Human Trafficking Detection Act of 2015

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to train Department of Homeland Security personnel how to effectively deter, detect, disrupt, and prevent human trafficking during the course of their primary roles and responsibilities, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Human Trafficking Detection Act of 2015 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Department The term Department (2) Human trafficking The term human trafficking 22 U.S.C. 7102 (3) Secretary The term Secretary 3. Training for Department personnel to identify human trafficking (a) In General Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall implement a program— (1) to train and periodically retrain relevant Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other Department personnel that the Secretary considers appropriate, on the best way— (A) to effectively deter, detect, and disrupt human trafficking; and (B) to interdict a suspected perpetrator of human trafficking during the course of their primary roles and responsibilities; and (2) to ensure that the personnel referred to in paragraph (1) regularly receive current information on matters related to the detection of human trafficking, including information that becomes available outside of the Department’s initial or periodic retraining schedule, to the extent relevant to their official duties and consistent with applicable information and privacy laws. (b) Training described The training referred to in subsection (a) may be conducted through in-class or virtual learning capabilities, and shall include— (1) methods for identifying suspected victims of human trafficking and, as appropriate, perpetrators of human trafficking; (2) for appropriate personnel, methods to approach a suspected victim of human trafficking, as appropriate, in a manner that is sensitive to the suspected victim and is not likely to alert a suspected perpetrator of human trafficking; (3) training that is most appropriate for a particular location or environment in which the personnel receiving such training perform their official duties; (4) other topics that the Secretary determines to be appropriate; and (5) a post-training evaluation for personnel receiving the training. (c) Training curriculum review The Secretary shall annually reassess the training program established under this section to ensure that the program is consistent with current techniques, patterns, and trends associated with human trafficking. 4. Certification and report to Congress (a) Certification Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a certification to the appropriate congressional committees confirming that all the personnel referred to in section 3(a) have successfully completed the training required under that section. (b) Report to Congress Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that— (1) describes the overall effectiveness of the program established pursuant to section 3; (2) identifies the number of cases reported by Department personnel in which human trafficking was suspected; and (3) identifies the number of cases identified under paragraph (2) that were confirmed cases of human trafficking. 5. Assistance to non-Federal entities Upon the request from any State, local, or tribal government or private organization, the Secretary may provide such entity with training curricula to assist such entity to establish a training program to identify human trafficking.

Summary: Human Trafficking Detection Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement a program to: (1) train relevant Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other DHS personnel on the best way to effectively deter, detect, and disrupt human trafficking and to interdict suspected perpetrators during the course of their primary roles and responsibilities; and (2) ensure that such personnel regularly receive current information on matters related to the detection of human trafficking. Permits training to be conducted through in-class or virtual learning capabilities. Requires such training to include: methods for identifying suspected victims and perpetrators of human trafficking, methods for approaching a suspected victim in a manner that is sensitive to the victim and not likely to alert a perpetrator, training that is most appropriate for a particular location or environment, and a post-training evaluation of trainees. Directs the Secretary: (1) to reassess the training program annually; (2) within one year after enactment of this Act, to submit a certification to the appropriate congressional committees confirming that all such personnel have successfully completed the required training; and (3) to report annually on the overall effectiveness of the training program and on the number of cases reported by DHS personnel in which human trafficking was suspected and the number that were confirmed cases of human trafficking. Authorizes the Secretary, upon request, to provide training curricula to assist any state, local, or tribal government or private organization to establish a training program to identify human trafficking.