End Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2019

To increase the role of the financial industry in combating human trafficking. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the End Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2019 2. Increasing the role of the financial industry in combating human trafficking (a) Treasury as a member of the President’s Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking Section 105(b) of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7103(b) the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Education, (b) Required review of procedures Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Financial Institutions Examination Council, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the private sector, victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons, advocates of persons at risk of becoming victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons, and appropriate law enforcement agencies, shall— (1) review and enhance training and examinations procedures to improve the capabilities of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism programs to detect financial transactions relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons; (2) review and enhance procedures for referring potential cases relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons to the appropriate law enforcement agency; and (3) determine, as appropriate, whether requirements for financial institutions are sufficient to detect and deter money laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons. (c) Interagency task force recommendations targeting money laundering related to human trafficking (1) In general Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking shall submit to the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and the head of each appropriate Federal banking agency— (A) an analysis of anti-money laundering efforts of the United States Government and United States financial institutions relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons; and (B) appropriate legislative, administrative, and other recommendations to strengthen efforts against money laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons. (2) Required recommendations The recommendations under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) feedback from financial institutions on best practices of successful programs to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons currently in place that may be suitable for broader adoption by similarly situated financial institutions; (B) feedback from stakeholders, including victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons, advocates of persons at risk of becoming victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons, and financial institutions, on policy proposals derived from the analysis conducted by the task force referred to in paragraph (1) that would enhance the efforts and programs of financial institutions to detect and deter money laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons, including any recommended changes to internal policies, procedures, and controls relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons; (C) any recommended changes to training programs at financial institutions to better equip employees to deter and detect money laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons; (D) any recommended changes to expand information sharing relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons among financial institutions and between such financial institutions, appropriate law enforcement agencies, and appropriate Federal agencies; and (E) recommended changes, if necessary, to existing statutory law to more effectively detect and deter money laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons, where such money laundering involves the use of emerging technologies and virtual currencies. (d) Limitation Nothing in this Act shall be construed to— (1) grant rulemaking authority to the Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking; or (2) encourage financial institutions to deny services to victims of trafficking, victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons, or individuals not responsible for promoting severe forms of trafficking in persons. (e) Definitions As used in this section— (1) the term appropriate Federal banking agency 12 U.S.C. 1813(q) (2) the term severe forms of trafficking in persons 22 U.S.C. 7102 (3) the term Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking 22 U.S.C. 7103 (4) the term law enforcement agency 3. Coordination of human trafficking issues by the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (a) Functions Section 312(a)(4) of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G) as subparagraphs (F), (G), and (H), respectively; and (2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following: (E) combating illicit financing relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons; . (b) Interagency coordination Section 312(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (8) Interagency coordination The Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes, shall designate an office within the OTFI that shall coordinate efforts to combat the illicit financing of severe forms of trafficking in persons with— (A) other offices of the Department of the Treasury; (B) other Federal agencies, including— (i) the Office To Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons of the Department of State; and (ii) the Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking; (C) State and local law enforcement agencies; and (D) foreign governments. . (c) Definition Section 312(a) of title 31, United States Code, as amended by this section, is further amended by adding at the end the following: (9) Definition In this subsection, the term severe forms of trafficking in persons 22 U.S.C. 7102 . 4. Additional reporting requirement under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 Section 105(d)(7) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7103(d)(7) (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)— (A) by inserting the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, (B) by inserting the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Relations, (2) in subparagraph (Q)(vii), by striking ; and (3) in subparagraph (R), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (4) by adding at the end the following: (S) the efforts of the United States to eliminate money laundering relating to severe forms of trafficking in persons and the number of investigations, arrests, indictments, and convictions in money laundering cases with a nexus to severe forms of trafficking in persons. . 5. Minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking Section 108(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7106(b) (13) Whether the government of the country, consistent with the capacity of the country, has in effect a framework to prevent financial transactions involving the proceeds of severe forms of trafficking in persons, and is taking steps to implement such a framework, including by investigating, prosecuting, convicting, and sentencing individuals who attempt or conduct such transactions. .

Summary: End Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2019 This bill establishes requirements related to the use of financial transactions in human trafficking. The bill adds the Secretary of the Treasury as a member of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking. The task force must submit to Congress recommendations for the revision of anti-money laundering programs specifically targeting severe forms of human trafficking. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council must review procedures to improve the capability of specified programs to target financial transactions relating to severe forms of human trafficking. The Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence must coordinate with other specified agencies to combat the illicit financing relating to severe forms of human trafficking. The bill provides additional criteria to be considered by the State Department to indicate a country's serious and sustained efforts to eliminate human trafficking. Specifically, the bill adds criteria regarding whether a country has taken or is taking steps to implement a framework for preventing financial transactions involving severe forms of human trafficking.