Technical amendments to tier rankings

(a) Modifications to Tier 2 watch list Section 110(b)(2) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(2)) is amended— (1) in the paragraph heading, by striking Special and inserting Tier 2; and (2) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows: (A) Submission of list Not later than the date on which the determinations described in subsections (c) and (d) are submitted to the appropriate congressional committees in accordance with such subsections, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a list of countries that the Secretary determines require special scrutiny during the following year. Such list shall be composed of countries that have been listed pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) pursuant to the current annual report because— (i) the estimated number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or is significantly increasing and the country is not taking proportional concrete actions; or (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.. (b) Modification to special rule for downgraded and reinstated countries Section 110(b)(2)(F) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(2)(F)) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking the special watch list and all that follows through the country— and inserting the Tier 2 watch list described in subparagraph (A) for more than 2 years immediately after the country consecutively—; (2) in clause (i), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking the special watch list described in subparagraph (A)(iii) and inserting the Tier 2 watch list described in subparagraph (A); and (3) in clause (ii), by inserting in the year following such waiver under subparagraph (D)(ii) before the period at the end. (c) Conforming amendments Section 110(b) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)) is further amended— (1) in paragraph (2), as amended by subsection (a)— (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking special watch list and inserting Tier 2 watch list; (B) in subparagraph (C)— (i) in the subparagraph heading, by striking special watch list and inserting Tier 2 watch list; and (ii) by striking special watch list and inserting Tier 2 watch list; and (C) in subparagraph (D)— (i) in the subparagraph heading, by striking special watch list and inserting Tier 2 watch list; and (ii) in clause (i), by striking special watch list and inserting Tier 2 watch list; (2) in paragraph (3)(B), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of; and (3) in paragraph (4)— (A) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking each country described in paragraph (2)(A)(ii) and inserting each country described in paragraph (2)(A); and (B) in subparagraph (D)(ii), by striking the Special Watch List and inserting the Tier 2 watch list. (d) Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018 Section 204(b)(1) of the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–425) is amended by striking special watch list and inserting Tier 2 watch list. (e) Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 Section 106(b)(6)(E)(iii) of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4205(b)(6)(E)(iii) is amended by striking under section and all that follows and inserting under section 110(b)(2)(A) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(2)(A)).