#aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bbhc ,,an ,,act ,to prioritize the fight against human trafficking within the ,department of ,state according to congressional intent in the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj without increasing the size of the ,federal ,government1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,human ,trafficking ,prioritization ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,international ,labor ,organization estimates that nearly #ba1jjj1jjj people are subjected to modern slavery around the world at any given time and that the majority of the enslaved are women and girls4 7#b7 ,congress authorized the creation of a ,department of ,state ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons in the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj 7division ,a of ,public ,law #ajf-chf7 in order to directly assist the ,secretary of ,state in his or her effort to coordinate a ,united ,states ,government interagency response to domestic and international trafficking in persons4 7#c7 ,the ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons monitors trafficking worldwide and produces the online and printed versions of the annual ,trafficking in ,persons ,report1 which is ,congress' primary resource for human trafficking reporting1 analysis1 and recommendations on the ,united ,states and #ahf countries around the world4 7#d7 ,the annual ,trafficking in ,persons ,report contains tier rankings of each country on which it reports1 and these tier rankings have become an essential diplomatic tool for promoting protection for victims1 prevention of trafficking1 and prosecution of perpetrators4 7#e7 ,some countries have openly stated1 and many others have confided1 that dramatic improvements in the country's human trafficking record were directly related to avoidance of a low tier ranking in the annual ,trafficking in ,persons ,report4 7#f7 ,ambassador ,mark ,lagon1 former ,ambassador-at-,large to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons 7#bjjg-bjji71 testified before the ,subcommittee on ,africa1 ,global ,health1 ,global ,human ,rights1 and ,international ,organizations of the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives on ,april #ah1 #bjac1 that ,the ,state ,department does a tremendous job in producing a report which tells it like it is1 offering objective rankings4 ,yet at times it pulls punches1 typically due to the urging of regional specialists rather than the ,,tip ,office's dedicated experts on trafficking44 7#g7 ,ambassador ,john ,miller1 former ,ambassador-at-,large to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons 7#bjjb-bjjf71 recently stated that1 ,upgrading the status of the ,office to a ,bureau will not create additional bureaucracy--it will simply give ,,jtip and the ,ambassador-at-large who heads it equal standing with regional and functional bureaus at the ,state ,department4 ,that standing is absolutely essential for the issue to remain a priority1 especially when multiple ,u4,s4 interests are engaged44 7#h7 ,the tier ranking process authorized by ,congress in the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj has been in some instances compromised by the ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking subordinate stature within the ,department of ,state4 7#i7 ,it is essential for ,congress and the ,secretary of ,state to be accurately informed regarding ,united ,states and foreign country successes and failures in the fight against human trafficking4 7#aj7 ,the diplomatic power and credibility of the ,trafficking in ,persons ,report is based on rigorous scholarship and scrupulous application of the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking and is undermined by political1 rather than factual1 tier rankings4 7#aa7 ,strong and effective anti-slavery policy requires that officials from the ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking have equal hierarchical standing with ,state ,department regional bureaus and direct access to the ,secretary of ,state4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking of the ,department of ,state will be more effective in carrying out duties mandated by ,congress in the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj if the ,office status is changed to that of a ,bureau within the ,department hierarchy2 7#b7 the change in status from ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking to a ,bureau can be accomplished without increasing the number of personnel or the budget of the current ,office2 7#c7 a ,bureau to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking would be more effective in carrying out duties mandated by ,congress in the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj if the ,bureau were headed by an ,assistant ,secretary with direct access to the ,secretary of ,state1 rather than an ,ambassador-at-,large2 and 7#d7 the ,secretary of ,state should review the current use of the #bd ,assistant ,secretary positions authorized by section #a7;c77#a7 of the ,state ,department ,basic ,authorities ,act of #aief 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bfea;a7c77#a77 and make appropriate revisions1 consolidations1 and eliminations1 to ensure that those positions reflect the highest ,departmental needs and foreign policy priorities of the ,united ,states1 including efforts to combat trafficking in persons4 #d4 ,bureau to ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons 7a7 ,in general ,section #aje7;e7 of the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gajc7;e77 is amended-- 7#a7 in the heading1 by striking ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking and inserting ,bureau to ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 in the first sentence1 by striking ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking and inserting ,bureau to ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons2 7,b7 in the second sentence1 by striking ,office and inserting ,bureau2 and 7,c7 in the sixth sentence1 by striking ,office and inserting ,bureau2 and 7#c7 in subparagraph 7,a7 of paragraph 7#b71 by striking ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking and inserting ,bureau to ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons4 7b7 ,reference ,any reference in the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj or in any other ,act to the ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking shall be deemed to be a reference to the ,bureau to ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons4 #e4 ,report regarding designation of ,assistant ,secretary of ,state to ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate a report detailing-- 7#a7 for each current ,assistant ,secretary of ,state position-- 7,a7 the title of that ,assistant ,secretary of ,state2 7,b7 how long that particular ,assistant ,secretary designation has been in existence2 and 7,c7 whether that particular ,assistant ,secretary designation was legislatively mandated or authorized and1 if so1 the relevant statutory citation for such mandate or authorization2 and 7#b7 whether the ,secretary intends to designate one of the ,assistant ,secretary of ,state positions authorized by section #a7;c77#a7 of the ,state ,department ,basic ,authorities ,act of #aief 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bfea;a7c77#a77 as the ,assistant ,secretary of ,state to ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons1 and the reasons for that decision4 #f4 ,countries on special watch list for #d consecutive years that are downgraded and reinstated on special watch list ,section #aaj7;b77#b7 of the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gajg7;b77#b77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7,f7 ,countries on special watch list for #d consecutive years that are downgraded and reinstated on special watch list ,notwithstanding subparagraphs 7,d7 and 7,e71 a country that-- 7i7 was included on the special watch list described in subparagraph 7,a7 for #d consecutive years after the date of the enactment of the ,william ,wilberforce ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,reauthorization ,act of #bjjh2 and 7ii7 was subsequently included on the list of countries described in paragraph 7#a77;,c71 may not thereafter be included on the special watch list described in subparagraph 7,a7 for more than #a consecutive year4 4 #g4 ,cost limitation ,no additional funds are authorized to be appropriated for ,diplomatic and ,consular ,programs to carry out the provisions of this ,act4 ,passed the ,house of ,representatives ,july #bc1 #bjad4;,clerk4