Victim-centered child human trafficking deterrence block grant program

The Attorney General may award block grants to an eligible entity to develop, improve, or expand domestic child human trafficking deterrence programs that assist law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judicial officials, and qualified victims’ services organizations in collaborating to rescue and restore the lives of victims, while investigating and prosecuting offenses involving child human trafficking. Grants awarded under subsection (a) may be used for— the establishment or enhancement of specialized training programs for law enforcement officers, first responders, health care officials, child welfare officials, juvenile justice personnel, prosecutors, and judicial personnel to— the establishment or enhancement of dedicated anti-trafficking law enforcement units and task forces to investigate child human trafficking offenses and to rescue victims, including— investigation expenses for cases involving child human trafficking, including— the establishment of child human trafficking victim witness safety, assistance, and relocation programs that encourage cooperation with law enforcement investigations of crimes of child human trafficking by leveraging existing resources and delivering child human trafficking victims’ services through coordination with— the establishment or enhancement of problem solving court programs for trafficking victims that include— the development of a specialized and individualized, court-ordered treatment program for identified victims of child human trafficking, including— An eligible entity shall submit an application to the Attorney General for a grant under this section in such form and manner as the Attorney General may require. An application submitted under this subsection shall— disclose— In reviewing applications submitted in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2), the Attorney General shall give preference to grant applications if— No eligible entity shall be disadvantaged in being awarded a grant under subsection (a) on the grounds that the eligible entity has only recently begun soliciting data on child human trafficking. A grant under this section shall expire 3 years after the date of award of the grant. A grant under this section shall be renewable not more than 2 times and for a period of not greater than 2 years. The Attorney General shall— submit the results of any evaluation conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) to— An eligible entity awarded funds under this section that is found to have used grant funds for any unauthorized expenditure or otherwise unallowable cost shall not be eligible for any grant funds awarded under the block grant for 2 fiscal years following the year in which the unauthorized expenditure or unallowable cost is reported. An eligible entity shall not be eligible to receive a grant under this section if within the 5 fiscal years before submitting an application for a grant under this section, the grantee has been found to have violated the terms or conditions of a Government grant program by utilizing grant funds for unauthorized expenditures or otherwise unallowable costs. The cost of administering the grants authorized by this section shall not exceed 5 percent of the total amount expended to carry out this section. The Federal share of the cost of a program funded by a grant awarded under this section shall be— For purposes of carrying out this section, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, is authorized to award not more than $7,000,000 of the funds available in the Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund, established under section 3014 of title 18, for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020. In this section— the term “eligible entity” means a State or unit of local government that— has developed a workable, multi-disciplinary plan to combat child human trafficking, including— No grant funds under this section may be awarded or transferred to any entity unless such entity has demonstrated substantial experience providing services to victims of human trafficking or related populations (such as runaway and homeless youth), or employs staff specialized in the treatment of human trafficking victims.