[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4640-S4641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2285. Mr. GRASSLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:
SEC. 1095. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE TO RECOVER MISSING OR
EXPLOITED UNACCOMPANIED ALIEN CHILDREN.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee of
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
(2) Unaccompanied alien children.--The term ``unaccompanied
alien children'' has the meaning given such term in section
462 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 279).
(b) Task Force.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established within the
Department of Justice, under the general authority of the
Attorney General, a Recovery of unaccompanied alien children
Task Force Program (referred to in this section as the ``RUAC
Task Force Program''), which shall coordinate Federal law
enforcement activities relating to the following:
(A) The recovery of missing or exploited unaccompanied
alien children.
(B) The following crimes against unaccompanied alien
children:
(i) Physical abuse.
(ii) Sexual abuse.
(iii) Kidnapping;
(iv) Human trafficking.
(v) Sex trafficking.
(vi) Peonage.
(vii) Forced labor.
(viii) Domestic servitude.
(ix) Involuntary servitude.
(2) Mission.--
(A) In general.--The primary purpose of the RUAC Task Force
Program shall be to investigate and recover unaccompanied
alien children, whose whereabouts are missing or unknown.
(B) Relationship to immigration enforcement.--The RUAC Task
Force Program is not an immigration enforcement task force.
(3) Duties.--The duties of the RUAC Task Force Program
shall include the following:
(A) Coordinating Federal law enforcement activities
relating to the recovery of missing or exploited
unaccompanied alien children.
(B) Establishing relationships with State, local, and
Tribal law enforcement agencies and organizations and sharing
information regarding missing or exploited unaccompanied
alien children with such agencies and organizations.
(C) Assisting State and local law enforcement agencies with
the investigation of crimes against unaccompanied alien
children.
(D) Establishing a secure system for sharing information
regarding unaccompanied alien children by leveraging existing
systems at the Department of Homeland Security, the
Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of
Labor, and the Department of Justice.
(E) Tracking trends with respect to the trafficking of
unaccompanied alien children and releasing public reports on
such trends.
(F) Supporting the provision of training and technical
assistance necessary to carry out paragraph (1).
(4) Composition.--
(A) Federal staff.--The RUAC Task Force Program shall
include detailed criminal investigators, analysts, and
liaisons from other Federal agencies who have
responsibilities related to the placement and rescue of
unaccompanied alien children, including detailees from--
(i) the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice;
(ii) Homeland Security Investigations;
(iii) the Office of Refugee Resettlement; and
(iv) the Department of Labor.
(B) State and local staff.--The RUAC Task Force Program may
include detailees from State and local law enforcement
agencies, who shall serve on the RUAC Task Force Program on a
nonreimbursable basis.
(5) Director.--
(A) Appointment.--The RUAC Task Force Program shall be
headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the Attorney
General.
(B) Qualifications.--An individual appointed under
subparagraph (A) shall--
(i) have substantial experience as a Federal law
enforcement officer; and
(ii) be in a Senior Executive Service position (as defined
in section 3132 of title 5, United States Code).
(C) Term.--The Director shall be appointed for a term of 2
years, renewable at the discretion of the Attorney General.
(6) Deputy director.--The Director of the RUAC Task Force
Program shall be assisted by a Deputy Director, who shall be
appointed by the Attorney General for a term of 2 years,
renewable at the discretion of the Attorney General.
(7) Coordination.--The RUAC Task Force Program shall
coordinate activities, as appropriate, with other Federal
agencies and centers responsible for countering transnational
organized crime, child exploitation, and human trafficking.
(8) Agreements.--The Director, or a designee, may enter
into agreements with Federal, State, local, and Tribal
agencies and private sector entities to facilitate carrying
out the duties described in paragraph (3).
(9) Meetings.--
(A) Initial meeting.--Not later than 60 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the RUAC Task Force Program shall
hold an initial meeting.
(B) Subsequent meetings.--After the initial meeting under
subparagraph (A), the RUAC Task Force Program shall meet not
less frequently than once every 30 days.
(10) Reports.--
(A) Initial report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
on which the RUAC Task Force Program is established under
paragraph (1), the RUAC Task Force Program shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees an initial report on
the composition, activities, and planned activities of the
RUAC Task Force Program.
(B) Periodic updates.--Not later than 180 days after the
date on which the RUAC Task Force Program is established
under paragraph (1), and every 180 days thereafter, the RUAC
Task Force Program shall provide to the appropriate
congressional committees updates on activities, planned
activities, recovery of unaccompanied alien children, and
prosecution efforts.
[[Page S4641]]
(c) Sunset.--This section shall remain in effect until the
end of the fiscal year that begins 10 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
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