Human trafficking in the United States is broadly conceptualized in two categories: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA; Division A of P.L. Notably, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (JVTA; P.L. 114-22 ) was signed into law on May 29, 2015. This report discusses domestic human trafficking issues addressed by the JVTA. The report supplements CRS Report R43917, Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress , by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed]. A major aspect of U.S. anti-trafficking efforts is victim assistance—providing immediate services when victims are identified and helping them recover from the victimization. The JVTA seeks to improve services to victims. These changes include
clarifying that victims' services and legal assistance under VAWA include services and assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking who are also victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons ; amending the purpose for grants to tribal governments to combat violence against women to include sex trafficking and creating a new purpose area to provide services to address the needs of youth who are victims of several crimes, including sex trafficking; creating a new tribal coalition grant program (administered by DOJ) that, among other purposes, seeks to enhance access to essential services for Indian women victimized by domestic and sexual violence, including sex trafficking; and to assist Indian tribes in developing and promoting state, local, and tribal laws and policies that enhance best practices for responding to violent crimes against Indian women, including sex trafficking; and amending the authorization for grants for state and local law enforcement's anti-trafficking programs focusing on U.S. citizen victims so that these grants can be used for noncitizen victims as well. The JVTA also makes changes to increase financial penalties for traffickers and heighten the federal response to trafficking offenses. These monies are to be deposited into a Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund (established by the act). Money from the fund may be used from FY2016 through FY2019 to support certain existing grant programs authorized by the TVPA or to enhance programming for victims of child pornography served under the Victims of Child Abuse Act. However, the act prohibits the use of monies from the fund for medical items or health care or services. The JVTA addresses sex trafficking of children through changes to a few policy areas, including missing and exploited children, runaway youth, the child welfare system, and juvenile justice. Generally, the grants may be used to (1) establish or enhance specialized training programs on the prevention of child trafficking for law enforcement, first responders, health care officials, child welfare officials, juvenile justice personnel, prosecutors, and judicial personnel; (2) establish law enforcement and prosecution units and task forces dedicated to fighting trafficking of children; (3) establish or enhance court programs to assist child trafficking victims; and (4) fund activities of law enforcement agencies to find homeless and runaway youth, including the salaries and associated expenses for retired federal law enforcement officers assisting the law enforcement agencies in finding these youth. Other Issues

		Inter-agency Coordination/Efficiency

There have been concerns about possible duplication of efforts and a lack of coordination among the agencies that conduct anti-trafficking activities, and whether the fact that so many agencies are involved with anti-trafficking policy leads to duplication or funds not being used in the most efficient manner. The JVTA directs the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking to conduct a review of human trafficking prevention within the United States. The report is to include (1) a catalog of the U.S. government's efforts to prevent individuals from committing trafficking offenses and prevent children from becoming victims; (2) a survey of the literature related to deterring individuals from trafficking and preventing children from becoming victims; (3) identification of best practices related to preventing human trafficking of children; and (4) identification of gaps in research and data that would be helpful in formulating strategies to prevent child trafficking. The report is to be submitted to the House and the Senate Judiciary Committees within 180 days of the law's enactment.
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA, S. 178/P.L. 114-22), an omnibus bill that primarily includes anti-human trafficking provisions, was signed into law on May 29, 2015. The bill received broad congressional support, passing the Senate unanimously on April 22, 2015, and the House nearly unanimously (420-3) on May 19, 2015. Through amendments in the House and the Senate, the law incorporates the same or similar provisions from 10 of the 12 bills on trafficking that passed the House in the first few weeks of the 114th Congress: H.R. 159, H.R. 181, H.R. 246, H.R. 285, H.R. 350, H.R. 357, H.R. 398, H.R. 460, H.R. 468, and H.R. 469.
The JVTA amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), the major federal law that addresses human trafficking, as well as multiple other federal statutes. It expands the federal response to trafficking in four broad areas: (1) victims' services and benefits, (2) criminal justice, (3) domestic sex trafficking of children, and (4) inter-agency coordination and training, and related areas.
A major aspect of U.S. anti-trafficking efforts is victim assistance: providing immediate services when victims are identified and helping them recover from the victimization. The JVTA seeks to improve services to victims. For example, it directs the Department of Justice, which administers anti-trafficking programs, to provide a database for trafficking victim stakeholders on counseling and other victim supports.
The JVTA also seeks to heighten the federal response to crimes perpetrated by traffickers. A major component of the law is the establishment of new financial penalty assessments for traffickers. These monies are to be deposited into a Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund established under the act. Money from the fund may be used to award certain existing grants authorized by the TVPA or enhance programming for victims of child pornography served under the Victims of Child Abuse Act, among other purposes. The law prohibits the use of monies from the fund for medical items or health care or services under certain circumstances, though it allows such services to be funded from other sources.
The JVTA responds to domestic sex trafficking of children through changes to a few policy areas, including missing and exploited children, runaway youth, the child welfare system, and juvenile justice. Notably, it requires law enforcement agencies to report additional information to a federal data system on missing children. It also creates a new child human trafficking deterrence program to aid child victims of both sex and labor trafficking while also supporting investigations and prosecutions of trafficking offenses.
The JVTA addresses other issues related to trafficking, particularly concerns about possible duplication of efforts and a lack of coordination among the agencies that conduct anti-trafficking activities. It directs the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking to conduct a review of human trafficking prevention within the United States, including cataloging the U.S. government's efforts to prevent individuals from committing trafficking offenses and to prevent children from becoming victims. The law also requires a Government Accountability Office report to Congress that would include information on federal and state law enforcement agencies' efforts to combat human trafficking as well as information on federal anti-trafficking grant programs.
This report supplements CRS Report R43917, Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress. For further information about trafficking, see CRS Report RL34317, Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress; and CRS Report R41878, Sex Trafficking of Children in the United States: Overview and Issues for Congress.