§20702 Establishment of a Grant Program to Develop, Expand, and Strengthen Assistance Programs for Certain Persons Subject to Trafficking

Summary

Creates a program that gives four block grants to States or local governments in different U.S. regions to fight sex trafficking of minors. At least one grant must go to a State with fewer than 5,000,000 people. Each grant must be between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000 for one year and can be renewed up to three more one-year periods. At least 67% of each grant must pay for residential care and related services through qualified nonprofit groups. The grants may pay for 10 types of help, including housing (short- or long-term), 24-hour emergency response, clothing and basics, case management, mental health and substance abuse treatment, legal help, specialized training for workers, outreach and prevention, certain treatment programs for people who buy sex (under conditions), and screening/referral for severe trafficking. Applicants must apply with a plan and promises the grantor requires. An outside academic or nonprofit group will do yearly evaluations. A pilot program will fund community groups, especially in rural areas, to build housing-based treatment models for youth with needs like leaving foster care, substance use disorder, pregnancy or parenting, or histories of foster care, poverty, abuse, trafficking, juvenile justice, gangs, or homelessness. Priority goes to programs with crisis stabilization, emergency shelter, and addiction treatment that show good results. Definitions in one line each: Assistant Secretary = the HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. Assistant Attorney General = the DOJ official for the Office of Justice Programs. Eligible entity = a State or local government with serious minor sex trafficking problems, cooperative law enforcement and service partners, a multi-disciplinary plan (including building or providing residential care, rehab, training, prevention/prosecution work, agreements with youth outreach groups, and policing that screens arrested people for trafficking), and a promise that minors won’t have to help police to get services. Minor victim = someone under 18 who is a victim of the trafficking crime, or someone 18–20 who was a victim as a minor and was getting shelter or services then. Qualified nongovernmental organization = a non-government group experienced with trafficking victims and able to keep services going after the grant. Sex trafficking of a minor = the crime in 18 U.S.C. 1591 or a similar state law against a minor. Misusing funds makes an entity ineligible for grants for 2 fiscal years; entities with such violations in the prior 5 fiscal years cannot get a grant. Admin costs may not exceed 3% of the money. The DOJ Inspector General must audit the four grantees for fiscal years 2016 and 2017. Grant recipients must match part of the grant: 15% in year one, 25% in the first renewal, 40% in the second renewal, and 50% in the third renewal. The Attorney General may receive $8,000,000 per year for each fiscal year 2018 through 2021 to run this program. The Comptroller General must report to Congress within 30 months after March 7, 2013, on the program’s impact and any recommendations.