6 U.S.C. § 258 — Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program

(a) Definitions. (1) A "forensic interview specialist" is someone specially trained to conduct trauma-informed interviews with crime victims. (2) "Victim" has the meaning given in section 20141(e)(2) of title 34. (3) A "victim assistance specialist" is someone who has worked directly with crime victims, has been trained on the trauma victims experience, and may have worked with local government or community groups like victim or child advocacy centers, child welfare agencies, or faith-based and social service organizations. (b) In general. This section creates the Victim Assistance Program inside Homeland Security Investigations, part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (c) Functions. The program must: (1) oversee, train, equip, fund travel for, and coordinate Homeland Security Investigations staff who assist victims nationwide; (2) hire at least one forensic interview specialist and one victim assistance specialist for every Special Agent in Charge office, plus one victim assistance specialist for every office working a human trafficking task force and every office working a child sexual exploitation task force; (3) support regional attaché offices abroad as needed; (4) train staff on victims' rights, related policies, and the roles of interviewers and specialists, using an approach that is victim-centered, trauma-informed, and, where practical, delivered in the victim's own language; and (5) buy emergency items for victims - food, clothing, hygiene products, transportation, and temporary shelter - when a nongovernmental organization isn't already providing them.