What This Bill Does
This bill tells the Secretary of Labor to create a training program for certain Department of Labor employees. The training will teach these employees how to detect human trafficking and help law enforcement stop it. The training must happen within 180 days of the bill becoming law.
Who It Affects
Department of Labor employees whose official duties the Secretary determines should include human trafficking detection training, especially employees in the Wage and Hour Division (the part of the Labor Department that enforces wage and work hour laws).
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of Labor must start a training program within 180 days that teaches Department employees how to identify human trafficking victims and people suspected of trafficking, and gives them clear steps for reporting cases to the Department of Justice and other authorities (Sec. 3(a), 3(b)).
• The training can happen in classrooms or online and must match each employee's job location and duties, cover current trends in trafficking detection, and follow privacy laws (Sec. 3(b)).
• The training must include information on detecting victims, identifying suspected traffickers, and proper procedures for reporting cases while protecting victims' rights and working with victim advocacy groups and law enforcement (Sec. 3(b)).
• Employees must complete an evaluation after finishing the training (Sec. 3(b)).
• The Secretary of Labor must report to Congress each year about how many employees completed the training and how many trafficking cases the department referred to the Department of Justice (Sec. 4).
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, Department of Labor employees will receive new training on detecting human trafficking during their work duties. The department will also begin tracking and reporting how many trafficking cases it refers to law enforcement each year.
Important Definitions
Human trafficking is defined as any act or practice described in paragraph (11) of section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. The bill does not provide the specific definition in its own text.
Effective Date
The Secretary of Labor must implement the training program within 180 days after the bill becomes law. The first annual report to Congress must be submitted within 1 year after the program starts.
IIB
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 443
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 6, 2024
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of Labor to train certain employees
of Department of Labor how to effectively detect and
assist law enforcement in preventing human trafficking
during the course of their official duties, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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HR 443 RFS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enhancing Detection
2
of Human Trafficking Act’’.
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SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
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In this Act, the term ‘‘human trafficking’’ means any
5
act or practice described in paragraph (11) of section 103
6
of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22
7
U.S.C. 7102).
8
SEC. 3. TRAINING FOR DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL TO IDEN-
9
TIFY HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the
11
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall
12
implement a program to provide the training and periodic
13
continuing education described in subsection (b) to em-
14
ployees of the Department of Labor whom the Secretary
15
determines should receive such training or education based
16
on their official duties. In making such determination with
17
respect to employees of the Wage and Hour Division, the
18
Secretary shall consider the training and education needs
19
of such employees operating in a State with a significant
20
increase in oppressive child labor (as defined in section
21
3(l) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C.
22
203(l)).
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(b) TRAINING
AND CONTINUING EDUCATION DE-
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SCRIBED.—The training and continuing education pro-
25
vided under the program referred to in subsection (a)—
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HR 443 RFS
(1) may be conducted through in-class or vir-
1
tual learning capabilities; and
2
(2) shall include—
3
(A)
training
or
continuing
education
4
that—
5
(i) is most appropriate for the par-
6
ticular location or professional environment
7
in which the employees receiving such
8
training or continuing education perform
9
their official duties;
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(ii) covers topics determined by the
11
Secretary of Labor to appropriately reflect
12
current trends and best practices for such
13
location or environment; and
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(iii) includes—
15
(I) the provision of current infor-
16
mation on matters related to the de-
17
tection of human trafficking to the ex-
18
tent relevant to the official duties of
19
such employees, and consistent with
20
privacy laws;
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(II) methods for identifying sus-
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pected victims of human trafficking
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and parties who may be suspected of
24
the trafficking activity; and
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HR 443 RFS
(III) a clear course of action for
1
referring potential cases of human
2
trafficking to the Department of Jus-
3
tice and other appropriate authorities,
4
in accordance with best practices for
5
protecting the rights of victims of
6
human trafficking, including appro-
7
priate collaboration with victim advo-
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cacy organizations, Federal agencies,
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and State and local officials; and
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(B) an evaluation of the training or con-
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tinuing education by such employees after the
12
completion of such training or education.
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SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
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Not later than 1 year after the Secretary of Labor
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first implements the program under section 3(a), and each
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year thereafter, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the
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Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House
18
of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Edu-
19
cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report on—
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(1) the training and continuing education pro-
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vided under the program for the preceding year, in-
22
cluding—
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HR 443 RFS
(A) an evaluation (including the overall ef-
1
fectiveness) of such training and continuing
2
education; and
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(B) the number of individuals who have
4
completed such training or continuing edu-
5
cation; and
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(2) the number of cases related to the detection
7
of human trafficking, which were referred to the De-
8
partment of Justice and other appropriate authori-
9
ties during the preceding year by the Department of
10
Labor, and the processes used by the Department of
11
Labor to accurately measure and track the response
12
of the Department of Justice and other appropriate
13
authorities to such cases.
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Passed the House of Representatives February 5,
2024.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.
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