I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5018 

To establish vetting standards for the placement of unaccompanied alien 

children with sponsors, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 27, 2023 

Mr. LUTTRELL (for himself, Mr. SELF, Mr. JACKSON of Texas, Ms. SALAZAR, 

Mr. STEUBE, Mr. GIMENEZ, Mr. POSEY, Mrs. BOEBERT, Mr. 

CRAWFORD, and Mr. NORMAN) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish vetting standards for the placement of unaccompanied alien children with sponsors, 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 ‘‘Stop Human Traf5 ficking of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Act of 2023’’. 

6 SEC. 2. VETTING STANDARDS FOR PLACEMENT OF UNAC7 COMPANIED ALIEN CHILDREN WITH SPON8 SORS. 

9 (a) VETTING OF PROSPECTIVE SPONSORS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Before an unaccompanied 

2 alien child (as defined in section 462(g) of the 

3 Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 279(g))) 

4 may be released from the custody of the Secretary 

5 of Health and Human Services to the custody of a 

6 sponsor, the sponsor shall undergo and complete, to 

7 the satisfaction of the Secretary of Health and 

8 Human Services and the head of the department of 

9 children and family services of the applicable State 

10 (or the equivalent State agency) and in consultation 

11 with the Attorney General and the Secretary of 

12 Homeland Security, a fingerprint background check 

13 and vetting process that includes— 

14 (A) a public records check; 

15 (B) a check of the National Sex Offender 

16 Registry of the Department of Justice, con17 ducted through the public internet website for 

18 such registry; 

19 (C) a Federal Bureau of Investigation Na20 tional Criminal History check based on digital 

21 fingerprints or digitized fingerprints submitted 

22 on paper; 

23 (D) a Child Abuse and Neglect check, ob24 tained on a State-by-State basis; and 


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1 (E) a check of the criminal history reposi2 tory of the applicable 1 or more States and a 

3 police records check of the applicable localities. 

4 (2) ADULTS HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS.—As part 

5 of the vetting process under paragraph (1), each in6 dividual who is 18 years of age or older in the 

7 household of a prospective sponsor shall undergo 

8 and complete all vetting processes required by para9 graph (1), to the satisfaction of the Secretary of 

10 Health and Human Services and the head of the de11 partment of children and family services of the ap12 plicable State (or the equivalent State agency) and 

13 in consultation with the Attorney General and the 

14 Secretary of Homeland Security, before an unaccom15 panied alien child may be placed in such household. 

16 (b) LIMITATION ON PLACEMENT WITH ILLEGAL

17 ALIENS.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services 

18 may not release an unaccompanied alien child to the cus19 tody of a sponsor who is an alien unlawfully present in 

20 the United States, unless such alien is a biological parent, 

21 legal guardian, or relative of the child. 

22 (c) MONITORING VISITS.— 

23 (1) PRE-RELEASE.—Before an unaccompanied 

24 alien child may be released from the custody of the 

25 Secretary of Health and Human Services, the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:47 Aug 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5018.IH H5018

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1 retary shall conduct a home visit to the household in 

2 which the child is proposed to be placed, regardless 

3 of the sponsor category of the prospective sponsor. 

4 (2) POST-RELEASE.—For each child released 

5 from the custody of the Secretary of Health and 

6 Human Services after the date of the enactment of 

7 this Act, the Secretary shall conduct— 

8 (A) during the 1-year period beginning on 

9 the date on which the child is so released, not 

10 fewer than 5 unannounced in-person home vis11 its; and 

12 (B) during the subsequent 1-year period, 1 

13 in-person home visit each quarter. 

14 (d) RETROACTIVE VETTING.—The Secretary of 

15 Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the 

16 head of the department of children and family services of 

17 each applicable State (or the equivalent State agency) and 

18 in consultation with the Attorney General and the Sec19 retary of Homeland Security, shall immediately conduct 

20 the fingerprint background check and vetting process de21 scribed in subsection (a) for each sponsor with whom a 

22 child released from the custody of the Secretary of Health 

23 and Human Services has been placed since January 20, 

24 2021, until the sponsor of each such child has been vetted 

25 in accordance with this Act. 


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1 (e) MONTHLY REPORTS.— 

2 (1) CHILDREN IN CUSTODY AND RELEASED TO

3 SPONSORS.—Not later than 30 days after the date 

4 of the enactment of this Act, and every 30 days 

5 thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human 

6 Services and the Secretary of Homeland Security 

7 shall jointly submit to the Committee on Homeland 

8 Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 

9 and the Committee on Homeland Security of the 

10 House of Representatives a report that contains, for 

11 the preceding month— 

12 (A) the number of unaccompanied alien 

13 children encountered by the Secretary of Home14 land Security; 

15 (B) the number of unaccompanied alien 

16 children released by the Secretary of Homeland 

17 Security into the custody of the Secretary of 

18 Health and Human Services; 

19 (C) the number of sponsor background 

20 checks completed under subsection (a); 

21 (D) the number of sponsor background 

22 checks in progress under such subsection; 

23 (E) the number of pre-release home visits 

24 completed; 


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1 (F) the number of post-release home visits 

2 completed; 

3 (G) the number of unaccompanied alien 

4 children released to sponsors, disaggregated by 

5 sponsor category; 

6 (H) total number of unaccompanied alien 

7 children in the custody of the Secretary of 

8 Health and Human Services, disaggregated by 

9 State and Department of Health and Human 

10 Services facility; and 

11 (I) the rate at which the Secretary of 

12 Health and Human Services rejected sponsor13 ship applications. 

14 (2) MISSING CHILDREN.—Not later than 30 

15 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 

16 every 30 days thereafter, the Secretary of Health 

17 and Human Services and the Secretary of Homeland 

18 Security shall jointly submit to Congress a report on 

19 all efforts made, during the preceding month, by the 

20 Department of Health and Human Services and the 

21 Department of Homeland Security to account for all 

22 children— 

23 (3) who were released from the custody of the 

24 Secretary of Health and Human Services to a spon25 sor on or after January 20, 2021; and 


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1 (4) as of the date of the enactment of this 

2 Act— 

3 (A) who have been reported missing; or 

4 (B) with respect to whom the Secretary of 

5 Health and Human Services has no record 

6 since the date of release from custody. 

Æ 


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