[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 670 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 670
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 7, 2023
Mr. Peters (for himself, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
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 ``IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act''.
SEC. 2. 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 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--
(i) provides mechanisms for self-care and
resilience and notification of resources that
are available through U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, such as the Employee
Assistance Program, the Peer Support Program,
the Chaplain Program, and other relevant
accredited programs that are available; and
(ii) provides examples of potential
resources that are available outside of U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which may
include, faith-based and community-based
resources; and
(C) provide 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--
(i) have been trained on the exposure of
various forms of trauma and other stressors
experienced in working with victims; and
(ii) may have experience working with
faith-based organizations, community-based
organizations, counseling programs, or other
social service programs; and
(B) additional subject matter experts who are
available; and
(3) be overseen and coordinated by the Department of
Homeland Security Center for Countering Human Trafficking 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.
SEC. 3. 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:
``SEC. 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.--The term `victim' has the meaning given such
term in section 503(e)(2) of the Victims' Rights and
Restitution Act of 1990 (34 U.S.C. 20141(e)(2)).
``(3) 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;
``(B) has been trained on the exposure of various
forms of trauma and other stressors experienced in
working with victims; and
``(C) may have experience working with local
government and community-based organizations, including
victim advocacy centers, child advocacy centers, child
welfare agencies, faith-based organizations, and other
social service programs.
``(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 Homeland Security Investigations
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;
``(B) 1 victim assistance specialist for--
``(i) every Homeland Security
Investigations office participating in a human
trafficking task force; and
``(ii) every Homeland Security
Investigations office participating in a child
sexual exploitation task force;
``(3) support Homeland Security Investigations regional
attache offices, to the extent necessary;
``(4) 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, to the extent
feasible; and
``(5) purchase emergency items that are needed to assist
identified victims in Homeland Security Investigations criminal
investigations, including food, clothing, hygiene products,
transportation, and temporary shelter that is not otherwise
provided by a nongovernmental organization.''.
(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''.
SEC. 4. 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 human trafficking victims who were
assisted by the Homeland Security Investigations Victim
Assistance Program.
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