Enhancing the ability of State, local, and Tribal child welfare agencies to identify and respond to children who are, or are at risk of being, victims of trafficking

The Secretary of Health and Human Services may make grants to eligible States to develop, improve, or expand programs that assist State, local, or Tribal child welfare agencies with identifying and responding to— In this section: The term “child” means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age or such older age as the State has elected under section 475(8) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 675(8)). At the option of an eligible State, such term may include an individual who has not attained 26 years of age. The term “eligible State” means a State that has not received more than 3 grants under this section and meets 1 or more of the following criteria: The State has eliminated or will eliminate any requirement relating to identification of a controlling third party who causes a child to engage in a commercial sex act in order for the child to be considered a victim of trafficking or a victim of 1 or more severe forms of trafficking in persons for purposes of accessing child welfare services and care. The State considers a child to be a victim of trafficking if the individual is a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons, as described in subparagraph (A) of section 7102(11) of title 22. The State agency responsible for administering the State plan for foster care and adoption assistance under part E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.) has developed and is implementing or will develop and implement protocols that meet the following reporting requirements: The State has developed and implemented or will develop and implement a specialized protocol for responding to a child who is, or is at risk of being, a trafficking victim to ensure the response focuses on the child’s specific safety needs as a victim of trafficking, and that includes the development and use of an alternative mechanism for investigating and responding to cases of child human trafficking in which the alleged offender is not the child’s parent or caregiver without utilizing existing processes for investigating and responding to other forms of child abuse or neglect that require the filing of an abuse or neglect petition. The term “Indian tribe” and “tribal organization” have the meanings given those terms in section 5304 of title 25. The term “State” means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Such term includes an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium with a plan approved under section 479B of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 679c), or which is receiving funding to provide foster care under part E of title IV of such Act [42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.] pursuant to a cooperative agreement or contract with a State.