[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H5492-H5503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FREDERICK DOUGLASS TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2017
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 2200) to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2200
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 ``Frederick Douglass
Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization
Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
TITLE I--COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS IN THE UNITED STATES
Subtitle A--Programs To Support Victims and Persons Vulnerable to Human
Trafficking
Sec. 101. Grants to assist in the recognition of trafficking.
Sec. 102. Preventing future trafficking in the United States through
receipt of complaints abroad.
Sec. 103. Modification to grants for victims services.
Subtitle B--Governmental Efforts To Prevent Human Trafficking
Sec. 111. Required training to prevent human trafficking for certain
contracting air carriers.
Sec. 112. Priority for use of funds for lodging expenses at
accommodations lacking certain policies relating to child
sexual exploitation.
Sec. 113. Ensuring United States procurement does not fund human
trafficking.
Sec. 114. Training course on human trafficking and Government
contracting.
Sec. 115. Modifications to the advisory council on human trafficking.
Sec. 116. Sense of Congress on strengthening Federal efforts to reduce
demand.
Sec. 117. Sense of Congress on the senior policy operating group.
Subtitle C--Preventing Trafficking in Persons in the United States
Sec. 121. Demand reduction strategies in the United States.
Sec. 122. Designation of a labor prosecutor to enhance State and local
efforts to combat trafficking in persons.
Sec. 123. Preventing human trafficking in foreign missions and
diplomatic households.
Sec. 124. Ensuring that traffickers help pay for care for victims.
Subtitle D--Monitoring Child, Forced, and Slave Labor
Sec. 131. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 132. Report on the enforcement of section 307 of the Tariff Act of
1930.
Sec. 133. Modification to list of child-made and slavery-made goods.
TITLE II--FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING ABROAD
Subtitle A--Efforts To Combat Trafficking
Sec. 201. Including the Secretary of the Treasury and the United States
Trade Representative as a member of the interagency task
force to monitor and combat trafficking.
Sec. 202. Encouraging countries to maintain and share data on human
trafficking efforts.
Sec. 203. Appropriate listing of governments involved in human
trafficking.
Sec. 204. Requirements for strategies to prevent trafficking.
[[Page H5493]]
Sec. 205. Expansion of Department of State rewards program.
Sec. 206. Briefing on countries with primarily migrant workforces.
Sec. 207. Report on recipients of funding from the United States Agency
for International Development.
Subtitle B--Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2017
Sec. 211. Findings.
Sec. 212. Amendments to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008.
TITLE III--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
Sec. 301. Authorization of appropriations under the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000.
Sec. 302. Authorization of appropriations under the Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005.
Sec. 303. Authorization of appropriations for enhancing efforts to
combat the trafficking of children.
Sec. 304. Authorization of appropriations under the International
Megan's Law.
Sec. 305. Authorization of appropriations for airport personnel
training to identify and report human trafficking
victims.
TITLE I--COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS IN THE UNITED STATES
Subtitle A--Programs To Support Victims and Persons Vulnerable to Human
Trafficking
SEC. 101. GRANTS TO ASSIST IN THE RECOGNITION OF TRAFFICKING.
(a) Grants To Assist in Recognition of Trafficking.--
Section 106(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7104(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``The President'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--The President''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Grants to assist in the recognition of trafficking.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services may award grants to local educational agencies, in
partnership with a nonprofit, nongovernmental agency, to
establish, expand, and support programs--
``(i) to educate school staff to recognize and respond to
signs of labor trafficking and sex trafficking; and
``(ii) to provide age-appropriate information to students
on how to avoid becoming victims of labor trafficking and sex
trafficking.
``(B) Program requirements.--Amounts awarded under this
paragraph shall be used for--
``(i) education on--
``(I) how to avoid becoming victims of labor trafficking
and sex trafficking;
``(II) indicators that an individual is a victim or
potential victim of labor trafficking or sex trafficking;
``(III) options and procedures for referring such an
individual, as appropriate, to information on such
trafficking and services available for victims of such
trafficking;
``(IV) reporting requirements and procedures in accordance
with applicable Federal and State law; and
``(V) how to carry out activities authorized under
subparagraph (A)(ii); and
``(ii) a plan, developed and implemented in consultation
with local law enforcement agencies, to ensure the safety of
school staff and students reporting such trafficking.
``(C) Priority.--In awarding grants under this paragraph,
the Secretary shall give priority to local educational
agencies serving a high-intensity child sex trafficking area.
``(D) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) ESEA terms.--The terms `elementary school', `local
educational agency', `other staff', and `secondary school'
have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
``(ii) High-intensity child sex trafficking area.--The term
`high-intensity child sex trafficking area' means a
metropolitan area designated by the Director of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation as a high-intensity child
prostitution area.
``(iii) Labor trafficking.--The term `labor trafficking'
means conduct described in section 103(9)(B) of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7102(9)(B)).
``(iv) School staff.--The term `school staff' means
teachers, nurses, school leaders and administrators, and
other staff at elementary schools and secondary schools.
``(v) Sex trafficking.--The term `sex trafficking' means
the conduct described in section 103(9)(A) of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102(9)(A)).''.
(b) Inclusion in Authorization of Appropriations.--Section
113(b)(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
(22 U.S.C. 7110(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``section
107(b)'' and inserting ``sections 106(b) and 107(b)''.
SEC. 102. PREVENTING FUTURE TRAFFICKING IN THE UNITED STATES
THROUGH RECEIPT OF COMPLAINTS ABROAD.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall ensure that
each diplomatic or consular post or other mission designates
an employee to be responsible for receiving information from
any person who was a victim of a severe form of trafficking
in persons (as such term is defined in section 103(14) of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7102(14))) while present in the United States, or any person
who has information regarding such a victim.
(b) Provision of Information.--Any information received
pursuant to subsection (a) shall be transmitted to the
Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, the
Department of Homeland Security, and to any other relevant
Federal agency for appropriate response. The Attorney
General, the Secretary of Labor, and the head of any other
such relevant Federal agency shall establish a process to
address any actions to be taken in response to such
information.
(c) Assistance From Foreign Governments.--The employee
designated for receiving information pursuant to subsection
(a) should coordinate with foreign governments or civil
society organizations in the countries of origin of victims
of severe forms of trafficking in persons, with the
permission of and without compromising the safety of such
victims, to ensure that such victims receive any additional
support available.
SEC. 103. MODIFICATION TO GRANTS FOR VICTIMS SERVICES.
Section 107(b)(2)(A) of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7105(b)(2)(A)) is amended by striking
``programs for'' and all that follows and inserting the
following: ``programs for victims of human trafficking,
including programs that provide trauma-informed care or long-
term housing options to such victims who are--
``(i) between the ages of 12 and 24 and who are homeless,
in foster care, or involved in the criminal justice system;
``(ii) transitioning out of the foster care system; or
``(iii) women or girls in underserved populations.''.
Subtitle B--Governmental Efforts To Prevent Human Trafficking
SEC. 111. REQUIRED TRAINING TO PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING FOR
CERTAIN CONTRACTING AIR CARRIERS.
(a) In General.--Section 40118 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Training Requirements.--The Administrator of General
Services shall ensure that any contract entered into for
provision of air transportation with a domestic carrier under
this section requires that the contracting air carrier
provides to the Administrator of General Services, the
Secretary of Transportation, the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration, and the Commissioner
of U.S. Customs and Border Protection an annual report
regarding--
``(1) the number of personnel trained in the detection and
reporting of potential human trafficking (as described in
paragraphs (9) and (10) of section 103 of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102)), including
the training required under section 44734(a)(4);
``(2) the number of notifications of potential human
trafficking victims received from staff or other passengers;
and
``(3) whether the air carrier notified the National Human
Trafficking Hotline or law enforcement at the relevant
airport of the potential human trafficking victim for each
such notification of potential human trafficking, and if so,
when the notification was made.''.
(b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall apply to any contract entered into after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(c) Exception.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
not apply to any contract entered into by the Secretary of
Defense.
SEC. 112. PRIORITY FOR USE OF FUNDS FOR LODGING EXPENSES AT
ACCOMMODATIONS LACKING CERTAIN POLICIES
RELATING TO CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION.
(a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``Sec. 5713. Priority for use of funds for lodging expenses
at accommodations lacking certain policies relating to
child sexual exploitation.
``(a) In General.--For the purpose of making payments under
this chapter for lodging expenses each agency shall ensure
that, to the extent practicable and within the United States,
any commercial-lodging room nights for employees of that
agency are booked in a preferred place of accommodation.
``(b) Preferred Place of Accommodation Defined.--In this
section, `preferred place of accommodation' means a
commercial place of accommodation that--
``(1) has a zero-tolerance policy in place regarding the
sexual exploitation of children (as described in section
103(9)(A) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
(22 U.S.C. 7102(9)(A))) within the accommodation;
``(2) has procedures in place to identify and report any
such exploitation to the appropriate authorities;
``(3) makes training materials available to all employees
to prevent such exploitation;
``(4) has trained all employees annually on the
identification of possible cases of such exploitation and
procedures to report suspected abuse to the appropriate
authorities;
``(5) protects employees who report suspected cases of such
exploitation according to the protocol identified in
training; and
``(6) keeps records of the number of suspected cases of
such exploitation, including
[[Page H5494]]
the reasons for suspicion, title of employee who reported the
suspicion, and where the report was made.
``(c) Regulations Required.--The Administrator of General
Services shall--
``(1) maintain a list of each preferred place of
accommodation; and
``(2) issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out
this section.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for
subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``5713. Priority for use of funds for lodging expenses at
accommodations lacking certain policies relating to child
sexual exploitation.''.
SEC. 113. ENSURING UNITED STATES PROCUREMENT DOES NOT FUND
HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
Section 106 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7104) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(k) Agency Action To Prevent Funding of Human
Trafficking.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of State, Secretary of
Labor, Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, and Director of the Office of
Management and Budget shall each submit to the Administrator
of General Services (who shall submit the reports to the
appropriate congressional committees), at the end of each
fiscal year, a report that includes each of the following:
``(A) The name and contact information of the individual
within the agency's office of legal counsel or office of
acquisition policy who is responsible for overseeing the
implementation of subsection (g) of this section, title XVII
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2013 (22 U.S.C. 7104a et seq.), and any related regulation in
the Federal Acquisition Regulation (including the Federal
Acquisition Regulation; Ending Trafficking in Persons (48
C.F.R. Parts 1, 2, 9, 12, 22, 42, and 52)).
``(B) Agency action to ensure contractors are educated on
the applicable laws and regulations listed in subparagraph
(A).
``(C) Agency action to ensure the acquisition workforce and
agency officials understand implementation of the laws and
regulations listed in subparagraph (A), including best
practices for--
``(i) ensuring compliance with such laws and regulations;
``(ii) assessing the serious, repeated, willful, or
pervasive nature of any violation of such laws or
regulations; and
``(iii) evaluating steps contractors have taken to correct
any such violation.
``(D) The number of contracts containing language referring
to the laws and regulations listed in subparagraph (A) and
the number of contracts that did not contain any language
referring to the laws and regulations listed in subparagraph
(A).
``(E) The number of allegations of severe forms of
trafficking in persons received and the source type of the
allegation (contractor, subcontractor, employee of contractor
or subcontractor, or an individual outside of the contract).
``(F) The number of such allegations investigated by the
agency, a summary of any findings of such investigation, and
any improvements recommended by the agency to prevent such
conduct from recurring.
``(G) The number of such allegations referred to the
Attorney General for prosecution under section 3271 of title
18, United States Code, and the outcomes of such referrals.
``(H) Any remedial action taken as a result of such
investigation, including whether--
``(i) a contractor or subcontractor (at any tier) was
debarred or suspended due to a violation of a law or
regulation relating to severe forms of trafficking in
persons; or
``(ii) a contract was terminated pursuant to subsection (g)
as a result of such violation.
``(I) Any other assistance offered to agency contractors to
ensure compliance with a law or regulation relating to severe
forms of trafficking in persons.
``(J) Any interagency meetings or data sharing regarding
suspended or disbarred contractors or subcontractors (at any
tier) for severe forms of trafficking in persons.
``(K) Any contract with a contractor or subcontractor (at
any tier) located outside the United States and the country
location for each such contractor or subcontractor.
``(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--In this
subsection, the term `appropriate congressional committees'
means--
``(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Armed Services, the Committee on Education and the Workforce,
the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform of the House of
Representatives; and
``(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Armed Services, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate.''.
SEC. 114. TRAINING COURSE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND GOVERNMENT
CONTRACTING.
Any curriculum (including any continuing education
curriculum) for the acquisition workforce used by the Federal
Acquisition Institute established under section 1201 of title
41, United States Code, shall include at least one course,
which shall be at least 30 minutes, on the law and
regulations relating to human trafficking and Government
contracting.
SEC. 115. MODIFICATIONS TO THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HUMAN
TRAFFICKING.
Section 115 of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act
of 2015 (Public Law 114-22; 129 Stat. 243) is amended--
(1) in subsection (f)(2), to read as follows:
``(2) shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in
lieu of subsistence, in accordance with the applicable
provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5,
United States Code.''; and
(2) in subsection (h), by striking ``2020'' and inserting
``2021''.
SEC. 116. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON STRENGTHENING FEDERAL EFFORTS
TO REDUCE DEMAND.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) all Federal anti-trafficking training (including
training under section 114(c) of the Justice for Victims of
Trafficking Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 14044g(c)) and under
section 107(c)(4) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act
of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7105(c)(4))) provided to Federal judges,
prosecutors, and State and local law enforcement officials
should--
(A) explain the circumstances under which sex buyers are
considered parties to the crime of trafficking;
(B) provide best practices for arresting or prosecuting
buyers of illegal sex acts as a form of sex trafficking
prevention; and
(C) specify that any comprehensive approach to eliminating
sex and labor trafficking must include a demand reduction
component; and
(2) any request for proposals for grants or cooperative
agreement opportunities issued by the Attorney General with
respect to the prevention of trafficking should include
specific language with respect to demand reduction.
SEC. 117. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE SENIOR POLICY OPERATING
GROUP.
It is the sense of Congress that the Senior Policy
Operating Group established under section 105(g) of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7103(g)) should create a working group to examine the role of
demand reduction, both domestically and internationally, in
achieving the purposes of the Justice for Victims of
Trafficking Act (Public Law 114-22; 129 Stat. 227) and
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et
seq.).
Subtitle C--Preventing Trafficking in Persons in the United States
SEC. 121. DEMAND REDUCTION STRATEGIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Department of Justice Task Force.--Section 105(d)(7) of
the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7103(d)(7)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (Q)(vii), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(2) in subparagraph (R), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(S) tactics and strategies employed by human trafficking
task forces sponsored by the Department of Justice to reduce
demand for trafficking victims.''.
(b) Report on State Enforcement.--Section 114(e)(1)(A) of
the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C.
14044g(e)(1)(A)) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``, noting the number of covered
offenders'' after ``covered offense'' in each place it
occurs;
(2) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking
``rates'' and inserting ``number'';
(3) in clause (i), by striking ``arrest'' and inserting
``arrests'';
(4) in clause (ii), by striking ``prosecution'' and
inserting ``prosecutions''; and
(5) in clause (iii), by striking ``conviction'' and
inserting ``convictions''.
SEC. 122. DESIGNATION OF A LABOR PROSECUTOR TO ENHANCE STATE
AND LOCAL EFFORTS TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN
PERSONS.
Section 204(a)(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act of 2005 is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(F) where appropriate, to designate at least one
prosecutor for cases of severe forms of trafficking in
persons (as such term is defined in section 103(9) of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7102(9)).''.
SEC. 123. PREVENTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN FOREIGN MISSIONS
AND DIPLOMATIC HOUSEHOLDS.
Subsection (a) of section 203 of the William Wilberforce
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8
U.S.C. 1375c) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``for such period as the Secretary
determines necessary'' and inserting ``for the period of at
least one year or longer if the Secretary determines a longer
period is necessary''; and
(B) by striking ``the Secretary determines that there is''
and all that follows until the end of the paragraph and
inserting ``there is an unpaid default judgement directly or
indirectly related to human trafficking against the employer
or a family member accredited by the embassy, the employer or
family member has refused to agree to a voluntary interview
with United States law enforcement, or the diplomatic mission
or international organization hosting the employer
[[Page H5495]]
or family member has refused to waive immunity in a human
trafficking case brought by the United States Government or
to agree to prosecute the case in the country that accredited
the employer or family member.''; and
(2) in paragraph (3)--
(A) by striking ``is in place''; and
(B) by inserting ``, as applicable, the default judgment
has been resolved, the employer or family member has agreed
to meet with United States law enforcement, the diplomatic
mission or international organization hosting the employer or
family member has waived immunity for the employer or family
member or agreed to prosecute the case in the country that
accredited the employer or family member, or the diplomatic
mission or international organization hosting the employer or
family member has in place'' after ``appropriate
congressional committees that''.
SEC. 124. ENSURING THAT TRAFFICKERS HELP PAY FOR CARE FOR
VICTIMS.
Section 3014(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended
by striking ``2019'' and inserting ``2021''.
Subtitle D--Monitoring Child, Forced, and Slave Labor
SEC. 131. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) foreign assistance that addresses poverty alleviation
and humanitarian disasters reduces the vulnerability of men,
women, and children to human trafficking and is a crucial
part of the response of the United States to modern-day
slavery;
(2) the Deputy Under Secretary of the Bureau of
International Labor Affairs of the Department of Labor and
the grant programs administered by the Deputy Under Secretary
play a critical role in preventing and protecting children
from the worst forms of child labor, including situations of
trafficking, and in reducing the vulnerabilities of men and
women to situations of forced labor and trafficking; and
(3) the Secretary of Labor also plays a critical role in
helping other Federal departments and agencies to prevent
goods made with forced and child labor from entering the
United States by consulting with such departments and
agencies to reduce forced and child labor internationally and
ensuring that products made by forced labor and child labor
in violation of international standards are not imported into
the United States.
SEC. 132. REPORT ON THE ENFORCEMENT OF SECTION 307 OF THE
TARIFF ACT OF 1930.
(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to the committees listed in
subsection (b) a report describing any obstacles or
challenges to enforcing section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930
(19 U.S.C. 1307).
(b) Committees.--The committees listed in this subsection
are--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Financial Services, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the
Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Ways and
Means of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Committee on the
Judiciary, and the Committee on Finance of the Senate.
(c) Requirements.--The report required under subsection (a)
shall--
(1) describe the role and best practices of private-sector
employers in the United States in complying with the
provisions of section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930;
(2) describe any efforts or programs undertaken by relevant
Federal, State, or local government agencies to encourage
employers, directly or indirectly, to comply with such
provisions;
(3) describe the roles of the relevant Federal departments
and agencies in overseeing and regulating such provisions,
and the oversight and enforcement mechanisms used by such
departments or agencies;
(4) provide concrete, actual case studies or examples of
how such provisions are enforced;
(5) identify the number of petitions received and cases
initiated (whether by petition or otherwise) or investigated
by each relevant Federal department or agency charged with
implementing and enforcing such provisions, as well as the
dates petitions were received or investigations were
initiated, and their current statuses;
(6) identify any enforcement actions, including, but not
limited to, the issuance of Withhold Release Orders, the
detention of shipments, the issuance of civil penalties, and
the formal charging with criminal charges relating to the
forced labor scheme, taken as a result of these petitions and
investigations by type of action, date of action, commodity,
and country of origin in the past 10 years;
(7) with respect to any relevant petition filed during the
10-year period prior to the date of the enactment of this Act
with the relevant Federal departments and agencies tasked
with implementing such provisions, list the specific
products, country of origin, manufacturer, importer, end-user
or retailer, and outcomes of any investigation;
(8) identify any gaps that may exist in enforcement of such
provisions;
(9) describe the engagement of the relevant Federal
departments and agencies with stakeholders, including the
engagement of importers, forced labor experts, and
nongovernmental organizations; and
(10) based on the information required by paragraphs (1)
through (9), identify any regulatory obstacles or challenges
to enforcement of such provisions and provide recommendations
for actions that could be taken by the relevant Federal
departments and agencies to overcome these obstacles.
SEC. 133. MODIFICATION TO LIST OF CHILD-MADE AND SLAVERY-MADE
GOODS.
(a) In General.--Section 105(b)(2)(C) of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (22 U.S.C.
7112(b)(2)(C)) is amended by inserting ``, including, to the
extent practicable, goods that are produced with inputs that
are produced with forced labor or child labor'' after
``international standards''.
(b) Inclusion in Authorization of Appropriations.--Amounts
appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations
under section 113(f) of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7110(f)), as amended by section 301(a)
of this Act, are authorized to be made available to carry out
the purposes described in section 105(b)(2) of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005
(22 U.S.C. 7112(b)(2)), as amended by subsection (a).
TITLE II--FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING ABROAD
Subtitle A--Efforts To Combat Trafficking
SEC. 201. INCLUDING THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY AND THE
UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE AS A MEMBER
OF THE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE TO MONITOR AND
COMBAT TRAFFICKING.
Section 105(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7103(b)) is amended by inserting ``the
Secretary of the Treasury, the United States Trade
Representative,'' after ``the Secretary of Education,''.
SEC. 202. ENCOURAGING COUNTRIES TO MAINTAIN AND SHARE DATA ON
HUMAN TRAFFICKING EFFORTS.
Paragraphs (1) and (7) of section 108(b) of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7106(b)(1) and
(b)(7)) are each amended by striking the final sentence of
such paragraphs.
SEC. 203. APPROPRIATE LISTING OF GOVERNMENTS INVOLVED IN
HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
Subsection (b) of section 110 of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)) is amended as
follows:
(1) In paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (C)--
(i) by striking ``and whose governments do not'' and
inserting the following: ``and whose governments--
``(i) do not''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following new clauses:
``(ii) tolerate trafficking in government-funded programs;
or
``(iii) have a government-supported practice of--
``(I) trafficking;
``(II) facilitating the use of forced labor (such as in
agriculture, forestry, mining, or construction);
``(III) permitting sexual slavery in government camps,
compounds, or outposts; or
``(IV) employing child soldiers;'';
(B) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(C) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(H) for each country included in a different list than
the country had been placed in the previous annual report, a
detailed explanation of how the concrete actions (or lack of
such actions) undertaken by the country during the previous
reporting period contributed to such change, including a
clear linkage between such actions and the minimum standards
enumerated in section 108.''.
(2) In paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)(iii)--
(i) in subclause (I)--
(I) by inserting ``and the country is not taking steps
commensurate with the size of the trafficking problem''
before the semicolon at the end; and
(II) by adding ``or'' at the end;
(ii) in subclause (II), by striking ``; or'' and inserting
a period; and
(iii) by striking subclause (III);
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``the last annual
report'' and inserting ``April 1 of the previous year'';
(C) in subparagraph (D)--
(i) in clause (i), by striking ``the date of the enactment
of this subparagraph,'' and all that follows and inserting--
``the date of the enactment of this subparagraph--
``(I) shall be included on the list of countries described
in paragraph (1)(C); and
``(II) shall be required to meet the requirements specified
in paragraph (1)(B) before the country may be removed from
the list of countries described in paragraph (1)(C).'';
(ii) in clause (ii)--
(I) by striking ``2 years'' and inserting ``1 year'';
(II) in subclause (II), by striking ``and'';
(III) in subclause (III), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(IV) by adding at the end the following:
``(IV) the country has taken concrete actions to implement
the principal recommendations of the most recent annual
report on trafficking in persons with respect to that
country.''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
[[Page H5496]]
``(iii) Written plan.--The Secretary of State shall
endeavor to work with each country that receives a waiver
under clause (ii) and with civil society organizations in
each country to draft and implement a written plan described
in such clause.'';
(D) in subparagraph (E)--
(i) by striking ``through (III)'' and inserting ``through
(IV)''; and
(ii) by striking ``shall provide'' and all that follows and
inserting the following: ``shall provide, on a publicly
available website maintained by the Department of State--
``(i) a detailed description of the credible evidence
supporting such determination;
``(ii) the written plan submitted by the country under
subparagraph (D)(ii)(I); and
``(iii) supporting documentation providing credible
evidence of--
``(I) each concrete action by the country to bring itself
into compliance with the minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking, including copies of relevant laws
or regulations adopted or modified; and
``(II) any actions taken by that country to enforce the
minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, as
appropriate.''.
(E) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(F) Special rule for certain countries on special watch
list that are downgraded and reinstated on special watch
list.--Notwithstanding subparagraphs (D) and (E), a country
that--
``(i) was included on the special watch list described in
subparagraph (A) for--
``(I) two consecutive years after the date of the enactment
of subparagraph (D); and
``(II) any additional years after such date of enactment by
reason of the President exercising the waiver authority under
clause (ii) of subparagraph (D); and
``(ii) was subsequently included on the list of countries
described in paragraph (1)(C),
may not thereafter be included on the special watch list
described in subparagraph (A) for more than 1 consecutive
year.''.
(3) In paragraph (3)--
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) the extent to which the government of the country is
devoting sufficient budgetary resources--
``(i) to investigate and prosecute acts of severe
trafficking in persons;
``(ii) to convict and sentence persons responsible for such
acts; and
``(iii) to obtain restitution for victims of human
trafficking;
``(E) the extent to which the government of the country is
devoting sufficient budgetary resources--
``(i) to protect and rehabilitate victims of trafficking in
persons; and
``(ii) to prevent trafficking in persons;
``(F) the extent to which the government of the country has
consulted with domestic and international civil society
organizations to improve the provision of services to victims
of trafficking in persons; and
``(G) whether--
``(i) government officials participate in or facilitate
forced labor and human trafficking; and
``(ii) the government maintains policies that provide
incentives for or otherwise support the participation in or
facilitation of forced labor and human trafficking by
officials at any level of government.''.
(4) By adding at the end the following:
``(4) Special rule for changes in certain determinations.--
Not later than 90 days after the submission of each annual
report under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall
submit a detailed description of the credible evidence
supporting a change in listing of a country, accompanied by
copies of documents providing such evidence, as appropriate,
to the appropriate congressional committees not later than 90
days after the submission of that report if--
``(A) a country is included on a list of countries
described in paragraph (1)(C) in an annual report submitted
in calendar year 2015 or in any calendar year thereafter; and
``(B) in the annual report submitted in the next calendar
year, the country is listed on a list of countries described
in paragraph (1)(B).
``(5) Written plan.--The Secretary of State shall endeavor
to work with each country that has been listed pursuant to
paragraph (1)(C) in the most recent annual report and civil
society organizations to draft and implement the written plan
described in paragraph (2)(D)(ii).
``(6) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Concrete actions.--The term `concrete actions' means
any of the following actions that demonstrably improve the
condition of a substantial number of victims of human
trafficking and persons vulnerable to human trafficking:
``(i) Enforcement actions taken.
``(ii) Investigations actively underway.
``(iii) Prosecutions conducted.
``(iv) Convictions attained.
``(v) Training provided.
``(vi) Programs and partnerships actively underway.
``(vii) Victim services offered, including immigration
services and restitution.
``(viii) The amount of money the government in question has
committed to the actions described in clauses (i) through
(vii).
``(ix) An assessment of the impact of such actions on the
prevalence of human trafficking in the country.
``(B) Credible evidence.--The term `credible evidence'
means information relied upon by the Department of State to
make determinations relating to the provisions set forth in
this division, including--
``(i) reports by the Department of State;
``(ii) reports of other Federal agencies, including the
Department of Labor's List of Goods Produced by Child Labor
or Forced Labor and List of Products Produced by Forced Labor
or Indentured Child Labor;
``(iii) documentation provided by a foreign country,
including copies of relevant laws, regulations, policies
adopted or modified, enforcement actions taken and judicial
proceedings, training conducted, consultations conducted,
programs and partnerships launched, and services provided;
``(iv) materials developed by civil society organizations;
``(v) information from survivors of human trafficking,
vulnerable persons, and whistleblowers;
``(vi) all relevant media and academic reports that, in
light of reason and common sense, are worthy of belief; and
``(vii) information developed by multilateral
institutions.''.
SEC. 204. REQUIREMENTS FOR STRATEGIES TO PREVENT TRAFFICKING.
(a) Report on New Practices To Combat Trafficking.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 7
years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate a report--
(A) describing any practices adopted by the Department or
the Agency to better combat trafficking in persons, in
accordance with the report submitted under section 101(b)(4)
of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of
2005, in order to reduce the risk of trafficking in post-
conflict or post-disaster areas; or
(B) if no such practices have been adopted, including a
strategy to reduce the risk of trafficking in such areas.
(2) Public availability.--Each report submitted under
paragraph (1) shall be posted on a publicly available
internet website of the Department of State.
(b) Child Protection Strategies in Watch List Countries.--
The Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development shall incorporate into the relevant
country development cooperation strategy for each country on
the special watch list described in section 110(b)(2)(A) or
the list described in section 110(b)(1)(C) of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(2)(A) and
(b)(1)(C)), as amended by section 203 of this Act, strategies
for the protection of children and the reduction of the risk
of trafficking.
SEC. 205. EXPANSION OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE REWARDS PROGRAM.
Paragraph (5) of section 36(k) of the State Department
Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708(k)) is
amended--
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``means'';
(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses
(i) and (ii), respectively, and moving such clauses, as so
redesignated, two ems to the right;
(3) by inserting before clause (i), as so redesignated, the
following:
``(A) means--'';
(4) in clause (ii), as so redesignated, by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(5) by adding at the end following new subparagraph:
``(B) includes severe forms of trafficking in persons, as
such term is defined in section 103 of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).''.
SEC. 206. BRIEFING ON COUNTRIES WITH PRIMARILY MIGRANT
WORKFORCES.
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of State shall provide to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on the
Judiciary of the House and the Committee on Foreign Relations
and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a briefing
that includes, with respect to each country that has a
domestic workforce of which more than 80 percent are third-
country nationals, each of the following:
(1) An assessment of the progress made by the government of
such country toward implementing the recommendations with
respect to such country contained in the most recent
``Trafficking in Persons Report'' submitted by the Secretary
under section 110(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)), as amended by section 203 of
this Act.
(2) A description of the efforts made by the United States
to ensure that any domestic worker brought into the United
States by an official of such country is not a victim of
trafficking.
SEC. 207. REPORT ON RECIPIENTS OF FUNDING FROM THE UNITED
STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, and by October 1 of each of the following 4 years,
the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development shall submit to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
[[Page H5497]]
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report
describing, with respect to the prior fiscal year--
(1) each obligation or expenditure of Federal funds by the
Agency for the purpose of combating human trafficking and
forced labor; and
(2) with respect to each such obligation or expenditure,
the program, project, activity, primary recipient, and any
sub-grantees or sub-contractors.
Subtitle B--Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2017
SEC. 211. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The recruitment or use of children in armed conflict is
unacceptable for any government or government-supported
entity receiving United States assistance.
(2) The recruitment or use of children in armed conflict,
including direct combat, support roles, and sexual slavery,
occurred during 2015-2016 in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan,
Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Nigeria,
Rwanda, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
(3) Entities of the Government of Afghanistan, particularly
the Afghan Local Police and Afghan National Police, continue
to recruit children to serve as combatants or as servants,
including as sex slaves.
(4) Police forces of the Government of Afghanistan
participate in counterterrorism operations, direct and
indirect combat, security operations, fight alongside regular
armies, and are targeted for violence by the Taliban as well
as by other opposition groups.
(5) In February 2016, a 10-year-old boy was assassinated by
the Taliban after he had been publically honored by Afghan
local police forces for his assistance in combat operations
against the Taliban.
(6) Recruitment and use of children in armed conflict by
government forces has continued in 2016 in South Sudan with
the return to hostilities.
(7) At least 650 children have been recruited and used in
armed conflict in South Sudan in 2016, and at least 16,000
have been recruited since that country's civil war began in
2013.
SEC. 212. AMENDMENTS TO THE CHILD SOLDIERS PREVENTION ACT OF
2008.
(a) Definitions.--Section 402(2)(A) of the Child Soldiers
Prevention Act of 2008 (22 U.S.C. 2370c(2)(A)) is amended by
inserting ``, police, or other security forces'' after
``governmental armed forces'' each place it appears.
(b) Prohibition.--Section 404 of the Child Soldiers
Prevention Act of 2008 (22 U.S.C. 2370c-1) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by inserting ``, police, or other security forces''
after ``governmental armed forces''; and
(B) by striking ``recruit and use child soldiers'' and
inserting ``recruit or use child soldiers'';
(2) by amending subsection (b)(2) to read as follows:
``(2) Notification.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 45 days after the date of
submission of each report required under section 110(b) of
the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the Secretary
of State shall formally notify each government included in
the list required under paragraph (1) that such government is
so included.
``(B) Congressional notification.--As soon as practicable
after making all of the notifications required under
subparagraph (A) with respect to a report, the Secretary of
State shall notify the appropriate congressional committees
that the requirements of subparagraph (A) have been met.'';
(3) in subsection (c)(1), by adding at the end before the
period the following: ``and certifies to the appropriate
congressional committees that the government of such country
is taking effective and continuing steps to address the
problem of child soldiers''; and
(4) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ``to a country'' and
all that follows through ``subsection (a)'' and inserting
``under section 541 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2347) through the Defense Institute for International
Legal Studies or the Center for Civil-Military Relations at
the Naval Post-Graduate School, and may provide nonlethal
supplies (as defined in section 2557(d)(1)(B) of title 10),
to a country subject to the prohibition under subsection
(a)''.
(c) Reports.--Section 405 of the Child Soldiers Prevention
Act of 2008 (22 U.S.C. 2370c-2) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``,
during any of the 5 years following the date of the enactment
of this Act,'';
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as
paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively;
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) a description and the amount of any assistance
withheld under this title pursuant to the application to
those countries of the prohibition in section 404(a);''; and
(D) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), by inserting
``and the amount'' after ``a description''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Information To Be Included in Annual Trafficking in
Persons Report.--If a country is notified pursuant to section
404(b)(2), or a waiver is granted pursuant to section
404(c)(1), the Secretary of State shall include in each
report required under section 110(b) of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)) the
information required to be included in the annual report to
Congress under paragraphs (1) through (5) of subsection (c)
of this section.''.
TITLE III--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS UNDER THE
TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION ACT OF 2000.
(a) In General.--Section 113 of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7110) is amended by
striking ``2017'' each place it appears and inserting
``2021''.
(b) Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center.--Section
112A(b)(4) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
(22 U.S.C. 7109a(b)(4)) is amended by striking ``2017'' and
inserting ``2021''.
SEC. 302. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS UNDER THE
TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION REAUTHORIZATION
ACT OF 2005.
(a) In General.--Section 201(c)(2) of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
14044(c)(2)) is amended by striking ``2017'' and inserting
``2021''.
(b) Assistance Programs for Certain Persons Subject to
Trafficking.--
(1) In general.--Section 202(i) of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 is amended by striking
``2017'' and inserting ``2021''.
(2) Repeal of sunset.--Section 1241 of the Violence Against
Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-4; 127
Stat. 149) is amended--
(A) by striking subsection (b); and
(B) by striking ``(a) In General.--Section 202'' and
inserting ``Section 202''.
(c) Child Trafficking Deterrence Program.--Section 203(i)
of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 14044b) is amended by striking ``2020'' and
inserting ``2021''.
(d) Enhancing State and Local Efforts.--Section 204(e) of
the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 14044c(e)) is amended by striking ``2017''
and inserting ``2021''.
SEC. 303. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR ENHANCING
EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN.
Section 235(c)(6)(F) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking
Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 U.S.C.
1232(c)(6)(F)) is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting ``of
Health'' after ``Secretary''; and
(2) in clause (ii), by striking ``and 2017'' and inserting
``through 2021''.
SEC. 304. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS UNDER THE
INTERNATIONAL MEGAN'S LAW.
Section 11 of the International Megan's Law to Prevent
Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced
Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders (42 U.S.C. 16935h) is
amended by striking ``and 2018'' and inserting ``through
2021''.
SEC. 305. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR AIRPORT
PERSONNEL TRAINING TO IDENTIFY AND REPORT HUMAN
TRAFFICKING VICTIMS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Commissioner
of U.S. Customs and Border Protection $250,000 for each of
fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to expand outreach and live
on-site anti-trafficking training for airport and airline
personnel.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
general leave
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and to include any extraneous material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the right word for the type of slavery we see today, the
type of human trafficking that is slavery, is to focus on the fact that
this is indentured servitude. This is human slavery, and traffickers
around the world increasingly exploit over a million individuals--I am
talking about women and children--in sex trafficking for commercial
gain.
According to credible estimates, if we add to that those who are
engaged in forced labor, that number that are actually enslaved is some
20 million. It is a coercive, multibillion-dollar industry that
destroys families, destroys communities, strengthens brutal criminal
networks, and tramples human dignity.
This plague is really global. It is not limited to the developing
world. At a regular meeting of the Human Trafficking Congressional
Advisory Committee I set up in southern California
[[Page H5498]]
nearly 4 years ago, I have met with brave survivors who endured forced
labor and commercial sexual exploitation in my home State of
California.
I think of Angela Guanzon locked into her abusive workplace, sleeping
on the hallway floor. I think of Carissa Phelps being sold on the
streets of Fresno at the age of 12 by a very violent pimp.
Meeting them and having them testify showed me and many others that
the horror of trafficking lies not in statistics, but in stolen lives.
In the words of the great abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, enslavement
is such an affront to human conscience that, in his words, `` . . . to
expose it, is to kill it. Slavery is one of those monsters of darkness
to whom the light of truth is death.''
Exposing the harsh reality of human trafficking to international
daylight is a central tenet of the legislation here that we are
reauthorizing today.
{time} 1600
In the late 1990s, under the leadership of Congressman Chris Smith,
the author of today's bill, the Foreign Affairs Committee initiated the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which became law in 2000. That law
created the annual Trafficking in Persons Report and the country tier
rankings that put the issue on the radar screens of world governments
for the first time and every year thereafter.
I was proud to have supported that legislation. It created the
possibility of sanctions against the worst offenders. It also
established law enforcement and other domestic initiatives to combat
trafficking within the United States, which have been refined in the
multiple reauthorizations that have followed.
The law has produced notable successes. More than 120 countries, in
fact, have now enacted antitrafficking laws, and many are improving
their prosecution and conviction of those who are involved in
trafficking. Countless lives have been improved and have been saved as
a result.
In the TIP Report released 2 weeks ago, 27 countries were upgraded to
a higher tier, and that is progress. But sustained pressure and
scrutiny are needed. Enacting a law is not the same thing as enforcing
it, and, unfortunately, 21 countries slipped to a lower tier in last
year's report.
I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 2200, the Frederick
Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization
Act, which continues and updates our fight against human trafficking.
It extends until 2021 the current authorizations for our international
and domestic programs, which expire at the end of September. It also
contains multiple reforms and refinements to U.S. programs, and it
strengthens the annual TIP Report and tier rankings.
I am pleased that this bill incorporates the text of a bill of mine,
H.R. 1625, the TARGET Act, which I introduced earlier this year and the
House passed in March. This important provision turns the tables on
international traffickers by authorizing the State Department to offer
and publicize bounties for their arrest and for their conviction.
I again want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass) for introducing this strong,
bipartisan bill. I also want to thank the other seven committees of
referral for the input and assistance they provided on the portions of
the bill within their jurisdiction.
H.R. 2200 is a critical contribution to the cause of human freedom
and the cause of human dignity. It deserves our unanimous support.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, July 10, 2017.
Hon. William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry,
Chairman, House Armed Services Committee,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Thornberry: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass
Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization
Act of 2017, so that the bill may proceed expeditiously to
the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 2200 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
Committee on Armed Services,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, July 12, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R.
2200, the ``Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention
and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017.'' There are
certain provisions in the bill which fall within the Rule X
jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services.
In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed
expeditiously to floor consideration of this important
legislation, I am willing to waive this committee's further
consideration of H.R. 2200. I do so with the understanding
that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on
Armed Services does not waive any future jurisdictional claim
over the subject matters contained in the legislation which
fall within its Rule X jurisdiction.
Please place a copy of this letter and your response
acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the
Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on
the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in
which you have worked regarding this matter and others
between our respective committees.
Sincerely,
William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, July 10, 2017.
Hon. Virginia Foxx,
Chairwoman, House Committee on Education and the Workforce,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairwoman Foxx: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass
Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization
Act of 2017, so that the bill may proceed expeditiously to
the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 2200 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Education and the
Workforce,
Washington, DC, July 12, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to confirm our mutual
understanding with respect to H.R. 2200, the Frederick
Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection
Reauthorization Act of 2017. Thank you for consulting with
the Committee on Education and the Workforce with regard to
H.R. 2200 on those matters within the Committee's
jurisdiction.
In the interest of expediting the House's consideration of
H.R. 2200, the Committee on Education and the Workforce will
forgo further consideration of this bill. However, I do so
only with the understanding this procedural route will not be
construed to prejudice my committee's jurisdictional interest
and prerogatives on this bill or any other similar
legislation and will not be considered as precedent for
consideration of matters of jurisdictional interest to my
committee in the future.
I respectfully request your support for the appointment of
outside conferees from the Committee on Education and the
Workforce should this bill or a similar bill be considered in
a conference with the Senate. I also request you include our
exchange of letters on this matter in the Congressional
Record during consideration of this bill on the House Floor.
Thank you for your attention to these matters.
Sincerely,
Virginia Foxx,
Chairwoman.
[[Page H5499]]
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, July 10, 2017.
Hon. Greg Walden,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Walden: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass
Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization
Act of 2017, so that the bill may proceed expeditiously to
the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 2200 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, July 12, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: I write in regard to H.R. 2200,
Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and
Protection Reauthorization Act 2017, which was referred in
addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I wanted to
notify you that the Committee will forgo action on the bill
so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for
consideration.
The Committee on Energy and Commerce takes this action with
our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of
H.R. 2200, the Committee does not waive any jurisdiction over
the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation
and will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or
similar legislation moves forward to address any remaining
issues within the Committee's jurisdiction. The Committee
also reserves the right to seek appointment of conferees to
any House-Senate conference involving this or similar
legislation and asks that you support any such request.
I would appreciate your response confirming this
understanding with respect to H.R. 2020 and ask that a copy
of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in your
committee's report on the legislation or the Congressional
Record during its consideration on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Greg Walden.
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, July 10, 2017.
Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Goodlatte: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass
Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization
Act of 2017, so that the bill may proceed expeditiously to
the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 2200 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, July 12, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: I write with respect to H.R. 2200, the
``Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and
Protection Reauthorization Act.'' As a result of your having
consulted with us on provisions within H.R. 2200 that fall
within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the
Judiciary, I forego any further consideration of this bill so
that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for
consideration.
The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 2200 at
this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation and that our
committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as
this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may
address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our
committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate
conference involving this or similar legislation and asks
that you support any such request.
I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming
this understanding with respect to H.R. 2200 and would ask
that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be
included in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration of the bill.
Sincerely,
Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman.
____
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, May 24, 2017.
Hon. Jason Chaffetz,
Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Chaffetz: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass
Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization
Act of 2017, so that the bill may proceed expeditiously to
the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 2200 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of
Representatives,
Washington, DC, May 22, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 2200, the
Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017. As you know, the
Committee on Foreign Affairs received an original referral
and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform a
secondary referral when the bill was introduced on April 27,
2017. I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this
legislation before the House of Representatives in an
expeditious manner, and accordingly, the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform will forego action on the
bill.
The Committee takes this action with our mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 2200 at
this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation. Further, I
request your support for the appointment of conferees from
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform during any
House-Senate conference convened on this or related
legislation.
Finally, I would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters
on this matter be included in any bill report filed by the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as in the Congressional
Record during floor consideration, to memorialize our
understanding.
Sincerely,
Jason Chaffetz,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, May 19, 2017.
Hon. Bill Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Shuster: Thank you for working with the
Foreign Affairs Committee on mutually agreeable text edits,
and agreeing to be discharged from further consideration of
H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims
Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017, so
that the bill may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 2200 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
[[Page H5500]]
____
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of
Representatives,
Washington, DC, May 19, 2017.
Hon. Ed Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: I write concerning H.R. 2200, the
``Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017.'' This legislation
includes matters that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In order to expedite Floor consideration of H.R. 2200, the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forgo
action on this bill. However, this is conditional on our
mutual understanding that forgoing consideration of the bill
does not prejudice the Committee with respect to the
appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional
claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or
similar legislation that fall within the Committee's Rule X
jurisdiction. It is also conditional on our mutually agreed
to changes to the text of the bill. I appreciate you working
with us on the bill and request you urge the Speaker to name
members of the Committee to any conference committee named to
consider such provisions.
Please place a copy of this letter and your response
acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the
Congressional Record during House Floor consideration of the
bill. I look forward to working with the Committee on Foreign
Affairs as the bill moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, May 16, 2017.
Hon. Kevin Brady,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Brady: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass
Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization
Act of 2017, so that the bill may proceed expeditiously to
the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 2200 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Ways and Means,
Washington, DC, May 16, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing with respect to H.R.
2200, the ``Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention
and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017,'' on which the
Committee on Ways and Means was granted an additional
referral.
As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions
in H.R. 2200 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the
Committee on Ways and Means, I agree to waive formal
consideration of this bill so that it may move expeditiously
to the floor. The Committee on Ways and Means takes this
action with the mutual understanding that we do not waive any
jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or
similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately
consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation
moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues
that fall within our jurisdiction. The Committee also
reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate
number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving
this or similar legislation, and requests your support for
such request.
Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter
confirming this understanding, and would ask that a copy of
our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 2200.
Sincerely,
Kevin Brady,
Chairman.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2200, a bill to
reauthorize $130 million in currently appropriated funds in order to
continue, over the next 4 years, critical and necessary work to fight
sex and labor trafficking. This bill builds upon the remarkable work of
the original Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the
cornerstone of Federal human trafficking legislation.
I want to thank my colleagues Chairman Royce and especially Chairman
Chris Smith for his pioneering leadership.
Despite great strides and the tremendous progress we have made in
exposing and beginning to understand the complexities and growing
obstacles of human trafficking, we still have much to do.
I am particularly thankful for the inclusion of my language in
section 103, which provides a modification to grants for victims
services in order to provide a necessary focus on young victims in the
child welfare system. Specifically, this section will amend the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act to address a key reason children and
women have difficulty leaving their exploiter: the lack of housing.
They have nowhere to go.
As with all antitrafficking measures, I am particularly concerned
about what we are doing to combat the devastating epidemic of young
girls in the foster care system falling prey to child exploitation and
sex trafficking. The average age of a girl entering into sex
trafficking is 12 years old.
In 2016, an estimated one out of six endangered runaways reported to
the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children were likely child
sex trafficking victims. Of these reported victims, 86 percent were in
the care of social services or foster care when they ran.
One seasoned detective in Los Angeles recently reported during a
demonstration on law enforcement technology used to identify victims
that every single girl he has ever encountered through sex trafficking
or commercially exploited sex activity has been in the child welfare
system.
It cannot be overstated that the purpose of the child welfare system
is to protect children who are abused or neglected. It is our
responsibility to make sure these children do not fall between the
cracks. It is devastating to know that we have failed many of them.
Just as if one of our own children in our family went missing, a
child that is under the care of the government that goes missing
demands our most aggressive response and effort to find, save, and
protect them.
Our most urgent priority should be disrupting the child welfare-to-
trafficking pipeline and finding better, more effective ways to meet
the critical needs of this vulnerable population. In particular, as we
continue to tackle child sex trafficking in the United States, it is
imperative that we provide a special focus on the immediate and long-
term housing needs of at-risk foster youth. Young girls and
disconnected youth have particular and sensitive needs as trafficking
victims.
Current funding for housing and shelter for victims of child sex
trafficking is insufficient to meet the growing demand for youth
services, especially young foster girls exploited through their
emotional and financial vulnerabilities. At every level of government,
we have an urgent responsibility to shut down pathways for child sex
trafficking and to invest in critical housing needs for vulnerable
youth and girls. This responsibility includes supporting and adopting
H.R. 2200.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). He is the chairman of the
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human
Rights, and International Organizations, and, of course, he is the
author of the original Trafficking Victims Protection Act. He is also
the author of this bill today.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished
chairman Ed Royce for yielding. I thank him for his leadership on
trafficking, for this bill in particular, for the markup, and for all
of the assistance he provided. I also thank Eliot Engel, our ranking
member. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.
I want to thank Karen Bass, the lead Democrat on the bill, for her
exceptional leadership and her collaboration on this legislation.
I want to thank Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader McCarthy. I have to
say--and I have been working on human trafficking since about 1995,
chaired probably more than 30 hearings and written four laws--I have
never seen such a deep commitment to fighting trafficking and
protecting victims
[[Page H5501]]
than our leadership. It is unparalleled and it is inspired.
Kevin McCarthy helped ensure timely consideration. There are eight
committees of referral. Sometimes that is a death knell for any bill.
It is so hard to secure agreements and vote them out. Well, each of
those chairmen and their staffs worked diligently and in good faith. At
the end of the day, the leadership was there. They had our back on the
legislation.
I want to thank Chairman Royce, again, for his extraordinary
leadership as well.
Mr. Speaker, ever since the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 became law in 2000, combating human trafficking has been a major
priority in the United States and, indeed, globally.
Over the last 17 years, police and civil society organizations--many
of them faith based--have identified and rescued more than 250,000
victims worldwide. Some put that number at close to 300,000.
Prosecution of traffickers in the U.S. has increased by more than 500
percent, but, frankly, our task is far from accomplished.
The International Labor Organization suggests that nearly 21 million
people in the world today are enslaved, most of them women and
children. That is unconscionable. Every human life is of infinite
value. We have a duty to protect the weakest and most vulnerable from
harm.
The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection
Reauthorization Act of 2017 is comprehensive. It is bipartisan, and it
is designed to strengthen, expand, and create new initiatives to
protect victims, prosecute traffickers, and prevent this cruelty and
exploitation from happening in the first place.
Title I of the bill focuses on combating trafficking in the United
States. Title II focuses on the world. Title III authorizes
appropriations of more than half a billion dollars over 4 years,
including reauthorization of the TVPA of 2000.
The legislation, Mr. Speaker, is named in honor of the incomparable
Frederick Douglass on the eve of his 200th birthday. Born a slave in
1818, he escaped when he was 20 and heroically dedicated his entire
life to abolishing slavery and, after emancipation, to ending the Jim
Crow laws in order to achieve full equality for African-American
citizens. A gifted orator, author, editor, statesman, and Republican,
he died in 1895.
Human trafficking, Mr. Speaker, is modern-day slavery that needs a
Herculean effort to eradicate.
Among its numerous provisions and one that is of special interest to
the Frederick Douglass Family Initiative--and we worked very closely
with them on this--it authorizes HHS grant money to ``establish,
expand, and support programs'' to provide age appropriate information
to students all across America to avoid becoming victims of sex and
labor trafficking as well as to educate school staff to recognize and
respond to signs of trafficking.
It adopts a number of best practices, like for example making sure
that when government employees book rooms, that we utilize hotels where
they have initiated efforts and sponsored training to eradicate child
sex trafficking. We do the same thing with airlines. The flight
attendants--Delta is a classic example--once trained, can spot
trafficking in progress, inform the pilot, and when that plane lands or
jet lands, ensure that if there is a situation, there is an arrest of
the traffickers and a rescue of the woman or children who are being
trafficked.
We will now try, to the best of our ability, to hold the airlines to
account. There needs to be reporting. It is already the law that they
should provide this training. Now we want to ensure that training
actually happens.
Chairman Royce talked about the TIP Report. Just a couple weeks ago,
Secretary Tillerson announced the 2017 TIP Report. It is a voluminous
and very accurate report about what is happening in 190 countries
around the world, including the United States. Those countries that are
designated Tier 3, egregious violator, are subject to sanctions.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Perry). The time of the gentleman has
expired.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes
to the gentleman.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I just want to commend the
Trump administration for finally holding China to account as a Tier 3
violator. A worst offender.
The pending bill makes a number of important reforms to the TIP
Report and how it is prepared. My hope is that we will have an even
better, more accurate, and more effective effort at holding countries
to account.
Again, this legislation applies to the United States for labor and
sex trafficking as well as to the world. Again, I do want to thank all
those who have been involved in it.
Let me just say we worked on this bill for well over a year with
ATEST; Polaris; IJM; World Vision; United; Humanity; ECPAT; United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Shared Hope International; CATW;
Ambassador Swanee Hunt; the National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children, which provided valuable insight; and others. They were all
very much a part of our effort.
I also want to thank critical staff, including Luke Murray and Kelly
Dixon, from the Majority Leader's Office, who are outstanding--they get
the job done, and they ask all the right questions about substance and
process and helped us along--Doug Anderson, counsel of the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs; Mary Noonan; my chief of staff, Piero
Tozzi; Allison Hollabaugh; Krystal Williams, Karen Bass' staff member;
and so many others on the committees that also made such a huge
difference in enabling us to get this through all the committees to the
floor today.
I urge my colleagues to pass the bill.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), who is the ranking member on the Crime,
Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee of the
Judiciary Committee.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the authors of the
legislation, Mr. Smith and Ms. Bass, for their leadership, and thank
Chairman Royce for again reemphasizing the importance of this in terms
of all committees, including the number of committees that have been
noted.
Let me thank the cosponsors for acknowledging as well, Frederick
Douglass. It is right that he was born in slavery, but he reminded us
that there is no power without struggle, and there will have to be a
struggle to end sex trafficking and human trafficking.
Mr. Speaker, I am reminded of the 1990s, when I met my first real
modern-day slaves on the border of Bangladesh, where we were seeing
women fleeing who had been trafficked and who had been utilized
sexually. Their parents had sold them out of desperation.
{time} 1615
They were actual true slaves who were fleeing to the border of
Bangladesh. That is a startling and stark recognition that in the
1990s, and now in the 21st century, slavery still exists.
I am delighted to be an original cosponsor of this legislation and to
have worked on these issues, and to acknowledge the commemoration of
Mr. Douglass' 200th birthday.
So I am grateful for the $130 million in current funds appropriated
to ensure a robust response to fight human trafficking; again, to do
this at home and abroad; and to acknowledge the alliance to end slavery
and trafficking at the National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children, who are supporting this.
The bill would also provide human services grants, opportunities to
be used for educating children and staff in U.S. schools about human
trafficking. Of course, it would help my own center in Houston, the
Center to End Trafficking and Exploitation of Children, or CETEC. I
thank them for their great work. It is the only center of its kind in
Texas established to combat minor sex trafficking. In addition, this
important bill helps many others.
Let me conclude by simply saying that I support the idea of holding
airlines accountable. We have been working with them. Homeland Security
has been working with them. The flight attendants want to be engaged.
All of us should be engaged in fighting sex trafficking.
Mr. Speaker, I ask for support of the bill.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman
[[Page H5502]]
from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), a senior member of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs.
Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2200,
H.R. 2480, and H.R. 2664, three overwhelmingly bipartisan bills curbing
and combating modern-day slavery at home and abroad.
I want to particularly thank Chairman Royce, as well as Chairman
Smith and the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Bass, the ranking
member, all who have been leaders in this area for quite some time now,
and we appreciate that very much.
As a parent, a grandparent now, and as a former teacher, I know that
education empowers children. These bills on the floor today ensure that
we are doing our utmost to allow every child across the globe the
opportunity to reach their highest potential. That is why I introduced
the bipartisan H.R. 2408, Protecting Girls' Access to Education Act,
earlier this year, along with my Democratic colleague, Robin Kelly.
By providing access to safe primary and secondary education, our bill
aims to offer educational opportunities to the approximately 62 million
girls globally who are not in school. There are 62 million girls who
are not in school.
Similarly, these three bills, and the one that we are discussing
right now on the floor today, are aimed at eradicating human
trafficking and should improve every girl's chances for a quality
education and a more peaceful and stable life, both in the United
States and abroad.
Unfortunately, there are young girls and women here in this country
who are vulnerable in the greatest country on the face of the Earth.
Obviously, the problem is much worse across the globe.
I want to thank all colleagues on both sides of the aisle for truly
working in a bipartisan fashion to at least get a handle on one of the
toughest things that we face globally, and that is child trafficking,
human trafficking, and a whole range of issues along this line.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard).
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, too often we hear about human trafficking
and sex slavery. It is often dismissed as a crime that only happens
``over there''--overseas or in a foreign country.
The Global Slavery Index estimated that nearly 46 million people
across 167 countries were victims of human trafficking in 2016. This
problem is very real. But here at home, it is also a problem, where we
have children and young people who are forced or coerced into sex work
and hard labor in our communities all across the country.
As America's gateway to Asia, my home State of Hawaii sees an
unprecedented number of people taken from their homes to be exploited
here on our shores. In 2010, the FBI freed 400 Thai nationals from a
Hawaii farm, the largest human trafficking case in our modern history.
In Hawaii, I know personally of girls as young as 11 and 13 years old
who were recruited from schools, malls, beaches, and other places, and
exploited by traffickers. While every State, including Hawaii, has
passed legislation to ban trafficking and classify it as a felony,
clearly stronger, further action is needed to combat this modern,
international slave trade.
This bill, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and
Protection Reauthorization Act, will do many things, including
expanding programs to help educators recognize and respond to signs of
human trafficking in minors to try to prevent this abuse and support
local law enforcement as they identify prosecutors who will focus on
cases involving sex and slave trafficking.
I strongly support this legislation and urge my colleagues to vote
``yes'' to give these innocent men, women, and children a chance for
safe, proactive, and healthy lives in our communities.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio
(Mrs. Beatty).
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Karen
Bass of California, for her relentless work, and also my colleagues on
the other side of the aisle, including Congressman Chris Smith, for
working on this.
Mr. Speaker, today is a historic day. I stand on the U.S. House floor
to advocate for the passage of the Frederick Douglass Trafficking
Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act.
I have had many meetings with Kenneth Morris, Frederick Douglass'
great-great-great-grandson on this issue, sharing with him my work on
my bill, H.R. 246, from the last Congress, which improves the response
of victims of child sex trafficking. I am committed to ending human
trafficking and to ensuring that this bill honoring Frederick Douglass'
legacy becomes a law.
The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection
Reauthorization Act puts $130 million in funding for the prevention,
protection, and, yes, prosecution of human trafficking. This investment
is so needed, Mr. Speaker, because victims of human trafficking often
live in the shadows of society. That is why it is up to all of us and
why it is a bipartisan bill.
This legislation makes an investment in education. We have heard what
it does with airports and what it does if you have survivors and
government working together.
So let me end by reminding all of us that, in the words of Frederick
Douglass, if we talk about protecting our children and preventing human
sex trafficking, he would say, as he has said, ``It is easier to build
strong children'' than to repair a broken system.
Let us talk about protection. These young girls and boys are
sometimes held by invisible chains. We are here today to remove those
chains.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Frankel).
Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I also give my thanks to Mr.
Royce; Mr. Smith; and my colleague, Ms. Bass, for their leadership. I
am very proud to be part of this bipartisan act to stop what we call
modern-day slavery of men, women, and children.
Human trafficking is a global crisis of epic proportions. After drug
trafficking, it is the number two criminal enterprise on Earth. Yes, it
happens right here in our own backyard.
Recently, I met Shandra. She is a mother; a college graduate; and
formerly a banker in Indonesia, until a financial crisis hit. Looking
for a better life for her family, she came legally to the United
States, taking what she thought was a job in the hospitality industry.
The minute she landed in the United States of America, her hopes turned
into a living hell. It is hard to put what happened to her in words.
Shandra's new employer held her by force. With threats of violence,
he drugged her and sold her into prostitution day after day, for years.
Finally, after multiple attempts to escape, she actually climbed
through a bathroom window and went to safety.
Mr. Speaker, shockingly, as we speak here in this room today, there
are millions of innocent victims like Shandra who are held in some form
of cruel servitude. Our effort today will save lives and prevent
horrific suffering. I am proud to be part of these efforts.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New
York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank my
colleague and friend for yielding, and I thank her for her
extraordinary leadership. I would like to be associated with her
comments describing this horrific crime.
Human trafficking outpaces drugs and guns as the world's fastest
growing and most prosperous criminal activity. But unlike guns and
drugs, which can only be sold once, in trafficking, the human body is
sold over and over and over again until it kills the person.
I very strongly support the ending of this modern-day slavery through
the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection
Reauthorization Act. I have worked closely with Representative Smith
since 1995,
[[Page H5503]]
Representative Poe, Representative Wagner, and others, to combat this
despicable crime.
This legislation, first passed in 2000, revolutionized U.S. efforts
against trafficking here and abroad. It included language I offered
targeting traffic on the demand side, which is very important and key
to punishing the real criminals here: pimps, johns, and traffickers who
buy and sell their victims.
This legislation makes improvements to programs and policies that
combat trafficking here and around the world. It helps law enforcement
in their efforts to prosecute, which is growing. It improves
professional training to identify potential trafficking victims and
provides services to enable survivors to rebuild their lives with
dignity.
Perpetrators of modern-day slavery are profiting to the tune of $150
billion a year. We need a coordinated, comprehensive approach to stop
it.
I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' This bill saves lives.
It is important. I am thrilled to be part of the effort to combat human
trafficking in our world.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Davis).
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Chris
Smith and Karen Bass, for spearheading this important bill and for
really putting tremendous energy into it.
Mr. Speaker, far too often, it is our children who fall victim to the
horror of human trafficking. As you have heard this afternoon, we must
do everything that we can to stop this injustice.
Often it has been said of human trafficking that it is hiding in
plain sight. Advocates and survivors are always telling me that it is
important to punish traffickers, but we also need to focus on
prevention.
The reauthorization of the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims
Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act strengthens what we need
in this holistic approach. It includes my bill, the Empowering
Educators to Prevent Trafficking Act. This language in the bill creates
a training program that I think you have heard about that empowers
educators to spot the signs of trafficking and, in turn, teach their
students how to protect themselves from becoming victims.
With the passage of this bill, our schools can join the resistance in
the fight against trafficking. Armed with knowledge, students and
teachers can join the battle lines against the injustice of modern-day
slavery.
I want to thank all those who have participated in this bill, and I
urge my colleagues to support it.
{time} 1630
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the author of this important
legislation, Mr. Chris Smith; and I thank Chairman Royce for bringing
it to the floor. I support this bill and I encourage my colleagues to
do so as well.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back that balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I would just mention, Mr. Speaker, that 20 years ago, human
trafficking was unknown, I think, to most Americans and there was
little public awareness of the severity of what we are calling here
today modern-day slavery.
Seventeen years ago, Congress led on this issue by passing the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act. We had very strong bipartisan
support, and the rankings, the sanctions, the programs created by that
law have been instrumental in building the momentum and awareness that
exists out there today. And with each reauthorization, those laws have
been fine-tuned, they have been strengthened. This bill continues that
tradition. It is time to recommit ourselves to this noble fight against
slave-like labor and sexual exploitation of underage children.
I have asked some of the victims why it is that so many of these
criminal gangs move from drug running and other kinds of activity into
this kind of behavior, and part of the response is: Because, you know,
in a drug war, a gang member can get himself killed, but it is a lot
easier to exploit a 14-year-old underage girl, it is a lot easier to be
in that kind of business than it is in the more dangerous business.
We have got to overcompensate for this reality by passing legislation
which allows these additional tools to be used to close down these
criminal syndicates and to create real deterrence for those gang
members who consider going into this line of work.
So I thank Mr. Smith, Congresswoman Karen Bass, and all my fellow
cosponsors on this bill. It deserves our strong support.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2200, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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