Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015
by Representative Tim WalbergPosted on 2015-01-26
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WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 469) to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
to enable State child protective services
[[Page H550]]
systems to improve the identification and assessment of child victims
of sex trafficking, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 469
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Child Welfare
Response to Trafficking Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. CAPTA AMENDMENTS.
Section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
(42 U.S.C. 5106a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (2)(B)--
(i) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (xxii); and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(xxiv) provisions and procedures to identify and assess
reports involving children who are sex trafficking victims,
and which may include provisions and procedures to identify
and assess reports involving children who are victims of
severe forms of trafficking in persons described in section
of 103(9)(B) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102(9)(B));
``(xxv) provisions and procedures for training
representatives of the State child protective services
systems about identifying and assessing children who are sex
trafficking victims, and which may include provisions and
procedures for such training with respect to children who are
victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons described
in section 103(9)(B) of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102(9)(B)); and
``(xxvi) provisions and procedures for identifying services
(including the services provided by State law enforcement
officials, the State juvenile justice system, and social
service agencies, such as runaway and homeless youth
shelters) and procedures for appropriate referral to address
the needs of children who are sex trafficking victims, and
which may include provisions and procedures for the
identification of such services and procedures with respect
to children who are victims of severe forms of trafficking in
persons described in section 103(9)(B) of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102(9)(B));'';
(B) in paragraph (2)(D)--
(i) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (v);
(ii) by inserting ``and'' at the end of clause (vi); and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(vii) the provisions and procedures described in clauses
(xxiv) and (xxvi) of subparagraph (B);''; and
(C) in paragraph (4)--
(i) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(ii) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B)
and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Sex trafficking victim.--The term `sex trafficking
victim' means a victim of--
``(i) sex trafficking (as defined in section 103(10) of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7102(10))); or
``(ii) a severe form of trafficking in persons described in
section 103(9)(A) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 7102(9)(A)).''; and
(2) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following:
``(17) The number of children identified under clause
(xxiv) of subsection (b)(2)(B), and of such children--
``(A) the number identified as sex trafficking victims (as
defined in subsection (b)(4)(C)); and
``(B) in the case of a State that has provisions and
procedures to identify children who are victims of severe
forms of trafficking in persons described in section
103(9)(B) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
(22 U.S.C. 7102(9)(B)), the number so identified.''.
SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
(a) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall submit to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a
report that--
(1) describes the specific type and prevalence of severe
form of trafficking in persons to which children who are
identified for services or intervention under the placement,
care, or supervision of State, Indian tribe, or tribal
organization child welfare agencies have been subjected as of
the date of enactment of this Act;
(2) summarizes the practices and protocols utilized by
States to identify and serve--
(A) under section 106(b)(2)(B) of the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(B)),
children who are victims of trafficking; and
(B) children who are at risk of becoming victims of
trafficking; and
(3) specifies any barriers in Federal laws or regulations
that may prevent identification and assessment of children
who are victims of trafficking, including an evaluation of
the extent to which States are able to address the needs of
such trafficked children without altering the definition of
child abuse and neglect under section 3 of the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 note).
(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) Severe form of trafficking in persons.--The term
``severe form of trafficking in persons'' has the meaning
given the term in section 103(9) of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102(9)).
(2) Victim of trafficking.--The term ``victim of
trafficking'' has the meaning given the term in section
103(15) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22
U.S.C. 7102(15)).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Walberg) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 469.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the
Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act, and I yield
myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, domestic child trafficking is a serious problem, sadly,
in the United States. Around 300,000 American youth are at risk of
sexual commercial exploitation and trafficking each year. That is why
the House of Representatives is considering a number of bills this week
that seek to ensure that human trafficking victims are treated as
victims and have access to the services they desperately need.
As a Member of Congress, I have worked on legislation to help address
this problem in the past and will continue that important work this
year. I have also held local roundtables in Michigan with victims,
advocacy, and law enforcement groups to do everything I can to work
with my communities to address this heinous crime.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that
68 percent of likely sex trafficking victims were involved in the child
welfare system at one time. Instead of properly identifying and
assisting trafficked and exploited children, these children are often
sent to the juvenile justice system, where they are labeled and treated
as criminals. These innocent victims are victimized by the very system
that was designed to protect them.
That is why, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 469. The
Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015 will
help protect child victims by improving practices within State child
welfare systems to identify, assess, and document sex trafficking
victims. The House passed this legislation by a voice vote last summer,
and I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Karen Bass, for her work on
this important legislation again this Congress.
H.R. 469 amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to
direct States to implement and maintain procedures to identify and
assess reports involving children who are victims of sex trafficking.
The bill also requires that States train child protective services
workers on how to identify these children and the services necessary to
meet their needs, and it would improve reporting on the number of
children identified as sex trafficking victims.
Mr. Speaker, this bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human
Services to report on the type and prevalence of youth trafficking
victims in the welfare system, provide a summary of State practices for
serving youth trafficking victims, and report on any barriers in
Federal law that prevent identification and assessment of youth victims
of trafficking.
It is imperative that we continue to pass legislation that helps
victims of both labor and sex trafficking, to ensure that victims
receive the services they need to escape a life of abuse.
Again, I would like to thank Congresswoman Karen Bass and Chairman
Kline of the Education and the Workforce Committee for their work on
this important bill.
I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 469, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
