D. DFPS Reporting Requirements Regarding Child Sex Trafficking

1. Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act

Under the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (SFA), DFPS must report immediately^[273], and in no case later than 24 hours after receiving information on children or youth who have been identified as being a sex trafficking victim, to the law enforcement authorities.^[274] 42 U.S.C. § 671(a)(34)(A).

Under SFA, DFPS is also required to develop and implement specific protocols for:

•   Expeditiously locating any child missing from foster care;

•   Determining the primary factors that contributed to the child's running away or otherwise being absent from care, and to the extent possible and appropriate, responding to those factors in current and subsequent placements;

•   Determining the child's experiences while absent from care, including screening the child to determine if the child is a possible sex trafficking victim (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 675(9)(A));

•   Reporting such related information as required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; and

•   DFPS must report immediately, and in no case later than 24 hours after receiving, information on missing or abducted children or youth to the law enforcement authorities for entry into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 42 U.S.C. § 671(a)(35).