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Housing for Survivors of Sex Trafficking Act

H.R. 3863 · 115th Congress · Sep 28, 2017 · Lineage

A BILL

To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to include sex trafficking victims in the transitional housing assistance grant program, and for other purposes.

Section 1 Short Title

This Act may be cited as the “Housing for Survivors of Sex Trafficking Act”.

Sec. 2 Inclusion of Sex Trafficking Victims in Transitional Housing Grant Programs

(a)
In General— Section 40299 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13975) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(i)
by inserting “, sex trafficking,” after “and other organizations, including domestic violence”;
(ii)
by inserting “, sex trafficking,” after “providers, domestic violence”; and
(iii)
by inserting “sex trafficking,” after “dating violence, sexual assault,”; and
(B)
in paragraph (1), by inserting “sex trafficking,” after “sexual assault,”;
(2)
in subsection (b)(3)—
(A)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting “sex trafficking,” after “sexual assault,”; and
(B)
in subparagraph (C), by inserting “, except as provided in subsection (e)” after “shall be voluntary”;
(3)
in subsection (d)(2)(B), by inserting “, except as provided in subsection (e)” after “the victim’s housing”;
(4)
by redesignating subsections (e), (f) and (g) as subsections (f), (g) and (h), respectively;
(5)
by inserting after subsection (d) the following:

“(e) Exceptions—A grant recipient under this section may condition the receipt of benefits or the provision of housing on a program participant’s participation in certain programs, including counseling and evaluations, that are necessary to ensure the accurate placement of the victim in the program, provided that any communication provided in the course of such counseling or evaluation remains confidential.”

(6)
in subsection (g)(1), as so redesignated, by striking “under subsection (e)” and inserting “under subsection (f)”; and
(7)
in subsection (g)(3)(D)(iii), by inserting “sex trafficking,” after “sexual assault,”.
(b)
Clerical Amendment— The heading for section 40299 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13975) is amended by inserting “sex trafficking,” after “sexual assault,”.