6 U.S.C. § 242a — Department of Homeland Security Center for Countering Human Trafficking

This section creates the Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) within the Department of Homeland Security. (a) Establishment. (1) The Secretary of Homeland Security must operate CCHT inside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations division. (2) CCHT's purpose is to lead the Department's global fight against human trafficking through law enforcement, victim protection, prevention, and awareness work. (3) Homeland Security Investigations must keep a plan ("concept of operations") describing who is involved in CCHT, its funding, its core jobs, and its staff, and must update that plan as needed. (4) Personnel: (A) The Secretary must appoint a CCHT Director, who must be a Senior Executive Service member and act as the Department's official representative on human trafficking issues. (B) Subject to available funding, CCHT must have at least 45 employees, including: (i) staff running the Continued Presence Program and other victim protection work; (ii) staff handling training, curriculum, and public education; (iii) staff handling outside partnerships, federal coordination, and policy; (iv) staff handling public relations, HR, evaluation, data, and IT; (v) special agents and analysts who investigate trafficking and forced-labor imports; and (vi) managers. (b) Operations Unit. The Director must run an Operations Unit that, at minimum: (1) supports criminal trafficking investigations by developing and coordinating leads and giving expert help; (2) strengthens enforcement of the ban on importing goods made with forced labor; (3) coordinates Department-wide audits and enforcement, including suspending or barring contractors, to reduce trafficking risk in Department contracts; and (4) supports enforcement with intelligence work like lead development and data analysis. (c) Protection and Awareness Programs Unit. The Director must also run a Protection and Awareness Programs Unit that: (1) builds a victim-centered approach into Department policy, training, and practice; (2) runs a full Continued Presence program; (3) helps develop and review trafficking training, screening, and identification tools; (4) runs the Blue Campaign's public awareness effort and other efforts to encourage victim identification and reporting; and (5) coordinates outreach — including training and events — with survivors, nonprofits, businesses, international groups, and law enforcement.