TIP is believed to be one of the most prolific areas of contemporary criminal activity and is of significant interest to the United States as a serious human rights concern. TIP is both an international and domestic crime that involves violations of labor, public health, and human rights standards, as well as criminal law. Domestically, anti-TIP efforts include protection for victims, education of the public, and the investigation and prosecution of trafficking offenses. 113-4 ). This report discusses domestic human-trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant congressional interest in the 113 th Congress. This report accompanies CRS Report RL34317, Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress , by [author name scrubbed] and Liana Rosen and CRS Report R41878, Sex Trafficking of Children in the United States: Overview and Issues for Congress , by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed]. The legislation includes the following:
The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2013 (Title XII of P.L. The Fraudulent Overseas Recruitment and Trafficking Elimination Act ( H.R. 3344 ). The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 ( H.R. The Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2013 ( H.R. 3610 ), as passed by the House on May 20, 2014. The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Improving Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act ( H.R. 4058 ), as passed by the House on May 20, 2014. The SAVE Act of 2014 ( H.R. 4225 ), as passed by the House on May 20, 2014. International Megan's Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking ( H.R. 4573 ), as passed by the House on May 20, 2014. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act ( S. 744 ), as passed by the Senate on June 27, 2013. The Supporting At-Risk Children Act ( S. 1870 ), as ordered reported by the Senate Finance Committee on December 12, 2013. 3610 / S. 1733 and H.R. For example, the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act ( P.L. S. 744 , as passed by the Senate, and H.R. In addition to expanding law enforcement's "toolbox" for investigating sex trafficking, S. 1738 would enhance penalties for certain crimes involving human trafficking, child exploitation, and repeat sex offenders. The legislation touches on a variety of policy areas (e.g., the child welfare system, juvenile justice, runaway and homeless youth). The bills would require state child welfare agencies to develop and implement policies and procedures to identify, screen, and determine appropriate state actions and services for any child believed to be a victim of sex trafficking or at risk of being a sex trafficking victim. 113-4 created a discretionary new grant program for child sex trafficking victims. 3610 would incentivize states to enact "safe harbor laws" that would (1) treat each minor involved in commercial sexual activity as a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons, (2) discourage the charging and prosecution of these minors for prostitution or sex trafficking offenses, and (3) encourage the diversion of these minors to child protection services. In addition, S. 1733 would require the Attorney General, as part of the annual report to Congress on U.S. government trafficking activities, to report the number of human trafficking investigations opened by FBI, DHS, DOL or the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center; and the number of such investigations that were reported to the U.S. attorneys, the DOJ Human Trafficking and Prosecution Division, or the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
Legislation aimed at preventing trafficking in persons (TIP) is unambiguously part of the legislative agenda of the 113th Congress. TIP is believed to be one of the most prolific areas of contemporary criminal activity and is of significant interest to the United States as a serious human rights concern. TIP is both an international and domestic crime that involves violations of labor, public health, and human rights standards, as well as criminal law. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) is the primary law that addresses human trafficking. Domestically, anti-TIP efforts provided under the TVPA include protection for victims, the investigation and prosecution of trafficking offenses, and education of the public. Congress reauthorized the TVPA in March 2013 (Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act; Title XII of P.L. 113-4). While this report covers P.L. 113-4, a more complete treatment of that bill can be found in CRS Report RL34317, Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress. This report discusses TIP issues that have received legislative action or are of significant congressional interest in the 113th Congress.
The House and Senate have acted on other TIP-related bills in the 113th Congress. Since human trafficking issues intersect with many different policy areas (e.g., immigration, child welfare, the criminal justice system, missing and exploited youth), legislation to address human trafficking is varied. For example, the Fraudulent Overseas Recruitment and Trafficking Elimination Act (H.R. 3344) and Title III subsection F of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744), as passed by the Senate, would make changes to immigration policy altering how foreign labor contractors operate to help prevent trafficking of noncitizen workers. The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Improving Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act (H.R. 4058), as passed by the House, and the Supporting At-Risk Children Act (S. 1870), as reported by Senate Finance, would address trafficking prevention through the child welfare system. In addition to other provisions, the bills would require state child welfare agencies to develop and implement policies to identify, screen, and determine appropriate state actions and services for children believed to be victims of sex trafficking or at risk of being victims.
The Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act (H.R. 3610/S. 1733) and the SAVE (Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation) Act of 2014 (H.R. 4225) would amend criminal justice policy in an attempt to obstruct human trafficking. H.R. 3610, as passed by the House, and S. 1733 would incentivize states to enact safe harbor legislation—legislation providing that children who were found in prostitution would be treated as victims rather than perpetrators—and increase restitution amounts for victims. H.R. 4225, as passed by the House, would additionally provide penalties for knowingly advertising or knowingly selling advertising that offers certain commercial sex acts. Other bills adopt a multi-prong approach to anti-TIP efforts. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 (H.R. 3530, as passed by the House, and S. 1738) would create new grant programs for law enforcement and victims services, and would amend the criminal code (Title 18 of the U.S. Code) to create new crimes and enhance criminal penalties for certain trafficking-related activities. The International Megan's Law (H.R. 4573), as passed by the House, would create a new center in DHS that would be responsible for possibly notifying the destination country of international travel by child-sex offenders.
The report accompanies CRS Report RL34317, Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress, by [author name scrubbed] and Liana Rosen and CRS Report R41878, Sex Trafficking of Children in the United States: Overview and Issues for Congress, by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed].