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Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018

Public Law 115-425 · H.R. 2200 · 115th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jan 8, 2019 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-4)

Cosponsors (29): Rep. Karen Bass,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 368 yea, 7 nay368–7
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018

This bill establishes programs to combat human trafficking, forced labor, and the use of child soldiers. It also modifies existing programs to address such issues.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants to local educational agencies to educate school staff on how to recognize and respond to signs of labor and sex trafficking, and to educate students on how to avoid becoming trafficking victims.

The Department of State shall ensure that each diplomatic or consular post has a designated employee to receive information from severe trafficking victims or information about such victims. The information shall be transmitted to the relevant agencies, and the designated employee shall coordinate with foreign government and groups to provide support to the victims.

Domestic air carriers that contract to provide air transportation to the federal government shall report annually various information related to human trafficking. Such information shall include the number of carrier personnel that are trained in detecting and reporting potential trafficking, and the number of notifications of potential human trafficking victims the carrier has received.

The bill directs various government agencies, including the State Department and the Department of Labor, to annually report to the General Services Administration information related to efforts to ensure compliance with various laws and regulations relating to human trafficking. The report shall also contain information on investigations into contractors that may have violated such laws and regulations.

Federal Acquisition Institute courses for the acquisition workforce shall contain material on law and regulations relating to human trafficking and federal government contracting.

The Department of Justice may make grants for programs to designate a prosecutor for cases involving severe human trafficking.

The State Department shall suspend issuing visas for domestic workers hired by individuals affiliated with an international organization or foreign diplomatic mission, if there is an unpaid judgment related to human trafficking against a person affiliated with that mission. The State Department shall suspend issuing such A-3 or G-5 visas to individuals affiliated with that mission, if the mission refuses to waive diplomatic immunity in a prosecution involving human trafficking.

The bill also gives the President authority to investigate or impose sanctions on foreign government officials who participate in or condone severe forms of human trafficking for significant financial gain.

The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on obstacles to enforcing the prohibition against the importation of goods made by convicts or using forced labor. The report shall address topics including best practices for private employers to comply with the law and federal efforts to enforce the prohibition.

Labor shall, in its public list of goods believed to be produced using forced or child labor, include goods that are produced with inputs made with forced or child labor.

The State Department shall report to Congress annually on its practices and strategies to combat human trafficking in post-conflict or post-disaster areas. It shall also report to Congress on countries that have a workforce that is more than 80% nationals from other countries. The report shall assess each country's progress toward implementing the recommendations from the State Department's most recent Trafficking in Persons Report.

The U.S. Agency for International Development shall report annually to Congress on its expenditures and grants for programs to combat human trafficking and forced labor.

The bill expands the definition of a "child soldier" as used in the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 to include minors who take part in hostilities as part of police forces or other security forces or recruited into such forces. It also modifies various reporting requirements on issues involving child soldiers.

The State Department shall elevate the issue of child sexual assault by Afghan security forces at the Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan, scheduled for November 27-28, 2018. The Department of Defense shall report to Congress on efforts to establish a mechanism to allow U.S. personnel to report on child sexual abuse by Afghan security forces that work with or are trained by the United States.

The bill reauthorizes through FY2021 various programs for combatting human trafficking.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 368 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

368 yea7 nay57 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(174)

Republicans who voted yea(194)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1194 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 1191Related bill

    Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2017

  • H.R. 6899Related bill

    Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act

  • S. 3504Related bill

    Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 31 actions.

  1. Jan 8, 2019Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-425.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 27, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 21, 2018Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 368 - 7 (Roll no. 487).House roll call 487
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Royce (CA) moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2200.
  9. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 368 - 7 (Roll no. 487).House roll call 487
  10. Dec 18, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  11. Dec 17, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  12. FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent. (CR S7631-7636)
  13. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  14. Oct 10, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 628.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Corker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  16. Sep 26, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  17. Jul 13, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  18. Jul 12, 2017FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  19. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  20. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2200.
  21. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  22. FloorFloor · Mr. Royce (CA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  23. May 3, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
  24. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
  25. CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  26. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  27. CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E590)
  28. Apr 28, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
  29. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  30. Apr 27, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, Armed Services, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subseque…
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 4107SenateSen. Patty MurrayD-WA· offered Dec 13, 2018Agreed to

    To strike the section of the bill establishing preferred places of accommodation for Federal employees and for other purposes.

    Dec 17, 2018: Amendment SA 4107 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.