    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 115-398
    115th Congress

    An Act

    To establish the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness
    Training pilot program to address human trafficking in the health care
    system. <>

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
    United States of America in Congress assembled, <>
    SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to
    Health and Wellness Act of 2018'' or the ``SOAR to Health and Wellness
    Act of 2018''.
    SEC. 2. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.

    Part E of title XII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
    300d-51 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``SEC. 1254. <>  STOP, OBSERVE, ASK, AND
    RESPOND TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS TRAINING
    PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a program to be
    known as the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness
    Training Program or the SOAR to Health and Wellness Training Program (in
    this section referred to as the `Program') to provide training to health
    care and social service providers on human trafficking in accordance
    with this section.
    ``(b) Activities.--
    ``(1) In general.--The Program shall include the Stop,
    Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training
    Program's activities existing on the day before the date of
    enactment of this section and the authorized initiatives
    described in paragraph (2).
    ``(2) Authorized initiatives.--The authorized initiatives of
    the Program shall include--
    ``(A) engaging stakeholders, including victims of
    human trafficking and Federal, State, local, and tribal
    partners, to develop a flexible training module--
    ``(i) for supporting activities under
    subsection (c); and
    ``(ii) that adapts to changing needs,
    settings, health care providers, and social
    service providers;
    ``(B) providing technical assistance to grantees
    related to implementing activities described in
    subsection (c) and reporting on any best practices
    identified by the grantees;
    ``(C) <>  developing a reliable
    methodology for collecting data, and reporting such
    data, on the number of human trafficking victims
    identified and served by grantees in a manner that, at a
    minimum, prevents disclosure of

    [[Page 5329]]

    individually identifiable information consistent with
    all applicable privacy laws and regulations; and
    ``(D) integrating, as appropriate, the training
    described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection
    (c) with training programs, in effect on the date of
    enactment of this section, for health care and social
    service providers for victims of intimate partner
    violence, sexual assault, stalking, child abuse, child
    neglect, child maltreatment, and child sexual
    exploitation.

    ``(c) Grants.--The Secretary may award grants to appropriate
    entities to train health care and social service providers to--
    ``(1) identify potential human trafficking victims;
    ``(2) implement best practices for working with law
    enforcement to report and facilitate communication with human
    trafficking victims, in accordance with all applicable Federal,
    State, local, and tribal laws, including legal confidentiality
    requirements for patients and health care and social service
    providers;
    ``(3) implement best practices for referring such victims to
    appropriate health care, social, or victims service agencies or
    organizations; and
    ``(4) provide such victims with coordinated, age-
    appropriate, culturally relevant, trauma-informed, patient-
    centered, and evidence-based care.

    ``(d) Consideration in Awarding Grants.--The Secretary, in making
    awards under this section, shall give consideration to--
    ``(1) geography;
    ``(2) the demographics of the population to be served;
    ``(3) the predominant types of human trafficking cases
    involved; and
    ``(4) health care and social service provider profiles.

    ``(e) Data Collection and Reporting.--
    ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall collect data and
    report on the following:
    ``(A) The total number of entities that received a
    grant under this section.
    ``(B) The total number and geographic distribution
    of health care and social service providers trained
    through the Program.
    ``(2) Initial report.--In addition to the data required to
    be collected under paragraph (1), for purposes of the initial
    report to be submitted under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall
    collect data on the total number of facilities and health care
    professional organizations that were operating under, and the
    total number of health care and social service providers trained
    through, the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and
    Wellness Training Program existing prior to the establishment of
    the Program under this section.
    ``(3) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
    of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the
    Secretary shall submit an annual report to Congress on the data
    collected under this subsection in a manner that, at a minimum,
    prevents the disclosure of individually identifiable information
    consistent with all applicable privacy laws and regulations.

    ``(f) <>  Sharing Best Practices.--The Secretary
    shall make available, on the Internet website of the Department of
    Health and Human Services, a description of the best practices and
    procedures

    [[Page 5330]]

    used by entities that receive a grant for carrying out activities under
    this section.

    ``(g) Definition.--In this section, the term `human trafficking' has
    the meaning given the term `severe forms of trafficking in persons' as
    defined in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
    2000.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
    appropriated to carry out this Act, $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years
    2020 through 2024.''.

    Approved December 31, 2018.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 767:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HOUSE REPORTS: No. 115-327 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce).
    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018):
    Feb. 26, considered and passed House.
    Dec. 19, considered and passed Senate, amended.
    Dec. 20, House concurred in Senate amendment.