Gillibrand, Hyde-Smith Applaud Senate Passage Of Their Bill To Support Victims Of Human Trafficking, Urge President Trump To Promptly Sign It Into Law

Gillibrand, Hyde-Smith Applaud Senate Passage Of Their Bill To Support Victims Of Human Trafficking, Urge President Trump To Promptly Sign It Into Law

Dec 18, 2025

GILLIBRAND, HYDE-SMITH APPLAUD SENATE PASSAGE OF THEIR BILL TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, URGE PRESIDENT TRUMP TO PROMPTLY SIGN IT INTO LAW

Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) lauded the Senate's unanimous passage of their Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, which would enable survivors of human trafficking to have nonviolent offenses that they were forced to commit vacated and expunged. The legislation also unanimously passed the House earlier this month and now goes to President Trump for his signature. Senator Gillibrand fought for this bill for nearly a decade.

"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. "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."

"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."

Senator Gillibrand first introduced the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act with a bipartisan group of colleagues in 2016. She reintroduced it in every subsequent Congress, most recently with Senator 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 that DOJ Office for Victims of Crime and Office on Violence Against Women grant funding can be used for legal representation for post-conviction relief activities.

For a full list of endorsing organizations, please click here.

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