Strategy To Oppose Predatory Organ Trafficking Act

Bill: 114-hr-3694
Sponsor: Rep. Trott, David A. [R-MI-11]
Introduced: 2015-10-06 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Child health
Crime victims
Criminal justice information and records
Human rights
Human trafficking
Medical ethics
Organ and tissue donation and transplantation
Smuggling and trafficking
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2015-10-06
text: 

Strategy To Oppose Predatory Organ Trafficking Act or the STOP Organ Trafficking Act

 
 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: 
 
 
 kidnapping or coercion of individuals to extract their organs for profit contradicts the standards for ethical behavior upon which the United States has based its laws; 
 
 harvesting of organs from living children, regardless of the level of brain activity, is a violation of the human rights of the child and is a breach of internationally accepted medical ethical standards; 
 
 illegal harvesting and trafficking of human organs violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and 
 
 efficient national organ donation systems with effective enforcement mechanisms that ensure voluntary organ donations are the most effective way to combat trafficking in human organs. 
 
 
The State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 is amended to prohibit the issuance of a passport to, and revoke a previously issued passport from, a person convicted of trafficking in human organs who used a passport or otherwise crossed an international border in committing such offense.
 
The President is authorized to exercise specified authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in connection with the travel abroad by U.S. citizens to participate in any activity relating to human organ trafficking.
 
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 is amended to include in the definition of "coercion" exploitation of a person through the promise of payments or benefits in order to compel or entice the person to consent to the removal of one or more of the person's organs for a transplant operation in a manner contrary to certain World Health Organization standards.
 
"Trafficking in human organs" is defined as: 
 
 
the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of a person, either living or dead, for the purpose of removing one or more of the person's organs by coercion, abduction, deception, abuse of power, or transfer of payments or benefits; or 
 
the illicit transportation and transplantation of those organs in one or more other persons for profit or any other purpose. 
 
 
"Organ" is defined as the human (including fetal) kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, bone marrow, cornea, eye, bone, and skin or any subpart thereof, and any other human organ or subpart (including that derived from a fetus) specified by the President. 
 
Trafficking in human organs is included in the definition of "severe forms of trafficking in persons."
 
 The Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking is tasked with collecting and organizing data from human rights officers at U.S. embassies on host country's laws against trafficking in human organs and any instances of violations of such laws.

action_date: 2016-06-13
text: 

Strategy To Oppose Predatory Organ Trafficking Act or the STOP Organ Trafficking Act

 
 (Sec. 3) This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: 
 
 
 kidnapping or coercion of individuals to extract their organs for profit contradicts the standards for ethical behavior upon which the United States has based its laws; 
 
 illegal harvesting of organs from children is a violation of the chid's human rights and a breach of international medical ethical standards; 
 
 illegal harvesting and trafficking of human organs violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and 
 
 establishing efficient national organ donation systems with strong enforcement mechanisms is the most effective way to combat trafficking of persons for the removal of their organs. 
 
 
(Sec. 4) It shall be U.S. policy to: (1) combat trafficking of persons for the removal of their organs, (2) promote the establishment of voluntary organ donation systems with effective enforcement mechanisms, and (3) promote the dignity and security of human life. 
 
(Sec. 5) The Passport Act of 1926 is amended to authorize the Department of State to refuse to issue a passport to, and revoke a previously issued passport from, a person convicted of trafficking in human organs who used a passport or otherwise crossed an international border in committing such offense.
 
(Sec. 6) The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 is amended to define &quot;trafficking of persons for the removal of their organs&quot; as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of a person, either living or dead, for the purpose of removing one or more of the person's organs by: 
 
 
coercion, 
 
abduction, 
 
deception, 
 
fraud, 
 
abuse of power, or 
 
 transfer of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of an individual having control over such person for the purpose of removing the person's organs.
 
 
 &quot;Organ&quot; means the human (including fetal) kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, bone marrow, cornea, eye, bone, and skin or any subpart thereof and any other human organ specified by the Department of Health and Human Services. 
 
Trafficking of persons for the removal of their organs is included in the definition of "severe forms of trafficking in persons."
 
 The Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking is tasked with collecting and organizing data from human rights officers at U.S. embassies on host country's laws against trafficking of persons for the removal of their organs and any instances of violations of such laws.
 
(Sec. 7) The State Department shall report annually through 2024 to Congress regarding: (1) the trafficking of persons for the removal of their organs, and (2) preventive activities undertaken by the State Department and other countries. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-06-14
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2016-06-13
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2016-06-13
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3721-3722)
action_date: 2016-06-13
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H3721-3722)
action_date: 2016-06-13
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3694.
action_date: 2016-06-13
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3721-3724)
action_date: 2016-06-13
text: Mr. Royce moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2016-04-20
text: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2016-04-20
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2016-04-13
text: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations Discharged.
action_date: 2016-02-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.
action_date: 2015-10-06
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2015-10-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-10-06
text: Introduced in House