On September 19, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved S. 1848, the Trafficking Victims Protection (TVPA) Reauthorization Act, sponsored by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). The current TVPA (P.L. 113-4) is set to expire at the end of September.
The bill would modify the criteria for determining whether a country meets the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking, extend the authorization for programs to combat trafficking in persons (including the Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons within the Department of State), and urge the president to work with the private sector to “explore, develop, and use technology” to strengthen federal law enforcement’s ability to end trafficking and criminal networks.
The measure contains provisions to develop child protection strategies in Watch List countries, prevent the use of child soldiers, and support the integration of anti-trafficking interventions at multinational development banks.
