[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 192 (Friday, October 2, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62304-62305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21807]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

AGENCY: Office on Trafficking in Persons, Administration for Children 
and Families, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Statement of Organizations, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is 
restructuring the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) within the 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, ACF, into 
three divisions--Prevention, Protection, and Research and Policy--that 
report to the OTIP Director.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine Chon, Director, Office on 
Trafficking in Persons, Administration for Children and Families, 330 C 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20202; (202) 401-9372.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice amends Part K of the Statement 
of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the 
Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS), Administration for 
Children and Families (ACF), Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP). 
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families 
established OTIP by an amendment to the Statement of Organization for 
ACF published at 80 FR 33269, June 11, 2015. The amendment added OTIP 
as a new office under the Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Children and Families. OTIP is responsible for developing and 
implementing programs that assist both foreign and domestic victims of 
human trafficking as well as implementing anti-trafficking legislation, 
appropriations, and Administration-driven priorities. OTIP executes its 
mission through grant and contract awards and by leveraging government 
and public-private partnerships. OTIP executes these responsibilities 
with a combination of federal and contract staff, and

[[Page 62305]]

occasional graduate-level interns. Since its inception in June 2015, 
OTIP's responsibilities have expanded exponentially driven by new 
statutory requirements, increased appropriations, Executive Order 
directives, Administration-driven priorities, and emerging issues in 
the anti-trafficking field that have necessitated an increase in inter- 
and intra-agency collaboration.
    The changes announced herein describe the restructuring of OTIP 
within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, 
ACF, into three divisions--Prevention, Protection, and Research and 
Policy--that report to the OTIP Director.

I. Under Chapter KA.20, the Office on Trafficking in Persons Makes the 
Following Changes

    KA.10 E. Organization. The Office on Trafficking in Persons (KAI): 
OTIP has the following three strategic goals: Establish a cohesive 
national human trafficking victim service delivery system; develop a 
culture of data-informed anti-trafficking programming and policymaking; 
and integrate survivor-informed anti-trafficking efforts into HHS 
prevention strategies. OTIP implements numerous legislatively mandated 
programs and policies to combat human trafficking. OTIP's activities 
are authorized by federal statutes including, but not limited to, the 
Trafficking Victims Protection Act, as amended and reauthorized; the 
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act; the Preventing Sex Trafficking 
and Strengthening Families Act; the Frederick Douglass Trafficking 
Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act; and the Stop, 
Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Act (or the SOAR to 
Health and Wellness Act).
    The OTIP Director reports to the Assistant Secretary, ACF. The 
Director provides strategic leadership and direction on anti-
trafficking programs and policies, anti-trafficking prevention efforts, 
building health and human service capacity to respond to human 
trafficking, strategies to increase victim identification and access to 
services, and strengthen the long-term health and well-being outcomes 
of survivors of human trafficking. OTIP is responsible for the overall 
leadership of anti-trafficking programs and services under the purview 
of ACF, including, but not limited to, developing and implementing 
programs that assist both foreign and domestic victims of human 
trafficking as well as implementing anti-trafficking statutory, 
appropriations, and Administration-driven priorities.
    OTIP has the following three divisions: Protection (victim 
assistance), Prevention (capacity building, prevention, and public 
awareness), and Research and Policy. A description of each of the 
proposed divisions follows.

Protection Division

    The Protection Division is comprised of OTIP's victim service and 
assistance activities. It includes the Trafficking Victim Assistance 
Program, the Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking Programs, the Child 
Eligibility and Adult Certification programs, Child Victim Coordination 
Activities, and the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Through a 
combination of grant activities and internal direct services, OTIP 
assists adult and minor, foreign and domestic victims of severe forms 
of trafficking in persons and participates in intra- and inter-agency 
coordination efforts to inform anti-trafficking program and policy 
development to improve our response to victims and efficiency in 
federally supported programming.

Prevention Division

    The Prevention Division develops cutting-edge training and 
technical assistance, promotes survivor engagement, raises public 
awareness, facilitates regional outreach and coordination, and 
disseminates prevention education resources with the ultimate goal of 
assisting communities and programs in building capacity to effectively 
identify victims, implement trafficking prevention efforts, and 
coordinate education and outreach efforts. The Division oversees the 
National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center, 
prevention education programming and the National Prevention Action 
Plan, the SOAR to Health and Wellness program, and the Look Beneath the 
Surface Public Awareness Campaign and Communication that includes 
OTIP's website content and conference and meeting planning and 
representation.

Research and Policy Division

    The Research and Policy Division is responsible for the 
identification, coordination, and implementation of the anti-
trafficking research agenda and policy development activities. The 
Division coordinates program evaluation and research, prepares 
documentation to comply with regulatory requirements, reviews and 
analyzes proposed legislation, develops and tracks program performance 
metrics, represents OTIP at internal and external data and policy 
events, provides technical support for data collection efforts, guides 
the development of program information systems, prepares annual and ad 
hoc reports and informational materials, and ensures program 
development is evidence-based and theory-driven through research and 
evaluation efforts.

Linda K. Hitt,
Executive Secretariat Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-21807 Filed 10-1-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-47-P