Stopping Traffickers and Their Accomplices Act of 2022

To amend the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 to require abortion providers to notify the national human trafficking hotline of victims of trafficking, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stopping Traffickers and Their Accomplices Act of 2022 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Slavery and involuntary servitude are incompatible with American society and law. (2) The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished legal slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States. (3) Despite slavery being abolished in 1865, modern forms of slavery still exist throughout the United States. (4) Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans and immigrants are coerced into commercial sex acts against their will. (5) In addition to sexual exploitation, victims of trafficking suffer repeated physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of their traffickers. (6) Abortion providers and facilities aid sex traffickers by turning a blind eye to the plight of abused women. (7) The Department of State’s 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report indicated that sex traffickers coerce women into receiving abortions against their will. (8) Research conducted by Laura J. Lederer and Christopher A. Wetzel, entitled The Health Consequences of Sex Trafficking and Their Implications for Identifying Victims in Healthcare Facilities (9) Lederer and Wetzel’s research found that almost a third of women trafficked reported underwent numerous abortions as victims of trafficking. More than half of respondents answered that their abortion while a victim of sex trafficking was a result of coercion. One victim of sex trafficking recounted, [in most of my six abortions,] I was under serious pressure from my pimps to abort the babies (10) A moral obligation exists to report suspected instances of sex trafficking to authorities. (11) Section 2 of the 13th Amendment empowers Congress to enact appropriate legislation to combat all forms of slavery and involuntary servitude, including forced sex trafficking. 3. Combat human trafficking Section 114 of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 ( 34 U.S.C. 20709 (g) National human trafficking hotline notification by abortion providers (1) Requirement (A) Notification to national human trafficking hotline Not later than 24 hours after consulting with a patient, an abortion provider shall notify the national human trafficking hotline if the provider has a reasonable suspicion that the patient is a victim of trafficking. (B) Report to Attorney General and local law enforcement Not later than 24 hours after an abortion provider notifies the national human trafficking hotline under subparagraph (A), the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall notify the Attorney General of such notification by the abortion provider. Not later than 24 hours after receipt of a notification from the Secretary of Health and Human Services under this subparagraph, the Attorney General shall notify the appropriate State and local law enforcement agencies. (C) Penalty An abortion provider who violates subparagraph (A) shall be fined $10,000, imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both. (2) Training (A) Availability The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall make available to abortion providers the training entitled Foundational (101) Human Trafficking Trainings—SOAR For Health Care (B) Requirement Each abortion provider shall complete the training provided under subparagraph (A) on an annual basis and prior to January 30 of each calendar year, and certify such completion to the Director of the Office on Trafficking in Persons of the Department of Health and Human Services. The certification under this subparagraph shall include the protocols that the abortion provider has in place to identify and assist victims of trafficking. (C) Penalty An abortion provider who fails to comply with subparagraph (B) shall be subject to a fine in an amount of $1,000 per day of noncompliance. (3) Rules of construction (A) No requirement for victims of trafficking to self-report Nothing in this subsection may be construed to require a victim of trafficking to self-report. (B) No right to abortion Nothing in this subsection may be construed to provide a right to an abortion. (4) Definitions In this subsection: (A) The term abortion provider (i) performs an abortion and is licensed to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery; or (ii) is otherwise legally authorized to perform an abortion. (B) The term victim of trafficking 22 U.S.C. 7102 .

Summary: Stopping Traffickers and Their Accomplices Act of 2022 This bill requires an abortion provider to notify the National Human Trafficking Hotline if the provider has a reasonable suspicion that the patient is a victim of trafficking. It also requires each abortion provider to complete annual training on how to identify and respond appropriately to individuals who are at risk of or who have experienced trafficking. The bill establishes penalties for violations.