,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ebfa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #ad1 
#bjbb,mr4 ,cardin introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to protect      
certain victims of human trafficking by 
expanding the authority of the          
,secretary of ,homeland ,security to    
grant such aliens continued presence in 
the ,united ,states4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,continued ,presence ,improvement ,act4 
#b4 ,trafficking victims ,section       
#ajg7;c77#c7 of the ,trafficking        
,victims ,protection ,act of #bjjj 7#bb 
,u4,s4,c4 #gaje7;c77#c77 is amended--   
7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a7-- 7,a7 in     
clause 7i7-- 7i7 by striking ,federal2  
7ii7 by striking is and inserting may   
be2  7iii7 by striking and may be a     
potential witness to such trafficking2  
and  7iv7 by striking may permit the    
alien to remain in the ,united ,states  

to facilitate the investigation and and 
inserting may permit the continued      
presence of the alien in the ,united    
,states for the duration of an          
investigation or2  7,b7 in clause 7ii71 
by striking ,federal law enforcement    
officials described in clause 7i7 and   
inserting law enforcement officials2    
7,c7 in clause 7iii7-- 7i7 in the clause
 header1 by striking ,continuation of   
presence and inserting ,civil action2   
7ii7 by striking shall and inserting    
may2  7iii7 by striking described in    
clause 7i7 who and inserting who is a   
victim of a severe form of trafficking  
and2 and  7iv7 by adding at the end the 
following3 ,continued presence shall be 
extended beyond an investigation or     
prosecution described in clause 7i7 if  
the alien has a pending immigration     
benefit application until such          
application is approved1 withdrawn1 or  
denied1 unless the ,secretary determines
 that continued presence is no longer   
warranted42 and  7,d7 by adding at the  

end the following3  7v7 ,employment     
authorization ,during the period the    
alien is authorized to remain in the    
,united ,states under this paragraph1   
the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security   
shall-- 7,i7 authorize the alien to     
engage in employment in the ,united     
,states2 and  7,,ii7 provide the alien  
with an employment authorized           
endorsement or other appropriate work   
permit4  7vi7 ,law enforcement official 
,in this paragraph1 the term law        
enforcement official means personnel    
from a ,federal1 ,state1 tribal1        
territorial1 or local law enforcement   
agency1 labor agency1 children's        
protective services agency1 or other    
civil1 criminal1 judicial or            
administrative authority that has the   
responsibility and authority for the    
detection1 investigation1 or prosecution
 of severe forms of trafficking in      
persons4  7vii7 ,protection from        
immigration enforcement ,while a grant  
of continued presence is in effect under

 this paragraph1 ,federal law           
enforcement officials may only take     
civil immigration enforcement actions   
against an alien described in clause 7i7
 or 7iii7-- 7,i7 based on conduct       
committed after continued presence is   
authorized2 or  7,,ii7 following        
consultation with the law enforcement   
official who filed the application for  
continued presence4  2  7#b7 in         
subparagraph 7,b7-- 7,a7 by striking    
,law enforcement and inserting the      
following3  7i7 ,outside the united     
states ,law enforcement  2  7,b7 in     
clause 7i71 as redesignated1 by striking
 subparagraph 7,a77i7 and inserting     
clause 7i7 or 7iii7 of subparagraph     
7,a72 and  7,c7 by adding at the end the
 following3  7ii7 ,inside the united    
states ,law enforcement officials may   
submit written requests to the          
,secretary of ,homeland ,security for   
deferred action and employment          
authorization for certain relatives of  
any alien whose continued presence is   

permitted under clause 7i7 or 7iii7 of  
subparagraph 7,a74  2 and  7#c7 by      
amending subparagraph 7,c7 to read as   
follows3  7,c7 ,law enforcement office  
policies1 training1 and material ,the   
,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 the  
,secretary of ,state1 the ,secretary of 
,labor1 the ,secretary of ,health and   
,human ,services1 the ,attorney         
,general1 and the ,commissioner of the  
,equal ,employment ,opportunity         
,commission shall-- 7i7 develop policies
 and procedures for their respective    
agencies that encourage the use of and  
immediate application for continued     
presence by the respective agency upon  
identification of a victim of a severe  
form of trafficking in persons under    
subparagraph 7,a77i7 in appropriate     
cases2  7ii7 develop materials1 in      
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,homeland ,security1 to encourage and   
assist their respective ,federal agency 
personnel and other law enforcement     
officials to request continued presence 

in appropriate cases2 and  7iii7        
distribute the materials developed      
pursuant to clause 7ii7 and provide     
training on such materials to their     
respective ,federal agency personnel and
 other law enforcement officials4  4