106-30 December 15, 2000
President Signs "Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection
Act of 2000" On October 28, 2000, the President signed
H.R. 3244, the "Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act
of 2000," into law (Public Law 106-386).
- The new law provides that noncitizens regardless of their
immigration status who are victims of "severe forms of trafficking
in persons in the United States" shall be eligible for Federal and
State benefits and services, including Supplemental Security
Income (SSI)-to the same extent that refugees are eligible for
such benefits and services. The term "severe forms of trafficking
in persons in the United States," is defined as:
- Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by
force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to
perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; and,
- The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or
obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of
force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to
involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.
- Specifically, SSI eligibility is provided to such victims of
trafficking who are:
- Under age 18; or,
- Aged 18 and older who have been certified by the Secretary
of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Attorney
General, as cooperating in every reasonable way in the
investigation and prosecution of severe forms of trafficking,
and who have made a bona fide application with the Immigration
and Naturalization Service for a new "T" immigration visa.
Such eligible aged, blind, and disabled individuals would be
treated for benefit purposes as refugees. That is, they could be
eligible for SSI for the first 7 years that they are in the United
States. The provision is effective upon enactment. |
|