I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3942 
To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to include sex trafficking 
victims in the transitional housing assistance grant program, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 4, 2017 
Mrs. HARTZLER (for herself, Ms. BORDALLO, and Mrs. NOEM) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to 
include sex trafficking victims in the transitional housing 
assistance grant program, 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 ‘‘Housing for Survivors 
of Sex Trafficking Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS IN TRAN-
SITIONAL HOUSING GRANT PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 40299 of the Violence 
Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12351) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph 
(1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, sex trafficking,’’ 
after ‘‘and other organizations, including 
domestic violence’’; 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘, sex trafficking,’’ 
after ‘‘providers, domestic violence’’; and 
(iii) by inserting ‘‘sex trafficking,’’ 
after ‘‘dating violence, sexual assault,’’; 
and 
(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘sex 
trafficking,’’ after ‘‘sexual assault,’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(3)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), by inserting ‘‘sex trafficking,’’ after ‘‘sex-
ual assault,’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘, 
except as provided in subsection (e)’’ after 
‘‘shall be voluntary’’; 
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(3) in subsection (d)(2)(B), by inserting ‘‘, ex-
cept as provided in subsection (e)’’ after ‘‘the vic-
tim’s housing’’; 
(4) by redesignating subsections (e), (f) and (g) 
as subsections (f), (g) and (h), respectively; 
(5) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) EXCEPTIONS.—A grant recipient under this sec-
tion may condition the receipt of benefits or the provision 
of housing on a program participant’s participation in cer-
tain programs, including counseling and evaluations, that 
are necessary to ensure the accurate placement of the vic-
tim in the program, provided that any communication pro-
vided in the course of such counseling or evaluation re-
mains confidential.’’; 
(6) in subsection (g)(1), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘under subsection (e)’’ and inserting ‘‘under 
subsection (f)’’; and 
(7) in subsection (g)(3)(D)(iii), by inserting 
‘‘sex trafficking,’’ after ‘‘sexual assault,’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The heading for sec-
tion 40299 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 
(34 U.S.C. 12351) is amended by inserting ‘‘SEX TRAF-
FICKING,’’ after ‘‘SEXUAL ASSAULT,’’. 
Æ 
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