Orphanage Trafficking Prevention and Protection Act

This bill seeks to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 by expanding the definition of "severe forms of trafficking in persons." The primary goal is to explicitly include the trafficking of orphaned, abandoned, or minor children residing in public or private residential facilities, such as orphanages or group homes. The legislation identifies these children as highly vulnerable to exploitation, often targeted under the guise of education or care, and notes that current law does not adequately address this specific form of trafficking. By clarifying that the recruitment, harboring, transportation, transfer, or receipt of such minors for purposes like forced labor or sex trafficking constitutes a severe form of trafficking, the bill aims to enhance accountability. This amendment is intended to strengthen efforts to prosecute perpetrators, protect victims, and improve the effectiveness of United States anti-trafficking initiatives globally.