,i  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cfjf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #bd1 #bjae
 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard introduced the    
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in
 addition to the ,committees on         
,homeland ,security1 ,foreign ,affairs1 
and ,appropriations1 for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to provide for enhanced     
protections for vulnerable unaccompanied
 alien children and female detainees4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,child ,trafficking ,victims    
,protection ,act4  #b4 ,protecting child
 trafficking victims  7a7 ,defined term 
,in this section1 the term unaccompanied
 alien children has the meaning given   
such term in section #dfb of the        
,homeland ,security ,act of #bjjb 7#f   
,u4,s4,c4 #bgi74  7b7 ,mandatory        

training ,the ,secretary of ,homeland   
,security1 in consultation with the     
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services and independent child welfare 
experts1 shall mandate appropriate      
training of all personnel who come into 
contact with unaccompanied alien        
children in the relevant legal          
authorities1 policies1 practices1 and   
procedures pertaining to this vulnerable
 population4  7c7 ,care and             
transportation ,notwithstanding any     
other provision of law1 the ,secretary  
of ,homeland ,security shall ensure that
 all unaccompanied alien children who   
will undergo any immigration proceedings
 before the ,secretary or the ,executive
 ,office for ,immigration ,review are   
duly transported and placed in the care 
and legal and physical custody of the   
,director of the ,office of ,refugee    
,resettlement not later than #gb hours  
after their apprehension1 absent        
exceptional circumstances4 ,in          
exceptional circumstances1 such as an   

influx of children or a natural         
disaster1 the ,secretary of ,homeland   
,security shall make emergency funds    
available to the ,director of the       
,office of ,refugee ,resettlement1 to   
the extent and in such amounts as are   
provided in advance in appropriations   
,acts1 for the operation of emergency   
shelters4 ,the ,secretary of ,homeland  
,security1 to the extent practicable1   
shall ensure that female officers are   
continuously present during the transfer
 and transport of female detainees who  
are in the custody of the ,secretary4   
7d7 ,qualified resources  7#a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary of ,homeland    
,security shall provide adequately      
trained and qualified staff and         
resources1 including child welfare      
professionals in accordance with        
subsection 7e71 at ,u4,s4 ,customs and  
,border ,protection ports of entry and  
stations4  7#b7 ,child welfare          
professionals ,the ,secretary of        
,homeland ,security1 in consultation    

with the ,secretary of ,health and      
,human ,services1 shall hire or contract
 with1 on a full- or part-time basis1   
child welfare professionals who will    
provide assistance in the ,u4,s4        
,customs and ,border ,protection offices
 or stations having in their custody an 
average of #be or more children a day in
 the past fiscal year1 and subject to   
review based upon the current fiscal    
year's monthly statistical reports4  7e7
 ,child welfare professionals  7#a7 ,in 
general ,the ,secretary1 in consultation
 with the ,secretary of ,health and     
,human ,services1 shall ensure that     
qualified child welfare professionals1  
licensed in social work1 or other       
comparable training and expertise1 and  
with expertise in culturally competent1 
trauma-centered1 and developmentally    
appropriate interviewing skills are     
available at ports of entry and stations
 as described in subsection 7d74 ,child 
welfare professionals shall be          
proficient in the most common languages 

spoken by children apprehended at the   
border4 ,in the case where one is not   
available1 an interpreter shall be used4
  7#b7 ,duties ,child welfare           
professionals described in paragraph    
7#a7 shall-- 7,a7 develop guidelines for
 treatment of children in the custody of
 the ,commissioner of ,u4,s4 ,customs   
and ,border ,protection2  7,b7 ensure   
allegations of abuse or mistreatment are
 referred to the appropriate ,state and 
,federal child protection authorities   
and that the ,commissioner of ,u4,s4    
,customs and ,border ,protection and the
 ,director of the ,office of ,refugee   
,resettlement satisfy their obligations 
under applicable child abuse reporting  
laws by--  7i7 ensuring that children   
can avail themselves of relevant        
complaint mechanisms to report abuse or 
misconduct2  7ii7 reporting abuse or    
mistreatment to ,state and ,federal     
child protection authorities as         
required1 as well as ,department of     
,homeland ,security ,office of the      

,inspector ,general1 ,office of ,civil  
,rights and ,civil ,liberties1 ,u4,s4   
,customs and ,border ,protection        
,internal ,affairs ,office1 and the     
,office of ,refugee ,resettlement2 and  
7iii7 providing notice to area          
government subcontracted legal service  
providers regarding a child who has made
 an allegation of abuse and directing   
provider to relevant authorities        
regarding availability of immigration   
and administrative relief for           
individuals with pending civil rights   
complaints2  7,c7 conduct screening of  
all unaccompanied alien children in     
accordance with section #bce7;a77#d7 of 
the ,william ,wilberforce ,trafficking  
,victims ,protection ,reauthorization   
,act of #bjjh 7#h ,u4,s4,c4             
#abcb7;a77#d77 and refrain from         
screening children from noncontiguous   
countries who will undergo screening at 
the ,office of ,refugee ,resettlement2  
7,d7 notify the ,secretary of ,homeland 
,security and the ,director of the      

,office of ,refugee ,resettlement of    
children that potentially meet the      
notification and transfer requirements1 
including children for whom a           
determination cannot be made1 as set    
forth in subsections 7a7 and 7b7 of     
section #bce of the ,william            
,wilberforce ,trafficking ,victims      
,protection ,reauthorization ,act of    
#bjjh 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abcb72  7,e7       
provide a best interest placement       
recommendation for accompanied children 
and families to the ,director of ,u4,s4 
,immigration and ,customs ,enforcement  
that takes into consideration the best  
interests of the child and applicable   
law1 favoring a policy of release2  7,f7
 interview adult relatives accompanying 
unaccompanied alien children2  7,g7     
provide an initial family relationship  
and trafficking assessment and          
recommendations regarding unaccompanied 
alien children's initial placements to  
the ,director of the ,office of ,refugee
 ,resettlement1 which shall be conducted

 in accordance with the timeframe set   
forth in subsections 7a77#d7 and 7b77#c7
 of section #bce of the ,william        
,wilberforce ,trafficking ,victims      
,protection ,reauthorization ,act of    
#bjjh 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abcb72  7,h7 ensure
 that each child in the custody of the  
,commissioner of ,u4,s4 ,customs and    
,border ,protection-- 7i7 receives      
emergency medical care when necessary2  
7ii7 receives emergency medical and     
mental health care that complies with   
the standards adopted pursuant to       
section #h7;c7 of the ,prison ,rape     
,elimination ,act of #bjjc 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aefjg7;c77 whenever          
necessary1 including in cases in which a
 child is at risk to harm himself1      
herself1 or others2  7iii7 is provided  
with climate appropriate clothing1      
shoes1 basic personal hygiene and       
sanitary products1 a pillow1 linens1 and
 sufficient blankets to rest at a       
comfortable temperature2  7iv7 receives 
adequate nutrition2  7v7 enjoys a safe  

and sanitary living environment2  7vi7  
has access to daily recreational        
programs and activities if held for a   
period longer than #bd hours2  7vii7 has
 regular access to legal services and   
consular officials both in person and   
telephonically2 and  7viii7 is permitted
 to make supervised phone calls to      
family members2  7,i7 develop procedures
 to maintain the best interests of the  
child in any migration deterrence       
programs for family units carried out at
 a border1 including--  7i7 inquiring   
whether a child is traveling with a     
parent or legal guardian2  7ii7         
ascertaining whether the removal        
location of an apprehended parent or    
legal guardian of the child presents any
 humanitarian concern or concern related
 to such apprehended individual's       
physical safety2  7iii7 ensuring that1  
with respect to a decision related to   
the removal or referral for prosecution 
of such apprehended individual1 due     
consideration is given to--  7,i7 the   

best interests of such apprehended      
individual's child1 if any2  7,,ii7     
family unity whenever possible2 and     
7,,iii7 other public interest factors1  
including humanitarian concerns and     
concerns related to such apprehended    
individual's physical safety2 and  7,j7 
coordinate with the ,mexican ,consulate 
to ensure the safe repatriation of      
,mexican children4  7#c7 ,monitoring    
,the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 
in consultation with a child welfare    
professional1 shall develop procedures  
to provide regular access to            
nongovernmental organizations for human 
rights monitoring4  7#d7 ,report ,not   
later than #ah months after the date of 
the enactment of this ,act1 and annually
 thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit
 a report to ,congress that--  7,a7     
describes the screening procedures used 
by the child welfare professionals to   
screen unaccompanied alien children and 
children accompanied by a parent or     
legal guardian2  7,b7 assesses the      

effectiveness of such screenings2 and   
7,c7 includes data on all children who  
were screened by child welfare          
professionals4  7f7 ,immediate          
notification ,the ,secretary of         
,homeland ,security shall notify the    
,director of the ,office of ,refugee    
,resettlement of an unaccompanied alien 
child in the custody of the ,secretary  
as soon as practicable1 but generally   
not later than #dh hours after the      
,secretary encounters the child1 to     
effectively and efficiently coordinate  
the child's transfer to and placement   
with the ,director of the ,office of    
,refugee ,resettlement4  7g7 ,notice of 
rights and right to access to counsel   
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall  
ensure that all children1 upon          
apprehension1 are provided-- 7,a7 an    
interview and screening with a child    
welfare professional described in       
subsection 7e77#a72 and  7,b7 a video   
orientation1 as well as an oral and     
written notice1 in a language they      

understand1 of their rights under the   
,immigration and ,nationality ,act1     
including--  7i7 their right to relief  
from removal2  7ii7 their right to      
confer with counsel 7as guaranteed under
 section #bib of such ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4
 #acfb771 family1 or friends while in   
the temporary custody of the            
,department2 and  7iii7 relevant        
complaint mechanisms to report any abuse
 or misconduct they may have            
experienced4  7#b7 ,languages ,the      
,secretary shall ensure that the video  
orientation described in paragraph 7#a7 
is available in ,english and in the #e  
most common native languages spoken by  
children held in custody at that        
location during the preceding fiscal    
year4  7h7 ,confidentiality ,the        
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services shall maintain the privacy and
 confidentiality of all information     
gathered in the course of providing     
care1 custody1 placement1 and follow-up 
services to unaccompanied alien         

children1 consistent with the best      
interest of the unaccompanied alien     
child1 by not disclosing such           
information to other government agencies
 or nonparental third parties unless    
such disclosure is--  7#a7 recorded in  
writing and placed in the child's file2 
7#b7 in the child's best interest2 and  
7#c7  7,a7 authorized by the child or by
 an approved sponsor in accordance with 
section #bce of the ,william            
,wilberforce ,trafficking ,victims      
,protection ,reauthorization ,act of    
#bjjh 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abcb7 and the      
,health ,insurance ,portability and     
,accountability ,act 7,public ,law      
#ajd-aia72 or  7,b7 provided to a duly  
recognized law enforcement entity to    
prevent imminent and serious harm to    
another individual4  7i7 ,other policies
 and procedures ,the ,secretary shall   
adopt fundamental child protection      
policies and procedures-- 7#a7 for      
reliable age determinations of children1
 developed in consultation with medical 

and child welfare experts1 which exclude
 the use of fallible forensic testing of
 children's bone and teeth2  7#b7 to    
utilize all legal authorities to defer  
the child's removal if the child faces a
 risk of life-threatening harm upon     
return including due to the child's     
mental health or medical condition2 and 
7#c7 to ensure1 in accordance with the  
,juvenile ,justice and ,delinquency     
,prevention ,act of #aigd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4
 #efja et seq471 that unaccompanied     
alien children1 while in detention1     
are--  7,a7 physically separated from   
any adult who is not an immediate family
 member2 and  7,b7 separated from--  7i7
 immigration detainees and inmates with 
criminal convictions2  7ii7 pretrial    
inmates facing criminal prosecution2 and
  7iii7 inmates exhibiting violent      
behavior4  7j7 ,repatriation and        
reintegration program  7#a7 ,in general 
,the ,administrator of the ,united      
,states ,agency for ,international      
,development1 in conjunction with the   

,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 the  
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services1 the ,attorney ,general1      
international organizations1 and        
nongovernmental organizations in the    
,united ,states with expertise in       
repatriation and reintegration1 shall   
ensure that programs in the ,united     
,states and within the country of return
 support the safe and sustainable       
repatriation and reintegration of       
unaccompanied alien children into their 
country of nationality or of last       
habitual residence1 including placement 
with their families1 legal guardians1 or
 other sponsoring agencies4  7#b7 ,scope
 ,the process described in paragraph    
7#a7 shall include-- 7,a7 an            
identification of the expressed needs of
 the child2  7,b7 the creation of       
partnerships with community based       
organizations that are linguistically   
and culturally competent2  7,c7 the     
recognition of the need to include the  
family unit in the process to help the  

child reintegrate2  7,d7 the provision  
of a wide diversity of services1        
including access to school1             
scholarships1 and vocational and skills 
training2  7,e7 procedures that outline 
safe repatriation to ensure children are
 not returned to harm or in other unsafe
 circumstances such as during nighttime 
hours2  7,f7 procedures for when the    
exercise of discretion should be        
exercised because it is not in the      
child's best interest to be returned2   
and  7,g7 special considerations to     
address the particular needs of         
returning girls are addressed1          
tender-aged children1 or other          
vulnerable children4  7#c7 ,report on   
repatriation and reintegration of       
unaccompanied alien children ,not later 
than #ah months after the date of the   
enactment of this ,act1 and annually    
thereafter1 the ,administrator of the   
,agency for ,international ,development 
shall submit a substantive report to the
 ,committee on the ,judiciary of the    

,house of ,representatives and the      
,committee on the ,judiciary of the     
,senate on efforts to improve           
repatriation and reintegration programs 
for unaccompanied alien children4  7k7  
,transfer of funds  7#a7 ,authorization 
,the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 
in accordance with a written agreement  
between the ,secretary and the          
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services1 and to the extent and in such
 amounts as are provided in advance in  
appropriations ,acts1 shall transfer    
such amounts as may be necessary to     
carry out the duties described in       
subsections 7c7 and 7e77#b7 from amounts
 appropriated for ,u4,s4 ,customs and   
,border ,protection to the ,department  
of ,health and ,human ,services4  7#b7  
,report ,not later than #ae days before 
any proposed transfer under paragraph   
7#a71 the ,secretary of ,health and     
,human ,services1 in consultation with  
the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1  
shall submit a detailed expenditure plan

 that describes the actions proposed to 
be taken with amounts transferred under 
such paragraph to--  7,a7 the ,committee
 on ,appropriations of the ,house of    
,representatives2 and  7,b7 the         
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,senate4