PRESS RELEASE
DATE: October 22, 2026
CONTACT: Sofia W. Nimri, AEHT Communications Director
sofiawaed@alliancetoendhumantrafficking.org

Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act Signed into Law!

Now Urging Congress to Pass KOSA (S. 1748) and Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1144)

Joint Release by Alliance to End Human Trafficking and National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

The Alliance to End Human Trafficking (AEHT) and the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd (NAC) congratulate Congress and the Administration on their bipartisan work passing H.R. 4307, the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act, and signing it into law yesterday.

“This new law is a new line of defense for those in the United States being trafficked. Now U.S. Department of Labor employees will be equipped with the skills to identify and disrupt human trafficking, hold perpetrators accountable, and protect vulnerable people. Lives and futures will be saved,” said Fran Eskin-Royer, Executive Director of the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. “But we are not done. The House and Senate still have two major human trafficking bills on their desks that are bipartisan yet stalled for no good reason.”

“The Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act will save men, women and teens from being trafficked and will uncover current exploitation. This is good news, but more needs to be done. The Kids Online Safety Act and the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act require the attention of all those who care about ending human trafficking and supporting survivors,” said Katie Boller Gosewisch, Executive Director of the Alliance to End Human Trafficking. “These two bipartisan bills would protect children from predators on the internet, strengthen the systems that protect those most at risk, and ensure survivors have access to the services and support they need for long-term stability and healing.”

The Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act will provide environment-specific training to empower Department of Labor employees to identify potential victims and traffickers and will provide guidelines on reporting to the U.S. Department of Justice. It will also require the Department of Labor to submit an annual report to Congress detailing its training and law enforcement referral efforts.

AEHT and NAC remain committed to ensuring that bipartisan support for anti-trafficking legislation translates into congressional action. Both organizations will continue to advocate to keep the Frederick Douglass TVPRA and KOSA among Congress’s legislative priorities.

About AEHT and NAC:
AEHT and NAC are dedicated to eradicating human trafficking through advocacy, collaboration, and education. They work tirelessly to bring awareness to the issue and support legislative measures that protect and empower the most vulnerable in society.

Alliance to End Human Trafficking was founded in 2013 by a group of Catholic Sisters committed to ending human trafficking and supporting survivors. They created a national network of resources and support that includes many different congregations of women religious and mission-aligned partners. Today, this member-based organization has grown to include more than 115 congregations and another 100+ individuals and organizations spread throughout the United States. AEHT is also the U.S. member of Talitha Kum, the international network of consecrated life working to end human trafficking.

The National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd educates and advocates on social justice issues for the transformation of society to the benefit of all people reflecting the spirituality, history and mission of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. NAC advocates at the Federal level for people living in poverty, immigrants, survivors of human trafficking, survivors of domestic abuse, and other vulnerable populations. NAC reflects the spirituality, history and mission of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (better known as the Sisters of the Good Shepherd). The sisters and their agencies work in solidarity with the disenfranchised – particularly families, women and children – who
often are forgotten, left-behind or dismissed.