The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) is a

federal statute In the law of the United States, the Code of Laws of the United States of America (variously abbreviated to Code of Laws of the United States, United States Code, U.S. Code, U.S.C., or USC) is the official compilation and codification of the ...

passed into law in 2000 by the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

and signed by President Clinton. The law was later reauthorized by presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump. In addition to its applicability to US citizens, it has the ability to authorize protections for undocumented immigrants who are victims of severe forms of trafficking and violence.

History

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act was subsequently renewed in 2003, 2006, 2008 (when it was renamed the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008). The law lapsed in 2011. In 2013, the entirety of the Trafficking Victims Protection was attached as an amendment to the

Violence Against Women Act The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law (Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, ) signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investi ...

and passed. There are two stipulations an applicant has to meet in order to receive the benefits of the T-Visa. First, a victim of trafficking must prove/admit to being a victim of a severe form of trafficking and second must be a part of the prosecution of his or her trafficker. This law does not apply to immigrants seeking admission to the United States for other immigration purposes. Public Law No: 115-393 (12/21/2018) reauthorized the TVPA in 2018, as part of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017. Since the law requires the applicant to become part of the prosecution of his or her trafficker, trafficked persons may be fearful of retaliation upon the self or the family and thus serves as a major deterrent to individuals even considering application. The law contains provisions for protection of those who are categorized as victims of human trafficking, primarily for sex, smuggling, and forced labor forms of exploitation. The TVPA allowed for the establishment of the Department of State's

Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) is an agency within the United States Department of State charged with investigating and creating programs to prevent human trafficking both within the United States and internation ...

, which coordinates with foreign governments to protect trafficking victims, prevent trafficking, and prosecute traffickers.

Amendments

Proposed

* Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 (H.R. 3530; 113th Congress) - this bill established in the Treasury the

Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes c ...

into which such penalties shall be deposited and which shall be used in FY2015-FY2019 to award grants or enhance victims' programming under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the

Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. There are various ...

, and the

Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 Victim(s) or The Victim may refer to: People * Crime victim * Victim, in psychotherapy, a posited role in the Karpman drama triangle model of transactional analysis Films and television * ''The Victim'' (1916 film), an American silent film by ...

. The bill also amended the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to direct the

United States Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...

(HHS) to make a determination, based on credible evidence, that a covered individual (i.e., a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident) has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking. It was scheduled to be voted on in the House on May 20, 2014 under a

suspension of the rules In parliamentary procedure, a suspension of the rules allows a deliberative assembly to set aside its normal rules to do something that it could not do otherwise. However, there are rules that cannot be suspended. Explanation of use Rules are ess ...

. *

Human Trafficking Prevention Act (H.R. 4449; 113th Congress) The Human Trafficking Prevention Act () is a bill that would require regular training and briefings for some federal government personnel to raise awareness of human trafficking and help employees spot cases of it. The bill was introduced in the ...

- this bill required regular training and briefings for some federal government personnel to raise awareness of human trafficking and help employees spot cases of it.

Determinations

On September 27, 2016,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

made a Presidential determination on Foreign Governments' Efforts Regarding Trafficking in Persons Consistent with section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (the "Act") (22 U.S.C. 7107). On September 30, 2017,

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

made a Presidential determination under ( Respect to the Efforts of Foreign Governments Regarding Trafficking in Persons).

References

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External links

Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000PDFdetails
as amended in the

GPO GPO may refer to: Government and politics * General Post Office, Dublin * General Post Office, in Britain * Social Security Government Pension Offset, a provision reducing benefits * Government Pharmaceutical Organization, a Thai state enterpris ...

br>Statute Compilations collection

INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE, FORCED LABOR, and SEX TRAFFICKING STATUTES ENFORCED
at the Department of Justice * National Geographic September 2003 pp 23. United States federal criminal legislation United States federal immigration and nationality legislation Human trafficking in the United States Acts of the 106th United States Congress