H.R.836: Interdiction for the Protection of Child Victims of Exploitation and Human Trafficking Act

H.R. 836 would authorize the creation of the Interdiction for the Protection of Child Victims of Exploitation and Human Trafficking Pilot Program with the intent of teaching officers how to better spot victims of child exploitation and human trafficking at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels.

The program would be modeled after a similar state program in Texas that has been in effect since 2009. The Texas program consists of a training course that teaches State Troopers behavioral and physical patterns that point to child exploitation. The program logs the number of children rescued from these situations. The program has been so successful that the U.S. Marshals Service used the training in their Missing Child Unit. The national pilot program established in H.R. 836 would train law enforcement, first responders, child welfare professionals, and other “relevant” types of professionals on how to identify children at risk of being trafficked, communicate with potential victims, and proper protocols, among other things. The program would be funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice and would operate until October 2023.

In addition to establishing this pilot program, the legislation would also establish a grant program for agencies wishing to carry out the training, as well as mandate regular reporting on both the pilot program and the awarded grants.

S. 251. is the Senate companion bill introduced by Sen. Cortez Masto