annual report on trafficking in persons
(6) Limitations on procedures with respect to agreements with countries not in compliance with Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (A) In general The trade authorities procedures shall not apply to any implementing bill submitted with respect to a trade agreement or trade agreements entered into under section 4202(b) of this title with a country listed as a tier 3 country in the most recent annual report on trafficking in persons. (B) Exception (i) Invoking exception If the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees a letter stating that a country to which subparagraph (A) applies has taken concrete actions to implement the principal recommendations with respect to that country in the most recent annual report on trafficking in persons, the prohibition under subparagraph (A) shall not apply with respect to a trade agreement or trade agreements with that country. (ii) Content of letter; public availability A letter submitted under clause (i) with respect to a country shall— (I) include a description of the concrete actions that the country has taken to implement the principal recommendations described in clause (i); (II) be accompanied by supporting documentation providing credible evidence of each such concrete action, including copies of relevant laws or regulations adopted or modified, and any enforcement actions taken, by that country, where appropriate; and (III) be made available to the public. (C) Special rule for changes in certain determinations If a country is listed as a tier 3 country in an annual report on trafficking in persons submitted in calendar year 2014 or any calendar year thereafter and, in the annual report on trafficking in persons submitted in the next calendar year, is listed on the tier 2 watch list, the President shall submit a detailed description of the credible evidence supporting the change in listing of the country, accompanied by copies of documents providing such evidence, where appropriate, to the appropriate congressional committees— (i) in the case of a change in listing reflected in the annual report on trafficking in persons submitted in calendar year 2015, not later than 90 days after February 24, 2016 ; and (ii) in the case of a change in listing reflected in an annual report on trafficking in persons submitted in calendar year 2016 or any calendar year thereafter, not later than 90 days after the submission of that report. (D) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the integrity of the process for making the determinations in the annual report on trafficking in persons, including determinations with respect to country rankings and the substance of the assessments in the report, should be respected and not affected by unrelated considerations. (E) Definitions In this paragraph: (i) Annual report on trafficking in persons The term “annual report on trafficking in persons” means the annual report on trafficking in persons required under section 110(b)(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(1) ). (ii) Appropriate congressional committees The term “appropriate congressional committees” means— (I) the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and (II) the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. (iii) Tier 2 watch list The term “tier 2 watch list” means the list of countries required under section 110(b)(2)(A)(iii) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(2)(A)(iii) ). (iv) Tier 3 country The term “tier 3 country” means a country on the list of countries required under section 110(b)(1)(C) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(1)(C) ).