equal standing with regional and functional bureaus 
at the State Department. That standing is abso-
lutely essential for the issue to remain a priority, es-
pecially when multiple U.S. interests are engaged.’’. 
(8) The tier ranking process authorized by Con-
gress in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
2000 has been in some instances compromised by 
the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking subor-
dinate stature within the Department of State. 
(9) It is essential for Congress and the Sec-
retary of State to be accurately informed regarding 
United States and foreign country successes and 
failures in the fight against human trafficking. 
(10) The diplomatic power and credibility of the 
Trafficking in Persons Report is based on rigorous 
scholarship and scrupulous application of the min-
imum standards for the elimination of human traf-
ficking and is undermined by political, rather than 
factual, tier rankings. 
(11) Strong and effective anti-slavery policy re-
quires that officials from the Office to Monitor and 
Combat Trafficking have equal hierarchical standing 
with State Department regional bureaus and direct 
access to the Secretary of State. 
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SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the Office to Monitor and Combat Traf-
ficking of the Department of State will be more ef-
fective in carrying out duties mandated by Congress 
in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 if 
the Office status is changed to that of a Bureau 
within the Department hierarchy; 
(2) the change in status from Office to Monitor 
and Combat Trafficking to a Bureau can be accom-
plished without increasing the number of personnel 
or the budget of the current Office; 
(3) a Bureau to Monitor and Combat Traf-
ficking would be more effective in carrying out du-
ties mandated by Congress in the Trafficking Vic-
tims Protection Act of 2000 if the Bureau were 
headed by an Assistant Secretary with direct access 
to the Secretary of State, rather than an Ambas-
sador-at-Large; and 
(4) the Secretary of State should review the 
current use of the 24 Assistant Secretary positions 
authorized by section 1(c)(1) of the State Depart-
ment Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 
2651a(c)(1)) and make appropriate revisions, con-
solidations, and eliminations, to ensure that those 
positions reflect the highest Departmental needs and 
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foreign policy priorities of the United States, includ-
ing efforts to combat trafficking in persons. 
SEC. 4. BUREAU TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 105(e) of the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7103(e)) is 
amended— 
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘OFFICE
TO 
MONITOR AND COMBAT TRAFFICKING’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘BUREAU TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PER-
SONS’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘Of-
fice to Monitor and Combat Trafficking’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Bureau to Combat Trafficking in 
Persons’’; 
(B) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘Office’’ and inserting ‘‘Bureau’’; and 
(C) in the sixth sentence, by striking ‘‘Of-
fice’’ and inserting ‘‘Bureau’’; and 
(3) in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2), by 
striking ‘‘Office to Monitor and Combat Traf-
ficking’’ and inserting ‘‘Bureau to Combat Traf-
ficking in Persons’’. 
(b) REFERENCE.—Any reference in the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 2000 or in any other Act to the 
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Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking shall be deemed 
to be a reference to the Bureau to Combat Trafficking 
in Persons. 
SEC. 5. REPORT REGARDING DESIGNATION OF ASSISTANT 
SECRETARY OF STATE TO COMBAT TRAF-
FICKING IN PERSONS. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate a report detailing— 
(1) for each current Assistant Secretary of 
State position— 
(A) the title of that Assistant Secretary of 
State; 
(B) how long that particular Assistant Sec-
retary designation has been in existence; and 
(C) whether that particular Assistant Sec-
retary designation was legislatively mandated or 
authorized and, if so, the relevant statutory ci-
tation for such mandate or authorization; and 
(2) whether the Secretary intends to designate 
one of the Assistant Secretary of State positions au-
thorized by section 1(c)(1) of the State Department 
Basic 
Authorities 
Act 
of 
1956 
(22 
U.S.C. 
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2651a(c)(1)) as the Assistant Secretary of State to 
Combat Trafficking in Persons, and the reasons for 
that decision. 
SEC. 6. COUNTRIES ON SPECIAL WATCH LIST FOR 4 CON-
SECUTIVE YEARS THAT ARE DOWNGRADED 
AND REINSTATED ON SPECIAL WATCH LIST. 
Section 110(b)(2) of the Trafficking Victims Protec-
tion Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(2)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(F) COUNTRIES ON SPECIAL WATCH LIST 
FOR 4 CONSECUTIVE YEARS THAT ARE DOWN-
GRADED AND REINSTATED ON SPECIAL WATCH 
LIST.—Notwithstanding subparagraphs (D) and 
(E), a country that— 
‘‘(i) was included on the special watch 
list described in subparagraph (A) for 4 
consecutive years after the date of the en-
actment of the William Wilberforce Traf-
ficking Victims Protection Reauthorization 
Act of 2008; and 
‘‘(ii) was subsequently included on the 
list of countries described in paragraph 
(1)(C), 
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may not thereafter be included on the special 
watch list described in subparagraph (A) for 
more than 1 consecutive year.’’. 
SEC. 7. COST LIMITATION. 
No additional funds are authorized to be appro-
priated for ‘‘Diplomatic and Consular Programs’’ to carry 
out the provisions of this Act. 
Æ 
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