To improve services for trafficking victims by establishing, in Homeland Security Investigations, the Investigators Maintain Purposeful Awareness to Combat Trafficking Trauma Program and the Victim Assistance Program.

Bill: 117-hr-9352
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]
Introduced: 2022-11-22
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Crime victims

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government information and archives

Human trafficking

Law enforcement officers

Mental health

Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Latest action: action_date: 2022-11-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-11-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill establishes a program within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to provide outreach and training to HSI employees and partners who have been exposed to various forms of trauma in working with victims of human trafficking.</p> <p>The bill also provides statutory authority for the HSI Victim Assistance Program.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9352 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 22, 2022 Mr. Joyce of Ohio (for himself, Ms. Titus , Mrs. Wagner , and Ms. Slotkin ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To improve services for trafficking victims by establishing, in Homeland Security Investigations, the Investigators Maintain Purposeful Awareness to Combat Trafficking Trauma Program and the Victim Assistance Program.

1. Investigators Maintain Purposeful Awareness to Combat Trafficking Trauma Program (a) Establishment There is established, in Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Investigators Maintain Purposeful Awareness to Combat Trafficking Trauma Program (referred to in this Act as the IMPACTT Program ). (b) Functions The IMPACTT Program shall— (1) provide outreach and training to Homeland Security Investigations employees and partners who have been exposed to various forms of trauma in working with victims of human trafficking, including— (A) self-awareness training for the relevant employees on recognizing the signs of burnout, compassion fatigue, critical incident stress, traumatic stress, posttraumatic stress, secondary traumatic stress, and vicarious trauma; (B) training material that provides mechanisms for self-care and resilience, and notify of resources available through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Employee Assistance Program and other relevant accredited programs, as available; and (C) additional training to first line supervisors of relevant employees on recognizing the signs referred to in subparagraph (A) and the appropriate responses to employees exhibiting such signs; (2) include training modules that are carried out by— (A) licensed and accredited clinicians who have been trained on the exposure of various forms of trauma and other stressors experienced in working with victims; and (B) additional subject matter experts, as available; and (3) be overseen and coordinated by the Homeland Security Investigations Countering Human Trafficking Center to ensure that— (A) appropriate program materials are distributed; (B) training is offered to all relevant employees; and (C) any needed travel and equipment is provided. (c) Authorization of appropriations In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated, there is authorized to be appropriated $800,000 for each fiscal year to the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out this subsection. 2. Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program (a) In general Subtitle D of title IV of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 251 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 447. Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Forensic interview specialist The term forensic interview specialist is an interview professional who has specialized experience and training in conducting trauma-informed forensic interviews with victims of crime. (2) Victim assistance specialist The term victim assistance specialist is a victim assistance professional who— (A) has experience working with victims of crime in a service capacity; and (B) has been trained on the exposure of various forms of trauma and other stressors experienced in working with victims. (b) In general There is established, in Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Victim Assistance Program. (c) Functions The Victim Assistance Program shall— (1) provide oversight, guidance, training, travel, equipment, and coordination to victim assistance personnel throughout the United States; (2) recruit not fewer than— (A) 1 forensic interview specialist and 1 victim assistance specialist for each Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge office; and (B) 1 victim assistance specialist for— (i) every Homeland Security Investigations office participating in a human trafficking task force; (ii) every Homeland Security Investigations regional attaché office; and (iii) every Homeland Security Investigations office participating in a child sexual exploitation task force; (3) provide training regarding victims’ rights, victim-related policies, roles of forensic interviewers and victim assistance specialists, and an approach that is— (A) victim-centered; (B) trauma-informed; and (C) linguistically appropriate; and (4) provide sufficient funding for emergency expenditures to purchase items needed to assist identified victims, including food, clothing, hygiene products, transportation, and temporary shelter that is not otherwise provided by a nongovernmental organization. (d) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for each fiscal year to carry out this section. . (b) Technical and conforming amendments The Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( Public Law 107–296 ) is amended— (1) in section 1(b) ( 6 U.S.C. 101 note)— (A) by striking the item relating to section 442 and inserting the following: Sec. 442. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ; and (B) by inserting after the item relating to section 446 the following: Sec. 447. Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program. ; (2) in section 442— (A) by amending the section heading to read as follows: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ; (B) by striking bureau each place such term appears (except in subsection (a)(1)) and inserting agency ; (C) by striking the Bureau of Border Security each place such term appears and inserting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ; (D) in subsection (a)— (i) in the subsection heading, by striking of Bureau ; (ii) in paragraph (3)(C), by striking affecting the Bureau of and inserting affecting U.S. ; and (iii) in paragraph (4), by striking the Bureau. and inserting the agency. ; and (E) in subsection (b)(2)— (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking Bureau of Border Security and inserting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ; and (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the Bureau of before Citizenship and Immigration Services and inserting U.S. ; and (3) in section 443(2), by striking such bureau and inserting such agency . 3. Annual report Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to Congress that identifies, with respect to the reporting period— (1) the number of trainings that were provided through the IMPACTT Program and the number of personnel who received such training; and (2) the number of potential human trafficking victims who were assisted by the Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program.