§7106 — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

Requires countries that send, pass through, or receive victims to meet basic rules to stop severe human trafficking. Countries must make severe trafficking illegal and punish it. When sex trafficking involves force, fraud, coercion, a child victim, rape, kidnapping, or a death, the punishment must be as serious as for major crimes like forcible sexual assault. For any severe trafficking, penalties must be strong enough to deter and match how awful the crime is. Countries must make serious and ongoing efforts to end trafficking. To judge whether a country is really trying, the law lists 12 things to look at. These include whether the country investigates, prosecutes, convicts, and sentences traffickers (including public officials) and shares data when asked; whether it protects victims, avoids punishing them for acts they were forced into, and trains officials to identify victims; whether it carries out prevention steps like public education, birth registration, preventing forced or child labor, disciplining officials abroad, and regulating recruiters; whether it cooperates with other countries and extradites traffickers as it does for other serious crimes; whether it monitors migration for trafficking while protecting victims’ rights; whether most victims are citizens or not; whether it works with NGOs, the private sector, or the U.S. and reports measurable results; whether it tracks and publicly reports progress; whether it shows improvement year to year; and whether it takes steps to reduce demand for commercial sex and international sex tourism.

Title 22, §7106

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)For purposes of this chapter, the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking applicable to the government of a country of origin, transit, or destination for victims of severe forms of trafficking are the following:

(1)The government of 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 force, fraud, coercion, 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 government of the country should prescribe punishment commensurate with that for grave crimes, such as forcible sexual assault.

(3)For the knowing commission of any act of a severe form of trafficking in persons, the government of the country should prescribe punishment that is sufficiently stringent to deter and that adequately reflects the heinous nature of the offense.

(4)The government of the country should make serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons.

(b)In determinations under subsection (a)(4), the following factors should be considered as indicia of serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons:

(1)Whether the government of the country vigorously investigates and prosecutes acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons, and convicts and sentences persons responsible for such acts, that take place wholly or partly within the territory of the country, including, as appropriate, requiring incarceration of individuals convicted of such acts. For purposes of the preceding sentence, suspended or significantly-reduced sentences for convictions of principal actors in cases of severe forms of trafficking in persons shall be considered, on a case-by-case basis, whether to be considered an indicator of serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons. After reasonable requests from the Department of State for data regarding investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences, a government which does not provide such data, consistent with a demonstrably increasing capacity of such government to obtain such data, shall be presumed not to have vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted or sentenced such acts.

(2)Whether the government of the country protects victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons and encourages their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of such trafficking, including provisions for legal alternatives to their removal to countries in which they would face retribution or hardship, and ensures that victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined, or otherwise penalized solely for unlawful acts as a direct result of being trafficked, including by providing training to law enforcement and immigration officials regarding the identification and treatment of trafficking victims using approaches that focus on the needs of the victims.

(3)Whether the government of the country has adopted measures to prevent severe forms of trafficking in persons, such as measures to inform and educate the public, including potential victims, about the causes and consequences of severe forms of trafficking in persons, measures to establish the identity of local populations, including birth registration, citizenship, and nationality, measures to ensure that its nationals who are deployed abroad as part of a diplomatic, peacekeeping, or other similar mission do not engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons or exploit victims of such trafficking, a transparent system for remediating or punishing such public officials as a deterrent, measures to prevent the use of forced labor or child labor in violation of international standards, effective bilateral, multilateral, or regional information sharing and cooperation arrangements with other countries, and effective policies or laws regulating foreign labor recruiters and holding them civilly and criminally liable for fraudulent recruiting.

(4)Whether the government of the country cooperates with other governments in the investigation and prosecution of severe forms of trafficking in persons and has entered into bilateral, multilateral, or regional law enforcement cooperation and coordination arrangements with other countries.

(5)Whether the government of the country extradites persons charged with acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons on substantially the same terms and to substantially the same extent as persons charged with other serious crimes (or, to the extent such extradition would be inconsistent with the laws of such country or with international agreements to which the country is a party, whether the government is taking all appropriate measures to modify or replace such laws and treaties so as to permit such extradition).

(6)Whether the government of 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 that 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 any country, including one’s own, and to return to one’s own country.

(7)Whether the government of the country vigorously investigates, prosecutes, convicts, and sentences public officials, including diplomats and soldiers, who participate in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons, including nationals of the country who are deployed abroad as part of a diplomatic, peacekeeping, or other similar mission who engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons or exploit victims of such trafficking, and takes all appropriate measures against officials who condone or enable such trafficking. A government’s failure to appropriately address public allegations against such public officials, especially once such officials have returned to their home countries, shall be considered inaction under these criteria. After reasonable requests from the Department of State for data regarding such investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences, a government which does not provide such data, consistent with a demonstrably increasing capacity of such government to obtain such data, shall be presumed not to have vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted, or sentenced such acts.

(8)Whether the percentage of victims of severe forms of trafficking in the country that are non-citizens of such countries is insignificant.

(9)Whether the government has entered into effective, transparent partnerships, cooperative arrangements, or agreements that have resulted in concrete and measurable outcomes with—

(A)domestic civil society organizations, private sector entities, or international nongovernmental organizations, or into multilateral or regional arrangements or agreements, to assist the government’s efforts to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and punish traffickers; or

(B)the United States toward agreed goals and objectives in the collective fight against trafficking.

(10)Whether the government of the country, consistent with the capacity of such government, systematically monitors its efforts to satisfy the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (8) and makes available publicly a periodic assessment of such efforts.

(11)Whether the government of the country achieves appreciable progress in eliminating severe forms of trafficking when compared to the assessment in the previous year.

(12)Whether the government of the country has made serious and sustained efforts to reduce the demand for—

(A)commercial sex acts; and

(B)participation in international sex tourism by nationals of the country.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this division”, meaning division A of Pub. L. 106–386, Oct. 28, 2000, 114 Stat. 1466, known as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of division A to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 7101 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–425, § 202(1), substituted “a demonstrably increasing capacity” for “the capacity” and struck out at end “During the periods prior to the annual report submitted on

June 1, 2004, and on

June 1, 2005, and the periods afterwards until September 30 of each such year, the Secretary of State may disregard the presumption contained in the preceding sentence if the government has provided some data to the Department of State regarding such acts and the Secretary has determined that the government is making a good faith effort to collect such data.” 2013—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 113–4, § 1204(1), substituted “diplomatic, peacekeeping,” for “peacekeeping” and “, a transparent system for remediating or punishing such public officials as a deterrent, measures” for “, and measures”, and inserted before period at end “, effective bilateral, multilateral, or regional information sharing and cooperation arrangements with other countries, and effective policies or laws regulating foreign labor recruiters and holding them civilly and criminally liable for fraudulent recruiting”. Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 113–4, § 1204(2), inserted “and has entered into bilateral, multilateral, or regional law

Enforcement

cooperation and coordination arrangements with other countries” before period at end. Subsec. (b)(7). Pub. L. 113–4, § 1204(3), inserted “, including diplomats and soldiers,” after “public officials” and “A government’s failure to appropriately address public allegations against such public officials, especially once such officials have returned to their home countries, shall be considered inaction under these criteria.” after “condone such trafficking.”, and substituted “diplomatic, peacekeeping,” for “peacekeeping”. Subsec. (b)(9) to (12). Pub. L. 113–4, § 1204(4), (5), added par. (9) and redesignated former pars. (9) to (11) as (10) to (12), respectively. 2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–457, § 106(1), struck out “a significant number of” before “victims” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 110–457, § 106(2)(A), substituted “, including, as appropriate, requiring incarceration of individuals convicted of such acts. For purposes of the preceding sentence, suspended or significantly-reduced sentences for convictions of principal actors in cases of severe forms of trafficking in persons shall be considered, on a case-by-case basis, whether to be considered an indicator of serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons.” for period at end of first sentence. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 110–457, § 106(2)(B), inserted “, including by providing training to law

Enforcement

and immigration officials regarding the identification and treatment of trafficking victims using approaches that focus on the needs of the victims” before period at end. Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 110–457, § 106(2)(C), substituted “measures to establish the identity of local populations, including birth registration, citizenship, and nationality” for “measures to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts and for participation in international sex tourism by nationals of the country”. Subsec. (b)(11). Pub. L. 110–457, § 106(2)(D), added par. (11). 2006—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 109–164, § 104(b)(1), inserted before period at end “, measures to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts and for participation in international sex tourism by nationals of the country, measures to ensure that its nationals who are deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or other similar mission do not engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons or exploit victims of such trafficking, and measures to prevent the use of forced labor or child labor in violation of international standards”. Subsec. (b)(7). Pub. L. 109–164, § 104(b)(2), substituted “persons, including nationals of the country who are deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or other similar mission who engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons or exploit victims of such trafficking,” for “persons,” in first sentence. 2003—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 108–193, § 6(d)(1), substituted “, and convicts and sentences persons responsible for such acts, that take place wholly or partly within the territory of the country” for “that take place wholly or partly within the territory of the country” and inserted two sentences at end relating to presumption that foreign government has not vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted or sentenced acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons and disregard of presumption by Secretary of State under certain circumstances. Subsec. (b)(7). Pub. L. 108–193, § 6(d)(2), substituted “, prosecutes, convicts, and sentences” for “and prosecutes” and inserted two sentences at end relating to presumption that foreign government has not vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted or sentenced acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons and disregard of presumption by Secretary of State under certain circumstances. Subsec. (b)(8) to (10). Pub. L. 108–193, § 6(d)(3), added pars. (8) to (10).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2006 Amendment Pub. L. 109–164, title I, § 104(b)(2), Jan. 10, 2006, 119 Stat. 3564, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) [amending this section] take effect beginning two years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 10, 2006].”

§7106 Minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking

Summary

Title 22, §7106

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Short Title

Amendments

Enforcement

Enforcement

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Amendments

Citations & Metadata