,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ddgh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #f1 #bjbj,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself and ,mr4 ,hawley7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj to ensure adequate time for the preparation of the annual ,trafficking in ,persons ,report and to require the timely provision of information to the ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons and the ,bureau of ,diplomatic ,security of the ,department of ,state regarding the number and location of visa denials based on grounds related to human trafficking4 #a4 ,short titles ,this ,act may be cited as the ,leveraging ,information on ,foreign ,traffickers ,act or the ,,lift ,act4 #b4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the annual ,trafficking ,in ,persons ,report prepared by the ,department of ,state pursuant to the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj 7the ,,tip ,report7 remains one of the most comprehensive1 timely1 and important sources of information on human trafficking in the world1 and currently includes #ahg individual country narratives2 7#b7 in ,january #bjai1 the statute mandating the ,,tip ,report was amended to require that each report must cover efforts and activities occurring within the period from ,april #a of the prior year through ,march #ca of the current year1 which necessarily requires the collection and transmission of information after ,march #ca2 7#c7 ensuring that the ,department of ,state has adequate time to receive1 analyze1 and incorporate trafficking-related information into its annual ,trafficking ,in ,persons ,report is important to the quality and comprehensiveness of that report2 7#d7 information regarding prevalence and patterns of human trafficking is important for understanding the scourge of modern slavery and making effective decisions about where and how to combat it2 and 7#e7 ,united ,states officials responsible for monitoring and combating trafficking in persons around the world should receive available information regarding where and how often ,united ,states diplomatic and consular officials encounter persons who are responsible for1 or who knowingly benefit from1 severe forms of trafficking in persons4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,locations of united states visa denials ,the term location of ,united ,states visa denials means-- 7,a7 the ,united ,states diplomatic or consular post at which a denied ,united ,states visa application was adjudicated2 and 7,b7 the city or locality of residence of the applicant whose visa application was so denied4 7#b7 ,relevant congressional committees ,the term relevant congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 7,b7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,senate2 7,c7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7,d7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,house of ,representatives4 #d4 ,annual deadline for trafficking in persons report ,section #aaj7;b77#a7 of the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gajg7;b77#a77 is amended by striking ,june #a and inserting ,june #cj4 #e4 ,united ,states ,advisory ,council on ,human ,trafficking 7a7 ,extension ,section #aae7;h7 of the ,justice for ,victims of ,trafficking ,act of #bjae 7,public ,law #aad-bb2 #abi ,stat4 #bdc7 is amended by striking ,september #cj1 #bjba and inserting ,september #cj1 #bjbe4 7b7 ,compensation ,section #aae7;f7 of such ,act is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 may each receive compensation for each day such member is engaged in the actual performance of the duties of the ,council4 4 7c7 ,compensation report ,not later than #abj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit a plan to the relevant congressional committees for implementing compensation for members of the ,united ,states ,advisory ,council on ,human ,trafficking pursuant to section #aae7;f77#c7 of the ,justice for ,victims of ,trafficking ,act of #bjae1 as added by subsection 7b77#c74 #f4 ,timely provision of information to the ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons of the ,department of ,state 7a7 ,in general ,section #ajf of the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gajd7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7l7 ,information regarding human trafficking-,related visa denials 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state shall ensure that the ,office to ,monitor and ,combat ,trafficking in ,persons and the ,bureau of ,diplomatic ,security of the ,department of ,state receive timely and regular information regarding ,united ,states visa denials based1 in whole or in part1 on grounds related to human trafficking4 7#b7 ,decisions regarding allocation ,the ,secretary of ,state shall ensure that decisions regarding the allocation of resources of the ,department of ,state related to combating human trafficking and to law enforcement presence at ,united ,states diplomatic and consular posts appropriately take into account-- 7,a7 the information described in paragraph 7#a72 and 7,b7 the information included in the most recent report submitted in accordance with section #aaj7;b74 4 7b7 ,conforming amendment ,section #ajc of such ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gajb7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#ah7 ,grounds related to human trafficking ,the term grounds related to human trafficking means grounds related to the criteria for inadmissibility to the ,united ,states described in section #bab7;a77#b77;,h7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahb7;a77#b77;,h774 4 #g4 ,reports to ,congress 7a7 ,initial report ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit a report to the relevant congressional committees that-- 7#a7 describes the actions that have been taken and that are planned to implement section #ajf7l7 of the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj1 as added by section #f7;a72 and 7#b7 identifies by country and by ,united ,states diplomatic and consular post the number of visa applications denied during the previous calendar year with respect to which the basis for such denial1 included grounds related to human trafficking 7as defined in section #ajc of the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj1 as amended by section #f7;b774 7b7 ,annual report ,beginning with the first annual anti-trafficking report required under section #aaj7;b77#a7 of the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gajg7;b77#a77 that is submitted after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and concurrent with each such subsequent submission for the following #g years1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit a report to the relevant congressional committees that contains information relating to the number and the locations of ,united ,states visa denials based1 in whole or in part1 on grounds related to human trafficking 7as defined in section #ajc of the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj1 as amended by section #f7;b77 during the period covered by each such report4