Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/2902

 PUBLIC LAW 108–193—DEC. 19, 2003

117 STAT. 2883

determines requires special scrutiny during the following year. The list shall be composed of the following countries: ‘‘(i) Countries that have been listed pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) in the current annual report and were listed pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) in the previous annual report. ‘‘(ii) Countries that have been listed pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) pursuant to the current annual report and were listed pursuant to paragraph (1)(C) in the previous annual report. ‘‘(iii) Countries that have been listed pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) pursuant to the current annual report, where— ‘‘(I) the absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or is significantly increasing; ‘‘(II) there is a failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year, including increased investigations, prosecutions and convictions of trafficking crimes, increased assistance to victims, and decreasing evidence of complicity in severe forms of trafficking by government officials; or ‘‘(III) the determination that a country is making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with minimum standards was based on commitments by the country to take additional future steps over the next year. ‘‘(B) INTERIM ASSESSMENT.—Not later than February 1st of each year, the Secretary of State shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees an assessment of the progress that each country on the special watch list described in subparagraph (A) has made since the last annual report. ‘‘(C) RELATION OF SPECIAL WATCH LIST TO ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT.—A determination that a country shall not be placed on the special watch list described in subparagraph (A) shall not affect in any way the determination to be made in the following year as to whether a country is complying with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking or whether a country is making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with such standards.’’. (f) ENHANCING UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE.—Section 134(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2152d(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: ‘‘Assistance may be provided under this section notwithstanding section 660 of this Act.’’. (g) RESEARCH RELATING TO TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 112 the following new section:

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