I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 507 
To direct the Attorney General to study issues relating to human trafficking, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 11, 2019 
Ms. BASS (for herself and Mrs. WAGNER) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the 
Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Attorney General to study issues relating to 
human trafficking, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Put Trafficking Vic-
tims First Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. TRAINING FOR PROSECUTIONS OF TRAFFICKERS 
AND SUPPORT FOR STATE SERVICES FOR 
VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING. 
It is the sense of Congress that a portion of the funds 
available for training and technical assistance under sec-
tion 107(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the Victims of Trafficking and Vi-
olence 
Protection 
Act 
of 
2000 
(22 
U.S.C. 
7105(b)(2)(B)(ii)) should be devoted to advancing the fol-
lowing goals: 
(1) Increasing the personal safety of victim 
service providers, who may face intimidation or re-
taliation for their activities. 
(2) Promoting a trauma-informed, evidence- 
based, and victim-centered approach to the provision 
of services for victims of trafficking. 
(3) Ensuring that law enforcement officers and 
prosecutors make every attempt to determine wheth-
er an individual is a victim of human trafficking be-
fore arresting the individual for, or charging the in-
dividual with, an offense that is a direct result of the 
victimization of the individual. 
(4) Effectively prosecuting traffickers and indi-
viduals who patronize or solicit children for sex, and 
facilitating access for child victims of commercial sex 
trafficking to the services and protections afforded 
to other victims of sexual violence. 
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(5) Encouraging States to improve efforts to 
identify and meet the needs of human trafficking 
victims, including through internet outreach and 
other methods that are responsive to the needs of 
victims in their communities. 
(6) Ensure victims of trafficking, including 
United States citizens, lawful permanent residents, 
and foreign nationals are eligible for services. 
SEC. 3. WORKING TO DEVELOP METHODOLOGIES TO AS-
SESS PREVALENCE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. 
(a) WORKING GROUP.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney Gen-
eral, in consultation with other Federal entities en-
gaged in efforts to combat human trafficking, shall 
establish an expert working group, which shall in-
clude survivors of human trafficking, experts on sex 
and labor trafficking, representatives from organiza-
tions collecting data on human trafficking, and law 
enforcement officers. The working group shall, uti-
lizing, to the extent practicable, existing efforts of 
agencies, task forces, States, localities, tribes, re-
search institutions, and organizations— 
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(A) identify barriers to the collection of 
data on the incidence of sex and labor traf-
ficking; and 
(B) recommend practices to promote better 
data collection and analysis. 
(2) PILOT TESTING.—Not later than 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney 
General shall implement a pilot project to test prom-
ising methodologies studied under paragraph (1). 
(b) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney Gen-
eral, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security, and the Director of 
the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center, shall 
submit to Congress a report on— 
(A) Federal efforts to estimate the preva-
lence of human trafficking at the national and 
regional levels; 
(B) the effectiveness of current policies 
and procedures to address the needs of victims 
of trafficking; and 
(C) an analysis of demographic character-
istics of victims of trafficking in different re-
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gions of the United States and recommenda-
tions for how to address the unique vulnerabili-
ties of different victims. 
(2) INPUT FROM RELEVANT PARTIES.—In de-
veloping the report under paragraph (1), the Attor-
ney General shall seek input from the United States 
Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, victims of 
trafficking, human trafficking survivor advocates, 
service providers for victims of sex and labor traf-
ficking, and the President’s Interagency Task Force 
on Human Trafficking. 
(c) SURVEY.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, in coordi-
nation with Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, 
and private organizations, including victim service pro-
viders and expert researchers, shall develop and execute 
a survey of survivors seeking and receiving victim assist-
ance services for the purpose of improving the provision 
of services to human trafficking victims and victim identi-
fication in the United States. Survey results shall be made 
publicly available on the website of the Department of Jus-
tice. 
(d) NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS.—No additional funds 
are authorized to carry out this section. 
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SEC. 4. REPORT ON PROSECUTORS SEEKING RESTITUTION 
IN TRAFFICKING CASES. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Attorney General, in consultation with the 
Administrative Office of the United States Courts, shall 
submit to Congress a report on efforts to increase restitu-
tion to victims of human trafficking. 
SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS ENCOURAGING STATES TO 
ADOPT PROTECTIONS FOR VICTIMS OF TRAF-
FICKING. 
Congress recognizes and applauds the State legisla-
tive bodies that have taken tremendous steps to adopt pro-
tections and services for victims of trafficking. Congress 
encourages States to— 
(1) uphold the dignity of human trafficking sur-
vivors; 
(2) ensure the safety, confidentiality, and well- 
being of victims of trafficking, while recognizing 
symptoms of trauma and coping mechanisms that 
may impact victims’ interactions with law enforce-
ment, the justice system, and service providers; 
(3) implement screening mechanisms to identify 
and extend appropriate services to children in the 
custody of child protective services agencies, the ju-
venile justice system, or the criminal justice system 
who are victims of trafficking; 
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(4) promote greater access to child welfare serv-
ices for, rather than criminalization of, child victims 
of sex trafficking; 
(5) develop a 24-hour emergency response plan 
by which victims of human trafficking may receive 
immediate protection, shelter, and support from a 
victim assistance coordinator when those victims are 
first identified; 
(6) adopt protections for adult victims of traf-
ficking, such as protection if the victim’s safety is at 
risk, comprehensive trauma-informed, long-term, cul-
turally competent care and healing services, mental 
health services to relieve traumatic stress, housing, 
education (including, where appropriate, vocational 
training and employment assistance), mentoring, 
language assistance, drug and substance abuse serv-
ices, and legal services; 
(7) ensure that child sex trafficking victims are 
treated as children in need of child protective serv-
ices and receive appropriate care in the child wel-
fare, rather than juvenile justice, system; 
(8) encourage the adoption of procedures for 
human trafficking victims that are consistent with 
those afforded to victims of sexual assault, rape, 
child sexual abuse, or incest to allow human traf-
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ficking victim to clear records, expunge convictions, 
and vacate adjudications related to prostitution and 
nonviolent offenses that arose as a direct result of 
being trafficked, including protections for foreign 
nationals who are being removed and those who are 
losing or determined to be inadmissible for immigra-
tion benefits as a result of the aforementioned 
human trafficking victim related conviction or ar-
rest; and 
(9) ensure victims of trafficking, including 
United States citizens, lawful permanent residents, 
and foreign nationals are eligible for services. 
Æ 
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