II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 256 

To establish the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness 

Training pilot program to address human trafficking in the health care 

system. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2017 

Ms. HEITKAMP (for herself and Ms. COLLINS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health 

and Wellness Training pilot program to address human 

trafficking in the health care system. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘SOAR to Health and 

5 Wellness Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) HUMAN TRAFFICKING.—The term ‘‘human 

9 trafficking’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘severe 


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1 forms of trafficking in persons’’ as defined in section 

2 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 

3 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102). 

4 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

5 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

6 SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

8 pilot program to be known as ‘‘Stop, Observe, Ask, and 

9 Respond to Health and Wellness Training’’ (or ‘‘SOAR 

10 to Health and Wellness Training’’) (referred to in this Act 

11 as the ‘‘pilot program’’), to provide training to health care 

12 providers and other related providers, at all levels, on 

13 human trafficking in accordance with the purpose de14 scribed in subsection (b). 

15 (b) PURPOSE.—The pilot program established under 

16 subsection (a) shall train health care providers and other 

17 related providers to enable such providers to— 

18 (1) identify potential human trafficking victims; 

19 (2) implement proper protocols and procedures 

20 for working with law enforcement to report, and fa21 cilitate communication with such victims, in accord22 ance with all applicable Federal, State, local, and 

23 tribal requirements, including legal confidentiality 

24 requirements for patients and health care providers; 


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1 (3) implement proper protocols and procedures 

2 for referring such victims to appropriate social or 

3 victims service agencies or organizations; 

4 (4) provide such victims care that is— 

5 (A) coordinated; 

6 (B) victim centered; 

7 (C) culturally relevant; 

8 (D) comprehensive; 

9 (E) evidence based; 

10 (F) gender responsive; 

11 (G) age appropriate, with a focus on care 

12 for youth; and 

13 (H) trauma informed; and 

14 (5) consider the potential for integrating the 

15 training described in paragraphs (1) through (4) 

16 with training programs, in effect on the date of en17 actment of this Act, for victims of domestic violence, 

18 dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, child abuse, 

19 child neglect, child maltreatment, and child sexual 

20 exploitation. 

21 (c) FUNCTIONS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The functions of the pilot 

23 program established under subsection (a) shall in24 clude the functions of the Stop, Observe, Ask, and 

25 Respond to Health and Wellness Training program 


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1 that was operating on the day before the date of en2 actment of this Act and the authorized initiatives de3 scribed in paragraph (2). 

4 (2) AUTHORIZED INITIATIVES.—The authorized 

5 initiatives of the pilot program established under 

6 subsection (a) shall include— 

7 (A) engaging stakeholders, including vic8 tims of human trafficking and any Federal, 

9 State, local, or tribal partners, to develop a 

10 flexible training module— 

11 (i) for achieving the purpose described 

12 in subsection (b); and 

13 (ii) that adapts to changing needs, 

14 settings, health care providers, and other 

15 related providers; 

16 (B) making grants available to support 

17 training in health care sites that represent di18 versity in— 

19 (i) geography; 

20 (ii) the demographics of the popu21 lation served; 

22 (iii) the predominant types of human 

23 trafficking cases; and 

24 (iv) health care provider profiles; 


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1 (C) providing technical assistance for 

2 health education programs to implement nation3 wide health care protocol, or develop continuing 

4 education training materials, that assist in 

5 achieving the purpose described in subsection 

6 (b); 

7 (D) developing a strategy to incentivize the 

8 utilization of training materials developed under 

9 subparagraph (C) and the implementation of 

10 nationwide health care protocol described in 

11 such subparagraph, as the Secretary determines 

12 appropriate; and 

13 (E) developing a reliable methodology for 

14 collecting data, and reporting such data, on the 

15 number of human trafficking victims identified 

16 and served in health care settings or other re17 lated provider settings. 

18 (d) TERMINATION.—The pilot program established 

19 under subsection (a) shall terminate on October 1, 2022. 

20 SEC. 4. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING REQUIRE21 MENTS. 

22 (a) DATA COLLECTION.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—During each of fiscal years 

24 2019 through 2023, the Secretary shall collect data 

25 on each of the following: 


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1 (A) The total number of facilities that 

2 were operating under the pilot program estab3 lished under section 3(a)— 

4 (i) during the previous fiscal year; and 

5 (ii) before the previous fiscal year. 

6 (B) The total number of health care pro7 viders and other related providers trained 

8 through such pilot program, during each of the 

9 periods described in clauses (i) and (ii) of sub10 paragraph (A). 

11 (2) INITIAL REPORT.—In addition to the data 

12 required to be collected under paragraph (1), for 

13 purposes of the initial report to be submitted under 

14 subsection (b), the Secretary shall collect data on 

15 the total number of facilities that were operating 

16 under, and the total number of health care providers 

17 and other related providers trained through, the 

18 Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and 

19 Wellness Training program that was operating be20 fore the establishment of the pilot program under 

21 section 3(a). 

22 (b) REPORTING.—Not later than 90 days after the 

23 first day of each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, the 

24 Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report 

25 on the data collected under subsection (a). 


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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

3 this Act $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 

4 2022. 

Æ 


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