## Subpart 22.17—Combating Trafficking in Persons

### 22.1700 Scope of subpart.

This subpart prescribes policy for implementing 22 U.S.C. 7104.

### 22.1701 Applicability.

This subpart applies to all acquisitions.

### 22.1702 Definitions.

As used in this subpart—

“Coercion” means—

(1) Threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person;

(2) Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or

(3) The abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process.

“Commercial sex act” means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person.

“Debt bondage” means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of his or her personal services or of those of a person under his or her control as a security for debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined.

“Employee” means an employee of the Contractor directly engaged in the performance of work under the contract who has other than a minimal impact or involvement in contract performance.

“Forced labor” means knowingly providing or obtaining the labor or services of a person—

(1) By threats of serious harm to, or physical restraint against, that person or another person;

(2) By means of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that, if the person did not perform such labor or services, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint; or

(3) By means of the abuse or threatened abuse of law or the legal process.

“Involuntary servitude” includes a condition of servitude induced by means of—

(1) Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that, if the person did not enter into or continue in such conditions, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint; or

(2) The abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process.

“Severe forms of trafficking in persons” means—

(1) 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; or

(2) 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.

“Sex trafficking” means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.

### 22.1703 Policy.

The United States Government has adopted a zero tolerance policy regarding trafficking in persons. Additional information about trafficking in persons may be found at the website for the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons’ at http://www.state.gov/g/tip. Government contracts shall—

(a) Prohibit contractors, contractor employees, subcontractors, and subcontractor employees from—

(1) Engaging in severe forms of trafficking in persons during the period of performance of the contract;

(2) Procuring commercial sex acts during the period of performance of the contract; or

(3) Using forced labor in the performance of the contract;

(b) Require contractors and subcontractors to notify employees of the prohibited activities described in paragraph (a) of this section and the actions that may be taken against them for violations; and

(c) Impose suitable remedies, including termination, on contractors that fail to comply with the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.

### 22.1704 Violations and remedies.

(a) Violations. The Government may impose the remedies set forth in paragraph (b) of this section if—

(1) The contractor, contractor employee, subcontractor, or subcontractor employee engages in severe forms of trafficking in persons during the period of performance of the contract;

(2) The contractor, contractor employee, subcontractor, or subcontractor employee procures a commercial sex act during the period of performance of the contract;

(3) The contractor, contractor employee, subcontractor, or subcontractor employee uses forced labor in the performance of the contract; or

(4) The contractor fails to comply with the requirements of the clause at 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons.

(b) Remedies. After determining in writing that adequate evidence exists to suspect any of the violations at paragraph (a) of this section, the contracting officer may pursue any of the remedies specified in paragraph (e) of the clause at 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons. The contracting officer may take into consideration whether the contractor had a Trafficking in Persons awareness program at the time of the violation as a mitigating factor when determining the appropriate remedies. These remedies are in addition to any other remedies available to the United States Government.

### 22.1705 Contract clause.

(a) Insert the clause at 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons, in all solicitations and contracts.

(b) Use the basic clause with its Alternate I when the contract will be performed outside the United States (as defined at 25.003) and the contracting officer has been notified of specific U.S. directives or notices regarding combating trafficking in persons (such as general orders or military listings of “off-limits” local establishments) that apply to contractor employees at the contract place of performance.

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