providers, at all levels, on human
trafficking in accordance with the purpose described in subsection (b).
(b) Purpose.--The pilot program established under subsection (a)
shall train health care providers and other related providers to enable
such providers to--
(1) identify potential human trafficking victims;
(2) implement proper protocols and procedures for working
with law enforcement to report, and facilitate communication
with, such victims, in accordance with all applicable Federal,
State, local, and tribal requirements, including legal
confidentiality requirements for patients and health care
providers;
(3) implement proper protocols and procedures for referring
such victims to appropriate social or victims service agencies
or organizations;
(4) provide such victims care that is--
(A) coordinated;
(B) victim centered;
(C) culturally relevant;
(D) comprehensive;
(E) evidence based;
(F) gender responsive;
(G) age appropriate, with a focus on care for
youth; and
(H) trauma informed; and
(5) consider the potential for integrating the training
described in paragraphs (1) through (4) with training programs,
in effect on the date of enactment of this Act, for victims of
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking,
child abuse, child neglect, child maltreatment, and child
sexual exploitation.
(c) Functions.--
(1) In general.--The functions of the pilot program
established under subsection (a) shall include the functions of
the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness
Training program that was operating on the day before the date
of enactment of this Act and the authorized initiatives
described in paragraph (2).
(2) Authorized initiatives.--The authorized initiatives of
the pilot program established under subsection (a) shall
include--
(A) engaging stakeholders, including victims of
human trafficking and any Federal, State, local, or
tribal partners, to develop a flexible training
module--
(i) for achieving the purpose described in
subsection (b); and
(ii) that adapts to changing needs,
settings, health care providers, and other
related providers;
(B) making grants available to support training in
health care sites that represent diversity in--
(i) geography;
(ii) the demographics of the population
served;
(iii) the predominant types of human
trafficking cases; and
(iv) health care provider profiles;
(C) providing technical assistance for health
education programs to implement nationwide health care
protocol, or develop continuing education training
materials, that assist in achieving the purpose
described in subsection (b);
(D) developing a strategy to incentivize the
utilization of training materials developed under
subparagraph (C) and the implementation of nationwide
health care protocol described in such subparagraph, as
the Secretary determines appropriate; and
(E) developing a reliable methodology for
collecting data, and reporting such data, on the number
of human trafficking victims identified and served in
health care settings or other related provider
settings.
(d) Termination.--The pilot program established under subsection
(a) shall terminate on October 1, 2022.
SEC. 4. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Data Collection.--
(1) In general.--During each of fiscal years 2018 through
2023, the Secretary shall collect data on each of the
following:
(A) The total number of facilities that were
operating under the pilot program established under
section 3(a)--
(i) during the previous fiscal year; and
(ii) before the previous fiscal year.
(B) The total number of health care providers and
other related providers trained through such pilot
program during each of the periods described in clauses
(i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A).
(2) Initial report.--In addition to the data required to be
collected under paragraph (1), for purposes of the initial
report to be submitted under subsection (b), the Secretary
shall collect data on the total number of facilities that were
operating under, and the total number of health care providers
and other related providers trained through, the Stop, Observe,
Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training program that
was operating before the establishment of the pilot program
under section 3(a).
(b) Reporting.--Not later than 90 days after the first day of each
of fiscal years 2018 through 2023, the Secretary shall prepare and
submit to Congress a report on the data collected under subsection (a).
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such
sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.
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