Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017

Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017

TITLE I--FREDERICK DOUGLASS TRAFFICKING PREVENTION ACT OF 2017

(Sec. 101) This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to specify that Community Oriented Policing Services program grants to hire school resource officers may also be used to train such officers to recognize and respond to signs of human trafficking.

(Sec. 102) It amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to reauthorize through FY2022 the Creating Hope Through Outreach, Options, Services, and Education for Children and Youth (i.e., CHOOSE Children & Youth) grant program.

TITLE II--JUSTICE FOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS

(Sec. 201) The bill amends the federal criminal code to authorize the Department of Justice (DOJ) to bring a civil action to stop or prevent criminal offenses related to: (1) peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude, forced labor, and trafficking; (2) sexual exploitation and other abuse of children; or (3) sexual abuse.

(Sec. 202) This section amends the Missing Children's Assistance Act:

• to revise the definition of "missing child" to mean an individual under 18 years of age whose whereabouts are unknown to the individual's parent (currently, legal custodian),
• to specify that a parent includes a legal guardian or an individual who functions as a parent (e.g., a grandparent),
• to revise the functions and duties of the National Center on Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and
• to require the NCMEC to make publicly available the annual report on missing children and the incidence of attempted child abductions.

(Sec. 203) The bill amends the federal criminal code to broaden the authority of the U.S. Secret Service to provide forensic and investigative assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies by allowing assistance in support of any investigation—not just an investigation involving missing or exploited children.

TITLE III--SERVICES FOR TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS

(Sec. 301) The bill amends the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 to reauthorize through FY2021: (1) the Human Trafficking and Smuggling Center, and (2) grants for trafficking victims inside the United States.

It amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 to reauthorize through FY2021: (1) the annual human trafficking conference, and (2) grants to local law enforcement agencies for anti-trafficking programs.

The bill amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to reauthorize through FY2021 the authority of HHS to appoint independent child advocates for trafficking victims and other vulnerable unaccompanied alien children.

It reinstates and reauthorizes through FY2021 grants to state and local law enforcement agencies to combat sex trafficking of minors.

(Sec. 302) It authorizes DOJ, with respect to trafficking victim services grants, to give priority to an applicant who: (1) uses grant funds to prevent, investigate, and prosecute human trafficking; and (2) provides dedicated resources to law enforcement officers for a period longer than the grant.

(Sec. 303) DOJ must: (1) compile and disseminate, to recipients of grants to provide victims' services, information about reliable and effective tools to identify victims of human trafficking; and (2) recommend, to recipients of grants to provide victim services to youth, practices for screening youth victims of human trafficking.

TITLE IV--IMPROVED DATA COLLECTION AND INTERAGENCY COORDINATION

(Sec. 401) DOJ must submit to Congress and publish a report on efforts by the National Institute of Justice to develop a methodology to assess the prevalence of human trafficking in the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) must submit to Congress and publish a status report on the Innocence Lost National Initiative.

(Sec. 402) This section amends the Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act of 1988: (1) to direct the FBI to coordinate with federal agencies and departments to implement required reports of crime statistics, and (2) to direct the FBI to report annually to Congress on the efforts of federal agencies and departments to comply.

(Sec. 403) This section requires ICE HSI to report to Congress on human trafficking investigations.

TITLE V--TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

(Sec. 501) The bill directs DOJ, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Labor to periodically improve the human trafficking training programs for their employees.

DOJ and DHS must: (1) develop an advanced training curriculum to supplement the basic curriculum, and (2) provide the advanced training to employees and task force members who investigate human trafficking offenses.

(Sec. 502) The bill amends the Combat Human Trafficking Act of 2015 to require DOJ to include, in each anti-trafficking program, technical training on: (1) determining whether individuals suspected of engaging in commercial sex acts, illegal child labor, or forced labor are trafficking victims; and (2) limiting arrests or prosecutions of trafficking victims for crimes they commit as a direct result of their victimization.

DOJ must establish a victim screening protocol for use during anti-trafficking law enforcement operations.

(Sec. 503) It amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to direct the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention, with respect to grants to juvenile and family courts, to give priority to programs that improve the judicial response to children who are vulnerable to human trafficking.

(Sec. 504) DOJ, in consultation with the Office of Tribal Justice, must implement a program for tribal law enforcement officials to receive technical training and assistance on victim-centered approaches to investigating and prosecuting severe forms of trafficking.

TITLE VI--ACCOUNTABILITY

(Sec. 601) The bill amends the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 to specify that accountability provisions apply to grants: (1) to develop model technical assistance and training programs to improve the judicial system's handling of child abuse and neglect cases, and (2) to state courts or judicial administrators for programs that provide or contract for the implementation of training and technical assistance to judicial personnel and attorneys in juvenile and family courts and administrative reform in juvenile and family courts.

TITLE VII--PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ADVISORY COUNCIL TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking Act

(Sec. 703) This bill establishes the Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking to provide advice and recommendations to the Senior Policy Operating Group and the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking.

It sets forth functions of the council, including to review federal policy and programs to combat human trafficking.

(Sec. 704) The council must report on its review of federal policy and programs to combat human trafficking.

(Sec. 705) The council terminates on September 30, 2020.