S. 3597Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Protecting Child Trafficking Victim Witnesses Act

Introduced October 11, 2018

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 16, 2026 at 12:07 AM UTC

The Protecting Child Trafficking Victim Witnesses Act would improve how the federal government protects children who are forced to testify against human traffickers. It directs the Attorney General to issue victim‑centered guidelines for prosecutors, adds specific training on protecting child witnesses, and expands grant language to fund those protections. The changes affect child trafficking victims, federal prosecutors, and agencies that receive anti‑trafficking block grants.

Key Provisions

  • Within 180 days of the law’s enactment, the Attorney General must issue guidance for federal prosecutors on victim‑centered protocols to better protect child victims who testify.
  • Amends the Combat Human Trafficking Act to require prosecutors to receive training on specific, victim‑centered protocols that aim to strengthen protections for child witnesses and reduce the need for children to appear in court.
  • Updates the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act’s block‑grant provisions to include strengthening protections for child victims testifying and training to minimize the use of child witnesses.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

October 11, 2018

View full timeline
SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

October 11, 2018

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

October 11, 2018

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Introduced in SenateIssued October 11, 2018

II

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 3597

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 11, 2018

Mr. Heller introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To strengthen protections for child trafficking victims testifying against human traffickers.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protecting Child Trafficking Victim Witnesses Act.

2.

Victim-centered protocols

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall issue guidance directing Federal prosecutors to institute victim-centered protocols to strengthen protections for child trafficking victims testifying against human traffickers.

3.

Training for Federal prosecutors

Subsection (c)(1)(B) of the Combat Human Trafficking Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 14044g(c)(1)(B)) is amended—

(1)

by striking training on seeking restitution and inserting the following: “training on—

(i)

seeking restitution

;

(2)

by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(ii)

specific, victim-centered protocols to strengthen protections for child trafficking victims testifying against human traffickers, including training to minimize the need for child trafficking victim witnesses.

.

4.

Additional uses for victim-centered child human trafficking deterrence block grant

Section 203(b)(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (34 U.S.C. 20703(b)(1)) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (D), by striking and at the end;

(2)

in subparagraph (E), by adding and at the end; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(F)

strengthen protections for child trafficking victims testifying against human traffickers, including training to minimize the need for child trafficking victim witnesses.

.