[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.