42 U.S.C. § 14044g (THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE)
§ 14044g. Combat Human Trafficking Act
(a) Short title
This section may be cited as the “Combat Human Trafficking Act of 2015”.
(b) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Commercial sex act; severe forms of trafficking in persons; state; task force
The terms “commercial sex act”, “severe forms of trafficking in persons”, “State”, and “Task Force” have the meanings given those terms in section 7102 of title 22.
(2) Covered offender
The term “covered offender” means an individual who obtains, patronizes, or solicits a commercial sex act involving a person subject to severe forms of trafficking in persons.
(3) Covered offense
The term “covered offense” means the provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a commercial sex act involving a person subject to severe forms of trafficking in persons.
(4) Federal law enforcement officer
The term “Federal law enforcement officer” has the meaning given the term in section 115 of title 18.
(5) Local law enforcement officer
The term “local law enforcement officer” means any officer, agent, or employee of a unit of local government authorized by law or by a local government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of criminal law.
(6) State law enforcement officer
The term “State law enforcement officer” means any officer, agent, or employee of a State authorized by law or by a State government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of criminal law.
(c) Department of Justice training and policy for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges
(1) Training
(A) Law enforcement officers
The Attorney General shall ensure that each anti-human trafficking program operated by the Department of Justice, including each anti-human trafficking training program for Federal, State, or local law enforcement officers, includes technical training on—
(i) effective methods for investigating and prosecuting covered offenders; and
(ii) facilitating the provision of physical and mental health services by health care providers to persons subject to severe forms of trafficking in persons.
(B) Federal prosecutors
The Attorney General shall ensure that each anti-human trafficking program operated by the Department of Justice for United States attorneys or other Federal prosecutors includes training on seeking restitution for offenses under chapter 77 of title 18 to ensure that each United States attorney or other Federal prosecutor, upon obtaining a conviction for such an offense, requests a specific amount of restitution for each victim of the offense without regard to whether the victim requests restitution.
(C) Judges
The Federal Judicial Center shall provide training to judges relating to the application of section 1593 of title 18 with respect to ordering restitution for victims of offenses under chapter 77 of such title.
(2) Policy for Federal law enforcement officers
The Attorney General shall ensure that Federal law enforcement officers are engaged in activities, programs, or operations involving the detection, investigation, and prosecution of covered offenders.
(d) Omitted
(e) Bureau of Justice Statistics report on State enforcement of human trafficking prohibitions
The Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics shall—
(1) prepare an annual report on—
(A) the rates of—
(i) arrest of individuals by State law enforcement officers for a covered offense;
(ii) prosecution (including specific charges) of individuals in State court systems for a covered offense; and
(iii) conviction of individuals in State court systems for a covered offense; and
(B) sentences imposed on individuals convicted in State court systems for a covered offense; and
(2) submit the annual report prepared under paragraph (1) to—
(A) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives;
(B) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
(C) the Task Force;
(D) the Senior Policy Operating Group established under section 7103(g) of title 22; and
(E) the Attorney General.
(Pub. L. 114–22, title I, § 114, May 29, 2015, 129 Stat. 241.)
heading: Codification
text: Section was enacted as the Combat Human Trafficking Act of 2015 and as part of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, and not as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 which enacted this chapter.
Section is comprised of section 114 of Pub. L. 114–22. Subsec. (d) of section 114 of Pub. L. 114–22 amended section 3583(k) of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.
heading: Using Existing Task Forces and Components To Target Offenders Who Exploit Children
text: Pub. L. 114–22, title I, § 110, May 29, 2015, 129 Stat. 239, provided that:
“Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [May 29, 2015], the Attorney General shall ensure that—
“(1) all task forces and working groups within the Innocence Lost National Initiative engage in activities, programs, or operations to increase the investigative capabilities of State and local law enforcement officers in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of persons who patronize, or solicit children for sex; and
“(2) all components and task forces with jurisdiction to detect, investigate, and prosecute cases of child labor trafficking engage in activities, programs, or operations to increase the capacity of such components to deter and punish child labor trafficking.”