Ensuring a Better Response for Victims of Child Sex Trafficking

Bill: 114-s-656
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Introduced: 2015-03-04
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Child safety and welfare

Crime victims

Crimes against children

Criminal justice information and records

Domestic violence and child abuse

Human trafficking

Sex offenses

Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Latest action: action_date: 2015-03-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-03-04
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Ensuring a Better Response for Victims of Child Sex Trafficking</b></p> <p>This bill amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to require a state plan for its child protective services system to include a certified assurance that the state has in effect and is enforcing a law requiring: (1) identification and assessment of all reports involving children known or suspected to be victims of sex trafficking; and (2) training child protective services workers about identifying, assessing, and providing comprehensive services for children who are sex trafficking victims. </p> <p>Each state receiving a grant must work with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make an annual data report that includes the number of children determined to be victims of sex trafficking.</p> <p>A child is considered to be a victim of &quot;child abuse and neglect&quot; and of &quot;sexual abuse&quot; if the child is identified by a state or local agency employee as being a victim of sex trafficking or a victim of severe forms of trafficking in persons.</p> <p>A state is given the option to define &quot;child&quot; under such Act as a person who has not attained age 24. </p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 656 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 4, 2015 Mr. Portman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to enable State child protective services systems to improve the identification and assessment of child victims of sex trafficking, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring a Better Response for Victims of Child Sex Trafficking . 2. CAPTA amendments (a) State plans Section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5106a ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b)(2)(B)— (A) in clause (xxii), by striking and at the end; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (xxiv) provisions and procedures requiring identification and assessment of all reports involving children known or suspected to be victims of sex trafficking (as defined in section 103(9)(B) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102 (9)(B))); and (xxv) provisions and procedures for training child protective services workers about identifying, assessing, and providing comprehensive services for children who are sex trafficking victims, including efforts to coordinate with State law enforcement, juvenile justice, and social service agencies such as runaway and homeless youth shelters to serve this population; ; and (2) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following: (17) The number of children determined to be victims described in subsection (b)(2)(B)(xxiv). . (b) Special rule (1) In general Section 111 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5106g ) is amended— (A) by striking For purposes and inserting the following: (a) Definitions For purposes ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (b) Special rule (1) In general For purposes of section 3(2) and subsection (a)(4), a child shall be considered a victim of child abuse and neglect and of sexual abuse if the child is identified, by a State or local agency employee of the State or locality involved, as being a victim of sex trafficking (as defined in paragraph (10) of section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7102 )) or a victim of severe forms of trafficking in persons described in paragraph (9)(A) of that section. (2) State option Notwithstanding the definition of child in section 3(1), a State may elect to define that term for purposes of the application of paragraph (1) to section 3(2) and subsection (a)(4) as a person who has not attained the age of 24. . (2) Conforming amendment Section 3(2) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended by inserting ( including sexual abuse as determined under section 111) after sexual abuse or exploitation . (3) Technical correction Paragraph (5)(C) of subsection (a), as so designated, of section 111 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5106g ) is amended by striking inhumane; and inserting inhumane. .