The President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Senior Policy Operating Group

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 authorized the President to establish the President’s Interagency Task Force (PITF), a cabinet-level task force to coordinate federal efforts to combat human trafficking.  The PITF is chaired by the Secretary of State and meets at least once a year.

In 2003, a senior working level group, the Senior Policy Operating Group (SPOG), was created to follow up on PITF initiatives and to implement U.S. Government anti-trafficking policies and guidelines. The SPOG meets quarterly.

Members of the PITF and SPOG include the Departments of State, Justice, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Labor and Defense together with the United States Agency for International Development, Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of the Directorate of National Intelligence. The National Security Council also regularly participates. Most recently the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and the Department of Education have participated.

The most recent PITF meeting [pictured right] was chaired by Secretary Condoleezza Rice on June 19, 2006. Participants included: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, USAID Administrator Ambassador Randall Tobias, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, Under Secretary of Defense David S. C. Chu, Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy Tevi Troy, Deputy Director for National Intelligence Thomas Fingar, Acting U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Mark Dybul, Senior Director at the National Security Council Michael Kozak, Associate Director for National Security Programs at the Office of Management and Budget Joseph Bowab, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, and Ambassador John R. Miller.

See fact sheet on the Presidential $50 Million Initiative