An act to establish the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training pilot program to address human trafficking in the health care system
PL 115-398 (H.R.767), enacted 12/31/2018

132 STAT. 5328 
PUBLIC LAW 115–398—DEC. 31, 2018 
Public Law 115–398 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To establish the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training 
pilot program to address human trafficking in the health care system. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond 
to Health and Wellness Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘SOAR to Health 
and Wellness Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT. 
Part E of title XII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
300d–51 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 1254. STOP, OBSERVE, ASK, AND RESPOND TO HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS TRAINING PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a program 
to be known as the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health 
and Wellness Training Program or the SOAR to Health and 
Wellness Training Program (in this section referred to as the ‘Pro-
gram’) to provide training to health care and social service providers 
on human trafficking in accordance with this section. 
‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Program shall include the Stop, 
Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training 
Program’s activities existing on the day before the date of 
enactment of this section and the authorized initiatives 
described in paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED INITIATIVES.—The authorized initiatives 
of the Program shall include— 
‘‘(A) engaging stakeholders, including victims of human 
trafficking and Federal, State, local, and tribal partners, 
to develop a flexible training module— 
‘‘(i) for supporting activities under subsection (c); 
and 
‘‘(ii) that adapts to changing needs, settings, health 
care providers, and social service providers; 
‘‘(B) providing technical assistance to grantees related 
to implementing activities described in subsection (c) and 
reporting on any best practices identified by the grantees; 
‘‘(C) developing a reliable methodology for collecting 
data, and reporting such data, on the number of human 
trafficking victims identified and served by grantees in 
a manner that, at a minimum, prevents disclosure of 
Data. 
42 USC 300d–54. 
Stop, Observe, 
Ask, and 
Respond to 
Health and 
Wellness Act 
of 2018. 
42 USC 201 note. 
Dec. 31, 2018 
[H.R. 767] 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
14:16 Jan 18, 2024
Jkt 079194
PO 00000
Frm 00900
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6581
G:\STATUTES\2018\GOVINFO FILES FOR ERIC\PART 4\79194PT4.001
79194PT4
whamilton on LAP1Z6H6L3PROD with STATUTES
132 STAT. 5329 
PUBLIC LAW 115–398—DEC. 31, 2018 
individually identifiable information consistent with all 
applicable privacy laws and regulations; and 
‘‘(D) integrating, as appropriate, the training described 
in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (c) with training 
programs, in effect on the date of enactment of this section, 
for health care and social service providers for victims 
of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, stalking, child 
abuse, child neglect, child maltreatment, and child sexual 
exploitation. 
‘‘(c) GRANTS.—The Secretary may award grants to appropriate 
entities to train health care and social service providers to— 
‘‘(1) identify potential human trafficking victims; 
‘‘(2) implement best practices for working with law enforce-
ment to report and facilitate communication with human traf-
ficking victims, in accordance with all applicable Federal, State, 
local, and tribal laws, including legal confidentiality require-
ments for patients and health care and social service providers; 
‘‘(3) implement best practices for referring such victims 
to appropriate health care, social, or victims service agencies 
or organizations; and 
‘‘(4) provide such victims with coordinated, age-appropriate, 
culturally relevant, trauma-informed, patient-centered, and evi-
dence-based care. 
‘‘(d) CONSIDERATION IN AWARDING GRANTS.—The Secretary, in 
making awards under this section, shall give consideration to— 
‘‘(1) geography; 
‘‘(2) the demographics of the population to be served; 
‘‘(3) the predominant types of human trafficking cases 
involved; and 
‘‘(4) health care and social service provider profiles. 
‘‘(e) DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall collect data and 
report on the following: 
‘‘(A) The total number of entities that received a grant 
under this section. 
‘‘(B) The total number and geographic distribution of 
health care and social service providers trained through 
the Program. 
‘‘(2) INITIAL REPORT.—In addition to the data required to 
be collected under paragraph (1), for purposes of the initial 
report to be submitted under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall 
collect data on the total number of facilities and health care 
professional organizations that were operating under, and the 
total number of health care and social service providers trained 
through, the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and 
Wellness Training Program existing prior to the establishment 
of the Program under this section. 
‘‘(3) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Sec-
retary shall submit an annual report to Congress on the data 
collected under this subsection in a manner that, at a minimum, 
prevents the disclosure of individually identifiable information 
consistent with all applicable privacy laws and regulations. 
‘‘(f) SHARING BEST PRACTICES.—The Secretary shall make avail-
able, on the Internet website of the Department of Health and 
Human Services, a description of the best practices and procedures 
Web posting. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
14:16 Jan 18, 2024
Jkt 079194
PO 00000
Frm 00901
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6581
G:\STATUTES\2018\GOVINFO FILES FOR ERIC\PART 4\79194PT4.001
79194PT4
whamilton on LAP1Z6H6L3PROD with STATUTES
132 STAT. 5330 
PUBLIC LAW 115–398—DEC. 31, 2018 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 767: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 115–327 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018): 
Feb. 26, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 19, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Dec. 20, House concurred in Senate amendment. 
used by entities that receive a grant for carrying out activities 
under this section. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘human trafficking’ 
has the meaning given the term ‘severe forms of trafficking in 
persons’ as defined in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protec-
tion Act of 2000. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this Act, $4,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2020 through 2024.’’. 
Approved December 31, 2018. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
14:16 Jan 18, 2024
Jkt 079194
PO 00000
Frm 00902
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6580
G:\STATUTES\2018\GOVINFO FILES FOR ERIC\PART 4\79194PT4.001
79194PT4
whamilton on LAP1Z6H6L3PROD with STATUTES