To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would renew and continue funding for a federal training program called the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness program. SOAR is a training initiative designed to help healthcare workers and other professionals recognize and respond to signs of human trafficking when they encounter potential victims in medical or health-related settings. Without reauthorization, the program's funding and official authorization would expire, so this bill would extend its legal standing and allow it to keep operating.

The program primarily affects healthcare providers — such as doctors, nurses, emergency room staff, and social workers — by giving them tools and training to identify patients who may be victims of sex trafficking or labor trafficking. Trafficked individuals sometimes seek medical care, and trained providers may be among the few people with an opportunity to identify and help them. The training teaches health workers how to safely ask questions, recognize warning signs, and connect victims with appropriate resources and support.

This bill would impact anyone who works in or receives care from health settings where SOAR training has been implemented, and more broadly, it supports efforts to identify and assist human trafficking survivors. The legislation has moved through the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is now positioned for a full House vote. It represents a continuation of an existing federal effort rather than the creation of a new program.