IIB 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 767 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2018 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

AN ACT 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop, Observe, Ask, 

3 and Respond to Health and Wellness Act of 2018’’ or the 

4 ‘‘SOAR to Health and Wellness Act of 2018’’. 

5 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this Act: 

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

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

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

10 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 

11 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102). 

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

13 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

14 SEC. 3. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT. 

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

16 program to be known as the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Re17 spond to Health and Wellness Training Program or the 

18 SOAR to Health and Wellness Training Program (in this 

19 Act referred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to provide training to 

20 health care providers and other related providers, at all 

21 levels, on human trafficking in accordance with the pur22 pose described in subsection (c). 

23 (b) GRANTS.—The Secretary may carry out the Pro24 gram through the award of grants to health care sites and 

25 health care professional organizations that represent di26 versity in— 


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1 (1) geography; 

2 (2) the demographics of the population served; 

3 (3) the predominant types of human trafficking 

4 cases; and 

5 (4) health care provider profiles. 

6 (c) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Program shall be 

7 to train health care providers and other related providers 

8 to enable such providers to— 

9 (1) identify potential human trafficking victims; 

10 (2) implement proper protocols and procedures 

11 for working with law enforcement to report, and fa12 cilitate communication with, such victims, in accord13 ance with all applicable Federal, State, local, and 

14 tribal requirements, including legal confidentiality 

15 requirements for patients and health care providers; 

16 (3) implement proper protocols and procedures 

17 for referring such victims to appropriate health care, 

18 social, or victims service agencies or organizations; 

19 (4) provide such victims care that is— 

20 (A) coordinated; 

21 (B) victim centered; 

22 (C) culturally relevant; 

23 (D) comprehensive; 

24 (E) evidence-based; 

25 (F) gender responsive; 


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1 (G) age-appropriate, with a focus on care 

2 for youth; and 

3 (H) trauma-informed; and 

4 (5) consider the potential for integrating the 

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

6 with training programs, in effect on the date of en7 actment of this Act, for victims of domestic violence, 

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

9 child neglect, child maltreatment, and child sexual 

10 exploitation. 

11 (d) FUNCTIONS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The functions of the Pro13 gram shall include the functions of the Stop, Ob14 serve, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness 

15 Training program that was operating on the day be16 fore the date of enactment of this Act and the au17 thorized initiatives described in paragraph (2). 

18 (2) AUTHORIZED INITIATIVES.—The authorized 

19 initiatives of the Program shall include— 

20 (A) engaging stakeholders, including vic21 tims of human trafficking and any Federal, 

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

23 flexible training module— 

24 (i) for achieving the purpose described 

25 in subsection (c); and 


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1 (ii) that adapts to changing needs, 

2 settings, health care providers, and other 

3 related providers; 

4 (B) providing technical assistance for 

5 health education programs and health care pro6 fessional organizations to implement health care 

7 protocols, or develop continuing education train8 ing materials, that assist in achieving the pur9 pose described in subsection (c); 

10 (C) facilitating the dissemination of best 

11 practices and recommendations as the Secretary 

12 determines appropriate; and 

13 (D) 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 SEC. 4. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING REQUIRE19 MENTS. 

20 (a) DATA COLLECTION.— 

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

22 2018 through 2022, the Secretary shall collect data 

23 on each of the following: 

24 (A) The total number of grantees oper25 ating under the Program. 


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1 (B) The total number of health care pro2 viders and other related providers trained 

3 through the Program. 

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

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

6 purposes of the initial report to be submitted under 

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

8 the total number of facilities and health care profes9 sional organizations that were operating under, and 

10 the total number of health care providers and other 

11 related providers trained through, the Stop, Observe, 

12 Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training 

13 program that was operating before the establishment 

14 under section 3(a) of the Program. 

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

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

17 Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report 

18 on the data collected under subsection (a). 

19 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

20 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

21 this Act $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 

22 2022. 

23 SEC. 6. CUT-GO COMPLIANCE. 

24 Subsection (f) of section 319D of the Public Health 

25 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–4) is amended by striking 


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1 ‘‘through 2018’’ and inserting ‘‘through 2017, and 

2 $118,300,000 for fiscal year 2018’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives February 26, 

2018. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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