Labor Department staff would train to spot human trafficking

The labor secretary would provide training and ongoing education on detecting human trafficking. The program would cover selected Labor Department employees, including staff in the Wage and Hour Division. The secretary would choose employees based on their duties and consider staff training needs in states with significant increases in oppressive child labor. Training would fit employees’ work, respect privacy laws, explain how to refer cases while protecting victims’ rights, and include employee evaluations. The secretary would have to put the program in place within 180 days after the bill becomes law.

The labor secretary would report annually to Congress on the program and trafficking referrals. Reports would cover the preceding year and go to the House and Senate committees responsible for labor issues. Reports would assess training effectiveness, count people trained and cases referred, and explain how the department tracks authorities’ responses to referrals. The first report would be due within one year after the program begins, with reports due each year afterward.