Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act

On January 10, 2006, the President signed into law the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (TVPRA of 2005). Section 105(b)(1) of Act directed the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, to "carry out additional activities to monitor and combat forced labor and child labor in foreign countries." Section 105(b)(2) listed these activities as:

(A) Monitor the use of forced labor and child labor in violation of international standards;

(B) Provide information regarding trafficking in persons for the purpose of forced labor to the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking of the Department of State for inclusion in [the] trafficking in persons report required by Section 110(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b));

(C) Develop and make available to the public a list of goods from countries that the Bureau of International Labor Affairs has reason to believe are produced by forced labor or child labor in violation of international standards;

(D) Work with persons who are involved in the production of goods on the list described in subparagraph (C) to create a standard set of practices that will reduce the likelihood that such persons will produce goods using the labor described in such subparagraph; and

(E) Consult with other departments and agencies of the United States Government to reduce forced and child labor internationally and ensure that products made by forced labor and child labor in violation of international standards are not imported into the United States.

ILAB's Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT) carries out the mandates of the TVPRA.

For more information on ILAB's activities, please see our Frequently Asked Questions: DOL Efforts to Combat Child Labor and Forced Labor Pursuant to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005.

Procedural Guidelines

On October 1, 2007, OCFT published a Federal Register Notice [Text] [PDF] containing proposed Procedural Guidelines for the development and maintenance of the list of goods from countries produced by child labor or forced labor in violation of international standards. OCFT received nine public comments on the proposed Procedural Guidelines. These comments and OCFT's responses, along with the final Procedural Guidelines, were published in a Federal Register Notice on December 27, 2007 [Text] [PDF].

Public Request for Information

The December 27, 2007 Federal Register Notice also includes a public request for information about the nature and extent of child labor and forced labor in the production of goods internationally, as well as information on government, industry, or third-party actions and initiatives to address these problems. This information is intended for OCFT's use, as appropriate, in developing its list of goods produced by child labor or forced labor. Submissions of information are requested no later than March 26, 2008.

• View submissions received to date

Public Hearing

OCFT held a public hearing to collect information on forced labor and child labor in the production of goods, at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at the Department of Labor. For background information on this hearing, please see OCFT's Federal Register Notice published April 23, 2008 [Text] [PDF]. On June 11, 2008, OCFT closed the Official Record of the Public Hearing. The Record includes the agenda with witness statements, the full transcript of the May 28, 2008 proceedings, witness responses to follow-up questions from the hearing panel, and other statements and evidence received from the public.