I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1527 

To establish the Homeland Security Investigations victim assistance program, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 2, 2021 

Mrs. WAGNER (for herself, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, and Mr. CUELLAR) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish the Homeland Security Investigations victim 

assistance program, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Homeland Security 

5 Investigations Victim Assistance Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INVES7 TIGATIONS VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

8 (a) FORMALIZATION OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY

9 INVESTIGATIONS VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:56 Apr 17, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1527.IH H1527

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1 tion 442 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 

2 252) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

3 ‘‘(d) HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS VICTIM

4 ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 

5 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established in 

6 Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigra7 tion and Customs Enforcement the Victim Assist8 ance Program. 

9 ‘‘(2) FUNCTIONS.—The Victim Assistance Pro10 gram shall— 

11 ‘‘(A) provide oversight, guidance, training, 

12 travel, equipment, and coordination to victim 

13 assistance personnel nationwide; 

14 ‘‘(B) locate, at a minimum, a forensic 

15 interview specialist and a victim assistance spe16 cialist in each Homeland Security Investigations 

17 Special Agent in Charge office in addition to a 

18 victim assistance specialist in every Homeland 

19 Security Investigations office participating in a 

20 human trafficking task force, every Homeland 

21 Security Investigations regional attache ́ office, 

22 and every Homeland Security Investigations of23 fice participating in a child sexual exploitation 

24 task force; and 


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1 ‘‘(C) provide training on such topics as vic2 tims’ rights, victim-related policies, roles of fo3 rensic interviewers and victim assistance spe4 cialists, and the victim-centered approach.’’. 

5 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

6 It is the sense of Congress that the U.S. Immigration 

7 and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investiga8 tions Victim Assistance Program provides critical services 

9 to victims of trafficking and assists victims of crime in 

10 furtherance of Federal criminal investigations. The Victim 

11 Assistance Program should continue to assess victims’ 

12 needs; provide referrals to survivors to nonprofit organiza13 tions, faith-based organizations, and other victim service 

14 providers; and work with special agents to integrate victim 

15 assistance considerations throughout the investigation and 

16 judicial processes. 

17 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

18 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

19 this Act $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 

20 2026. 

Æ 


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