[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.
                                 ______