HYDE-SMITH, GILLIBRAND APPLAUD PASSAGE OF BILL TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

HYDE-SMITH, GILLIBRAND APPLAUD PASSAGE OF BILL TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Lead Bill Sponsors Encourage President Trump to Sign 'Trafficking Survivors Relief Act' into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) lauded unanimous Senate approval of their bipartisan legislation that would enable survivors of human trafficking to have nonviolent offenses that they were forced to commit vacated and expunged.

The Senate passed the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (S.2255/HR.4323) by unanimous consent late Thursday after being passed unanimously by the House earlier this month. It now goes to President Trump for his signature.

"Human trafficking touches every corner of our country, often leaving survivors facing ongoing hardships even after escaping exploitation. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act gives survivors a chance to clear their records of the non-violent federal offenses they were forced to commit as a direct result of being trafficked. Survivors should not spend the rest of their lives being punished for crimes that were tied to their exploitation," Senator Hyde-Smith said. "Providing true relief and a fresh start is essential to long-term healing, and I'm thrilled this legislation is on course to be signed into law."

"The passage of my Trafficking Survivors Relief Act through Congress is an enormous milestone in the effort to support victims of human trafficking and help them reestablish their lives," said Senator Gillibrand, who has fought for this bill for nearly a decade. "This legislation will help shield trafficking survivors from further undue harm, protecting them from the threat of criminalization, prison sentences, and subsequent problems finding jobs and housing because of nonviolent offenses they committed under duress. I have been working to get this bill through Congress for almost ten years, and I am thrilled that it has now passed the House and Senate. I urge President Trump to sign it into law as soon as possible."

Gillibrand first introduced the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act with a bipartisan group of colleagues in 2016, and reintroduced it in every subsequent Congress, most recently with Hyde-Smith in July 2025.

In addition to allowing survivors of human trafficking to have nonviolent criminal convictions or arrest records they incurred while being trafficked vacated and expunged, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act would also:

• Allow for an individual's status as a victim of trafficking to be a mitigating factor for courts to consider when imposing a prison sentence for violent crimes.
• Require U.S. attorneys to submit a report one year after enactment detailing the number of motions filed under the law.
• Ensure U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime and Office on Violence Against Women grant funding can be used for legal representation for post-conviction relief activities.

While many states have laws that provide a way for trafficking survivors to clear their records for criminal conduct that resulted from being trafficked, no statute exists at the federal level. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act would change that.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch is among several state Attorneys General who signed a letter of support for this legislation. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Faith & Freedom Coalition, Right on Crime, National Center on Sexual Exploitation, American Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, and Moms for America are among the stakeholder groups supporting the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act.

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