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S.2449
International Trafficking Act of 2000 (Introduced in the
Senate)
SEC. 7. PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING.
(a) Assistance for Victims in Other Countries-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, in consultation with
appropriate nongovernmental organizations, shall establish and carry out
programs and initiatives in foreign countries to assist in the safe
integration, reintegration, or resettlement, as appropriate, of victims of
trafficking and their children and, if appropriate, their spouses and
parents. Such programs and initiatives shall be designed to meet the mental
and physical health, housing, legal, and other assistance needs of such
persons and their children, as identified by the Inter-Agency Task Force to
Monitor and Combat Trafficking established under section 5.
(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT- In establishing and conducting programs and
initiatives described in paragraph (1), the Secretary of State and the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
shall take all appropriate steps to enhance cooperative efforts among
foreign countries, including countries of origin of victims of trafficking,
to assist in the integration, reintegration, or resettlement, as
appropriate, of victims of trafficking including stateless victims.
(b) Victims in the United States-
(1) ASSISTANCE- Subject to the availability of appropriations and
notwithstanding title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, and the Board of Directors of
the Legal Services Corporation shall expand existing services to provide
assistance to victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons within the
United States, without regard to the immigration status of such
victims.
(2) BENEFITS- Subject to the availability of appropriations and
notwithstanding any other provision of law, victims of severe forms of
trafficking in persons in the United States shall be eligible, without
regard to their immigration status, for any benefits that are otherwise
available under the Crime Victims Fund, established under the Victims of
Crime Act of 1984, including victims' services, compensation, and
assistance.
(A) Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Attorney
General may make grants to States, territories, and possessions of the
United States (including the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern
Mariana Islands), Indian tribes, units of local government, and nonprofit,
nongovernmental victims' service organizations to develop, expand, or
strengthen victim service programs for victims of trafficking.
(B) To receive a grant under this paragraph, an eligible unit of
government or organization shall certify that its laws, policies, and
practices, as appropriate, do not punish or deny services to victims of
severe forms of trafficking in persons on account of the nature of their
work or services performed in connection with such trafficking.
(C) Of amounts made available for grants under this paragraph, there
shall be set aside 3 percent for research, evaluation and statistics; 2
percent for training and technical assistance; and 1 percent for
management and administration.
(D) The Federal share of a grant made under this paragraph may not
exceed 75 percent of the total costs of the projects described in the
application submitted.
(4) CIVIL ACTION- An individual who is a victim of a violation of
section 1589 or section 1589A of title 18, United States Code, regarding
trafficking, may bring a civil action in United States district court. The
court may award actual damages, punitive damages, reasonable attorneys'
fees, and other litigation costs reasonably incurred.
(c) TRAFFICKING VICTIM REGULATIONS- Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State
shall promulgate regulations for law enforcement personnel, immigration
officials, and Department of State officials to implement the following:
(1) Victims of severe forms of trafficking, while in the custody of the
Federal Government and to the extent practicable, shall--
(A) be housed in appropriate housing as quickly as possible;
(B) receive prompt medical care, food, and other assistance;
and
(C) be provided protection if a victim's safety is at risk or if there
is danger of additional harm by recapture of the victim by a trafficker,
including--
(i) taking measures to protect trafficked persons and their family
members from intimidation and threats of reprisals and reprisals from
traffickers and their associates; and
(ii) ensuring that the names and identifying information of
trafficked persons and their family members are not disclosed to the
public.
(2) Victims of severe forms of trafficking shall not be jailed, fined,
or otherwise penalized for unlawful acts due to having been trafficked,
including for having used false documents, entering the country without
documentation, or working without documentation.
(3) Victims of severe forms of trafficking shall have access to legal
assistance, information about their rights, and translation services.
(4) Federal law enforcement officials shall act to ensure an alien
individual's continued presence in the United States, if after an
assessment, it is determined that such individual is a victim of trafficking
or a material witness, in order to effectuate prosecution of those
responsible and to further the humanitarian interests of the United States,
and such officials in investigating and prosecuting traffickers shall
protect the safety and integrity of trafficking victims, including taking
measures to protect trafficked persons and their family members from
intimidation, threats of reprisals and reprisals from traffickers and their
associates.
(5) Appropriate personnel of the Department of State and the Department
of Justice are trained in identifying victims of severe forms of trafficking
and providing for the protection of such victims. Training under this
paragraph should include methods for achieving antitrafficking objectives
through the nondiscriminatory application of immigration and other related
laws.
(d) CONSTRUCTION- Nothing in subsection (c) shall be construed as creating
any private cause of action against the United States or its offices or
employees.
(e) FUNDING- Funds from asset forfeiture under section 1592 of title 18,
United States Code (as added by section 12 of this Act) should be first
disbursed to satisfy any judgments awarded victims of trafficking under
subsection (b)(4) and section 1591 of title 18, United States Code (as added
by such section 12). The remaining funds from asset forfeiture are authorized
to be available in equal amounts for the purposes of subsections (a) and (b)
and shall remain available for obligation until expended.
(f) PROTECTION FROM REMOVAL FOR CERTAIN VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING-
(1) NONIMMIGRANT CLASSIFICATION FOR CERTAIN VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING-
Section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101(a)(15)) is amended--
(A) by striking `or' at the end of subparagraph (R);
(B) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (S) and
inserting `; or'; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
`(T) an alien who the Attorney General determines--
`(i) is physically present in the United States or at a port of
entry thereto;
`(ii) is or has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking in
persons as defined in section 3 of the Interantional Anti-Trafficking
Act of 2000;
`(iii)(I) has not unreasonably refused to assist in the
investigation or prosecution of acts of trafficking; or
`(II) has not attained the age of 14 years; and
`(iv) would face a significant possibility of retribution or other
hardship if removed from the United States,
and, if the Attorney General considers it to be appropriate, the
spouse, married and unmarried sons and daughters, and parents of an alien
described in this subparagraph if accompanying, or following to join, the
alien, except that no person shall be eligible for admission to the United
States under this subparagraph if there is substantial reason to believe
that the person has committed an act of a severe form of trafficking in
persons as defined in section 3 of the Interantional Anti-Trafficking Act
of 2000.'.
(2) DUTIES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WITH RESPECT TO `T' VISA
NONIMMIGRANTS- Section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
`(i) With respect to nonimmigrant aliens described in subsection
(a)(15)(T)--
`(1) the Attorney General and other government officials, where
appropriate, shall provide those aliens with referrals to nongovernmental
organizations that would educate the aliens regarding their options while in
the United States and the resources available to them; and
`(2) the Attorney General shall, during the period those aliens are in
lawful temporary resident status under that subsection, grant the aliens
authorization to engage in employment in the United States and provide the
aliens with an `employment authorized' endorsement or other appropriate work
permit.'.
(3) WAIVER OF GROUNDS FOR INELIGIBILITY FOR ADMISSION- Section 212(d) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)) is amended by adding
at the end the following new paragraph:
`(13) The Attorney General shall determine whether a ground for
inadmissibility exists with respect to a nonimmigrant described in section
101(a)(15)(T). The Attorney General, in the Attorney General's discretion, may
waive the application of subsection (a) (other than paragraph (3)(E)) in the
case of a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(T), if the Attorney
General considers it to be in the national interest to do so. Nothing in this
section shall be regarded as prohibiting the Attorney General from instituting
removal proceedings against an alien admitted as a nonimmigrant under section
101(a)(15)(T) for material nontrafficking related conduct committed after the
alien's admission into the United States, or for material nontrafficking
related conduct or a condition that was not disclosed to the Attorney General
prior to the alien's admission as a nonimmigrant under section
101(a)(15)(T).'.
(4) ADJUSTMENT TO PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS- Section 245 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255) is amended by adding at the
end the following new subsection:
`(l)(1) If, in the opinion of the Attorney General, a nonimmigrant
admitted into the United States under section 101(a)(15)(T)--
`(A) has been physically present in the United States for a continuous
period of at least 3 years since the date of admission as a nonimmigrant
under section 101(a)(15)(T);
`(B) has, throughout such period, been a person of good moral
character;
`(C) has not, during such period, unreasonably refused to provide
assistance in the investigation or prosecution of acts of trafficking;
and
`(D) would face a significant possibility of retribution or other
hardship if removed from the United States, the Attorney General may adjust
the status of the alien (and the spouse, married and unmarried sons and
daughters, and parents of the alien if admitted under that section) to that
of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence if the alien is not
described in section 212(a)(3)(E).
`(2) An alien shall be considered to have failed to maintain continuous
physical presence in the United States under paragraph (1)(A) if the alien has
departed from the United States for any period in excess of 90 days or for any
periods in the aggregate exceeding 180 days.'.
SEC. 8. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF TRAFFICKING.
(a) MINIMUM STANDARDS- For purposes of this Act, the minimum standards for
the elimination of trafficking for a country that is a country of origin,
transit, or destination for a significant number of victims are the following
standards:
(1) The country should prohibit severe forms of trafficking in persons
and punish acts of such trafficking.
(2) For the knowing commission of any act of sex trafficking involving
fraud, force, coercion, or deception, or in which the victim of sex
trafficking is a child incapable of giving meaningful consent, or of
trafficking which includes rape or kidnapping or which causes a death, the
country should prescribe punishment commensurate with that for the most
serious crimes, such as forcible sexual assault.
(3) For the knowing commission of any act of a severe form of
trafficking in persons, the country should prescribe punishment which is
sufficiently stringent to deter and which adequately reflects the heinous
nature of the offense.
(4) The country should make serious and sustained efforts to eliminate
severe forms of trafficking in persons.
(b) CRITERIA- In determinations of whether a country is making serious and
sustained efforts under subsection (a)(4) the following factors should be
considered as indicia of a good faith effort to eliminate severe forms of
trafficking in persons:
(1) Whether the country vigorously investigates and prosecutes acts of
severe forms of trafficking in persons that take place wholly or partly
within the territory of the country.
(2) Whether the country cooperates with other countries in the
investigation and prosecution of severe forms of trafficking in
persons.
(3) Whether the country extradites persons charged with acts of severe
forms of trafficking in persons on the same terms and to the same extent as
persons charged with other serious crimes.
(4) Whether the country monitors immigration and emigration patterns for
evidence of severe forms of trafficking in persons and whether law
enforcement agencies of the country respond to any such evidence in a manner
which is consistent with the vigorous investigation and prosecution of acts
of such trafficking, as well as with the protection of human rights of
victims and the internationally recognized human right to leave and return
to one's own country.
(5) Whether the country protects victims of severe forms of trafficking
in persons and encourages their assistance in the investigation and
prosecution of such trafficking, including provision for legal alternatives
to their removal to countries in which they would face retribution or other
hardship.
(6) Whether the country vigorously investigates and prosecutes public
officials who participate in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in
persons, and takes all appropriate measures against officials who condone
such trafficking.
SEC. 9. ASSISTANCE TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO MEET MINIMUM STANDARDS.
The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency
for International Development are authorized to provide assistance to foreign
countries directly, or through nongovernmental, intergovernmental and
multilateral organizations, for programs and activities designed to meet the
minimum international standards for the elimination of trafficking, including
drafting of legislation to prohibit and punish acts of trafficking,
investigation and prosecution of traffickers, creation and maintenance of
facilities, programs, and activities for the protection of victims, and the
expansion of exchange programs and international visitor programs for
governmental and nongovernmental personnel to combat trafficking.
SEC. 10. ACTIONS AGAINST GOVERNMENTS FAILING TO MEET MINIMUM STANDARDS.
(a) STATEMENT OF POLICY- It is the policy of the United States not to
provide nonhumanitarian non-trade foreign assistance to countries which do not
meet minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
(1) ANNUAL REPORT- Not later than April 30 of each year, the Secretary
of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
with respect to the status of severe forms of trafficking in persons which
shall include a list of those countries, if any, to which the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking under section 8 are applicable
and which do not meet such standards, and which may include additional
information, including information about efforts to combat trafficking and
about countries which have taken appropriate actions to combat
trafficking.
(2) INTERIM REPORTS- In addition to the annual report under paragraph
(1), the Secretary of State may submit to the appropriate
congressional
committees one or more interim reports with respect to the status of severe
forms of trafficking in persons, including information about countries whose
governments have come into or out of compliance with the minimum standards for
the elimination of trafficking since the transmission of the last annual report.
(c) NOTIFICATION- For fiscal year 2003 and each subsequent fiscal year,
for each foreign country to which the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking are applicable and which has failed to meet such standards, as
described in an annual or interim report under subsection (b), not less than
45 days and not more than 90 days after the submission of such a report, the
President shall submit a notification to the appropriate congressional
committees of one of the determinations described in subsection (d).
(d) DETERMINATIONS- The determinations referred to in subsection (c) are
as follows:
(1) WITHHOLDING OF NONHUMANITARIAN NON-TRADE ASSISTANCE- The President
has determined that--
(A)(i) the United States will not provide nonhumanitarian nontrade
foreign assistance to the government of the country for the subsequent
fiscal year until such government complies with the minimum standards;
or
(ii) in the case of a country whose government received no
nonhumanitarian nontrade foreign assistance from the United States during
the previous fiscal year, the United States will not provide funding for
participation by officials or employees of such governments in educational
and cultural exchange programs for the subsequent fiscal year until such
government complies with the minimum standards; and
(B) the President will instruct the United States Executive Director
of each multilateral development bank to use his or her best efforts to
deny, any loan or other utilization of the funds of his or her institution
to that country (other than for humanitarian assistance, or for
development assistance which directly addresses basic human needs, is not
administered by the government of the sanctioned country, and confers no
benefit to that government) for the subsequent fiscal year until such
government complies with the minimum standards.
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