In addition to investigating and prosecuting human trafficking crimes,  federal agencies, primarily DOJ and the Department of Health and  Human Services (HHS), support state and local efforts to combat human  trafficking and assist victims. Several components within DOJ’s Office of  Justice Programs, including the Office of Juvenile Justice and  Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, Bureau of Justice  Assistance (BJA), and National Institute of Justice (NIJ), administer  grants to help support state and local law enforcement in combating  human trafficking and to support nongovernmental organizations and  others in assisting trafficking victims or conducting research on human  trafficking in the United States. Federal Entities Have Taken Actions to Implement Most of the Provisions across Six Human Trafficking-Related Statutes

In our May 2016 report, we identified 105 provisions across the six  statutes that we reviewed that called for the establishment of a program  or initiative. Many of the provisions identified more than one entity that is  responsible for implementing the programs or initiatives. The breakdown  of whether or not federal entities reported taking actions to implement  these provisions is as follows:
For 91 provisions, all responsible federal entities reported taking  action to implement the provision. For 11 provisions, all responsible federal entities reported that they  had not taken action to implement the provision. For 2 provisions, at least one of the responsible federal entities  reported that they had not taken action to implement the provision or  they did not provide a response. For 1 provision, none of the responsible federal entities provided a  response. With respect to training, we reported that federal agencies have  implemented several initiatives to train judges, prosecutors, investigators  and others on human trafficking. Some Overlap Exists Across Human Trafficking Grant Programs, but Agencies Have Processes to Minimize Grant Duplication

In June 2016, we also reported that in addition to training and public  awareness, federal agencies have established grant programs to, among  other things, increase the availability of services to assist human  trafficking victims. We identified 42 grant programs with awards made in  2014 and 2015 that may be used to combat human trafficking or to assist  victims of human trafficking, 15 of which are intended solely for these  purposes. In response to these  recommendations, DOJ also requires grant applicants to identify in their  applications any federal grants they are currently operating under as well  as federal grants for which they have applied. For instance,  HHS officials noted that DOJ and HHS meet bi-weekly during co-chair  meetings for the Senior Policy Operating Group (SPOG) Victim Services  Committee and both agencies participate in the SPOG Grantmaking  Committee meetings, which provide opportunities to share information for  the purposes of coordination and collaboration.
Why GAO Did This Study

Human trafficking involves the exploitation of a person typically through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of forced labor, involuntary servitude, or commercial sex. Human trafficking victims include women, men and transgender individuals; adults and children; and foreign nationals and U.S. citizens or nationals who are diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, and sexuality, among other factors. Over the few decades, Congress has taken legislative action to help combat human trafficking and ensure that victims have access to needed services. The executive branch also has several initiatives to address human trafficking in the United States and assist victims. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (JVTA) includes two provisions for GAO to study efforts to combat human trafficking. This testimony summarizes GAO’s May 2016 and June 2016 reports that were related to the JVTA. Specifically, this testimony addresses (1) federal efforts to implement certain provisions across six human trafficking-related statutes, including the JVTA; (2) any challenges faced by federal and selected state law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies when addressing human trafficking; and (3) federal grant programs to combat trafficking and assist trafficking victims, as well as the extent to which there is any duplication across these grant programs.

What GAO Found

GAO identified 105 provisions across six human trafficking-related statutes that called for the establishment of a program or initiative. Many of the provisions identified more than one entity that is responsible for implementing the programs or initiatives. The breakdown of whether or not federal entities reported taking actions to implement these provisions is as follows:
For 91 provisions, all responsible federal entities reported taking action to implement the provision.
For 11 provisions, all responsible federal entities reported that they had not taken action to implement the provision.
For 2 provisions, at least one of the responsible federal entities reported that they had not taken action to implement the provision or they did not provide a response.
For 1 provision, none of the responsible federal entities provided a response.
GAO identified 42 grant programs with awards made in 2014 and 2015 that may be used to combat human trafficking or to assist victims of human trafficking, 15 of which are intended solely for these purposes. Although some overlap exists among these human trafficking grant programs, federal agencies have established processes to help prevent unnecessary duplication. For instance, in response to recommendations in a prior GAO report, DOJ requires grant applicants to identify any federal grants they are currently operating under as well as federal grants for which they have applied. In addition, agencies that participate in the grantmaking committee of the Senior Policy Operating Group (SPOG)—an entity through which federal agencies coordinate their efforts to combat human trafficking—are to share grant solicitations and information on proposed grant awards, allowing other agencies to comment on proposed grant awards and determine whether they plan to award funding to the same organization.