I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5018 
To establish vetting standards for the placement of unaccompanied alien 
children with sponsors, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2023 
Mr. LUTTRELL (for himself, Mr. SELF, Mr. JACKSON of Texas, Ms. SALAZAR, 
Mr. STEUBE, Mr. GIMENEZ, Mr. POSEY, Mrs. BOEBERT, Mr. 
CRAWFORD, and Mr. NORMAN) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To establish vetting standards for the placement of unaccom-
panied alien children with sponsors, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Stop Human Traf-
ficking of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. VETTING STANDARDS FOR PLACEMENT OF UNAC-
COMPANIED ALIEN CHILDREN WITH SPON-
SORS. 
(a) VETTING OF PROSPECTIVE SPONSORS.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Before an unaccompanied 
alien child (as defined in section 462(g) of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 279(g))) 
may be released from the custody of the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services to the custody of a 
sponsor, the sponsor shall undergo and complete, to 
the satisfaction of the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services and the head of the department of 
children and family services of the applicable State 
(or the equivalent State agency) and in consultation 
with the Attorney General and the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, a fingerprint background check 
and vetting process that includes— 
(A) a public records check; 
(B) a check of the National Sex Offender 
Registry of the Department of Justice, con-
ducted through the public internet website for 
such registry; 
(C) a Federal Bureau of Investigation Na-
tional Criminal History check based on digital 
fingerprints or digitized fingerprints submitted 
on paper; 
(D) a Child Abuse and Neglect check, ob-
tained on a State-by-State basis; and 
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(E) a check of the criminal history reposi-
tory of the applicable 1 or more States and a 
police records check of the applicable localities. 
(2) ADULTS HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS.—As part 
of the vetting process under paragraph (1), each in-
dividual who is 18 years of age or older in the 
household of a prospective sponsor shall undergo 
and complete all vetting processes required by para-
graph (1), to the satisfaction of the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services and the head of the de-
partment of children and family services of the ap-
plicable State (or the equivalent State agency) and 
in consultation with the Attorney General and the 
Secretary of Homeland Security, before an unaccom-
panied alien child may be placed in such household. 
(b) LIMITATION
ON PLACEMENT WITH ILLEGAL 
ALIENS.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
may not release an unaccompanied alien child to the cus-
tody of a sponsor who is an alien unlawfully present in 
the United States, unless such alien is a biological parent, 
legal guardian, or relative of the child. 
(c) MONITORING VISITS.— 
(1) PRE-RELEASE.—Before an unaccompanied 
alien child may be released from the custody of the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Sec-
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retary shall conduct a home visit to the household in 
which the child is proposed to be placed, regardless 
of the sponsor category of the prospective sponsor. 
(2) POST-RELEASE.—For each child released 
from the custody of the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall conduct— 
(A) during the 1-year period beginning on 
the date on which the child is so released, not 
fewer than 5 unannounced in-person home vis-
its; and 
(B) during the subsequent 1-year period, 1 
in-person home visit each quarter. 
(d) RETROACTIVE
VETTING.—The Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the 
head of the department of children and family services of 
each applicable State (or the equivalent State agency) and 
in consultation with the Attorney General and the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security, shall immediately conduct 
the fingerprint background check and vetting process de-
scribed in subsection (a) for each sponsor with whom a 
child released from the custody of the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services has been placed since January 20, 
2021, until the sponsor of each such child has been vetted 
in accordance with this Act. 
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(e) MONTHLY REPORTS.— 
(1) CHILDREN IN CUSTODY AND RELEASED TO 
SPONSORS.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and every 30 days 
thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services and the Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall jointly submit to the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 
and the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
House of Representatives a report that contains, for 
the preceding month— 
(A) the number of unaccompanied alien 
children encountered by the Secretary of Home-
land Security; 
(B) the number of unaccompanied alien 
children released by the Secretary of Homeland 
Security into the custody of the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services; 
(C) the number of sponsor background 
checks completed under subsection (a); 
(D) the number of sponsor background 
checks in progress under such subsection; 
(E) the number of pre-release home visits 
completed; 
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