Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act - P.L. 117-348
Date: January 2023
Overview
S. 3949
Enacted January 5, 2023
Purpose: To amend titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, with a focus on preventing human trafficking of youth
Major Provisions of the Act
- Amended title IV-B, subpart 1, of the Social Security Act by adding at the end the following:
- Authorized the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice, to award competitive grants to support collaboration between State child welfare and juvenile justice agencies to address the needs of dual-status youth and their families
- (The term 'dual-status youth' means children who are involved with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.)
- Established a pilot program to provide funding for community-based organizations in underserved communities, prioritizing rural communities, to support youth at risk of being trafficked through the development of replicable treatment models and supportive services and innovative care and treatment
- Indicated that the pilot program shall primarily serve adolescents and youth to whom any of the following apply:
- They are transitioning out of foster care.
- They struggle with substance use disorder.
- They are pregnant or parenting.
- They have experienced foster care involvement or involvement in the child welfare system, child poverty, child abuse or neglect, human trafficking, juvenile justice involvement, gang involvement, or homelessness.
- Authorized the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice, to award competitive grants to support collaboration between State child welfare and juvenile justice agencies to address the needs of dual-status youth and their families
- Required the Government Accountability Office to do the following:
- Study the accessibility of mental health services and substance use disorder treatment and recovery for survivors of human trafficking in the United States of various ages
- Report to Congress on the findings of the study and recommendations for increased accessibility and affordability for survivors of trafficking
- Amended the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act with revised criteria for considering a child to be a victim of child abuse and neglect and of sexual abuse:
- Specifically, it provides that a child shall be considered a victim of child abuse and neglect and of sexual abuse if the child is identified as being a victim of human trafficking.
- Currently, a child is considered a victim of child abuse and neglect and of sexual abuse if the child is identified as being a victim of sex trafficking or a victim of severe forms of trafficking in persons.
- Amended title IV-E of the Social Security Act by modifying the requirements for State plans for foster care and adoption assistance as follows:
- Specified that the plans must require State child welfare agencies to report information on missing or abducted foster children and youth to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and to law enforcement authorities
- Required State child welfare agencies to maintain regular communication and share information with NCMEC and law enforcement agencies to provide the safe recovery of a missing or abducted child or youth, including sharing, when reasonably possible, the following:
- A photo of the missing or abducted child or youth
- A description of the child's physical features
- Other health or risk factors (e.g., pregnancy status or vulnerability to being sex trafficked)