SOAR to Health and Wellness Act of 2018

Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Act of 2018 or the SOAR to Health and Wellness Act of 2018

(Sec. 2) This bill provides statutory authority for and expands the Department of Health and Human Services program known as the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program or the SOAR to Health and Wellness Training Program.

The program trains health care and social service providers to:

• identify potential human trafficking victims,
• work with law enforcement to report and facilitate communication with such victims,
• refer victims to social or victims service agencies or organizations, and
• provide such victims with coordinated care tailored to their circumstances.

The program must include the functions of the training program with the same name that was operating before this bill's enactment and the following initiatives:

• engaging stakeholders to develop a flexible training module,
• providing technical assistance relating to program activities,
• developing a methodology for collecting and reporting data on the number of human trafficking victims served through the program, and
• integrating program training with other types of training for health care and social service providers (e.g., training regarding sexual assault victims).

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov