S. 426

119 S426 IS: Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025
 U.S. Senate
 2025-02-05
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 EN
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 II  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  S. 426  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   February 5, 2025   Mr. Lankford  (for himself,  Ms. Klobuchar , and  Ms. Hassan ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs    A BILL
To provide for modifications to ending trafficking in government contracting, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025  .
2.
Modifications to ending trafficking in government contracting
(a)
Compliance plan and certification requirement
Section 1703 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 ( 22 U.S.C. 7104a ) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (c), by striking  upon request  and inserting  at the time each certification required under subsection (a) is made and upon request  ; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(e)
Incident reporting
If, after a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement is provided or entered into, the duly designated representative of the recipient determines that the recipient, subcontractor or subgrantee, or agent of the recipient or of a subcontractor or subgrantee has engaged in any of the activities described in section 106(g) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7104(g) ) during the term of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, the representative shall promptly submit to the relevant contracting or grant officer a report that describes the circumstances relating to such activities and the remedial actions taken to address such activities.
 .
(b)
Monitoring and investigation of trafficking in persons
Section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 ( 22 U.S.C. 7104b ) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)(2), by inserting after the first sentence the following:  In the event that a duly designated representative of the recipient submits a report described in section 1703(e), the Inspector General shall conduct an investigation of the activities and remedial actions described in the report. ;
(2)
in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:  If the rationale for not completing an investigation includes that a recipient acknowledged the activity occurred and has, according to the Inspector General, taken appropriate corrective action to remediate it, the Inspector General shall notify the head of the executive agency that awarded the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement and the relevant agency suspension and debarment official. ; and
(3)
in subsection (c)(1)—
(A)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—
(i)
by striking  , as amended by section 1702,  and inserting  or failed to take appropriate corrective action to address such activities, ; and
(ii)
by inserting  , suspend payments under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement until the recipient has taken appropriate remedial action,  after  debarment official ;
(B)
by striking subparagraph (C); and
(C)
by redesignating subparagraphs (D), (E), and (F) as subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E), respectively.
3.
Office of Management and Budget report
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit to Congress a report on the feasibility of—
(1)
amending section 1703 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 ( 22 U.S.C. 7104a ), as amended by section 2(a) of this Act, to require contracting officials, including those at the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the United States Agency for International Development, to assess compliance of contractor anti-trafficking plans for product and service categories and geographic locations that Federal agencies identify as higher risk for human trafficking;
(2)
streamlining agency reporting required by Federal trafficking victims protection laws to promote efficiency while meeting congressional information needs; and
(3)
requiring Federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the United States Agency for International Development, to track and report whether contracting personnel have taken anti-trafficking acquisition training explaining their responsibilities to combat human trafficking.