Legislative & Policy Objectives

With these overarching goals, we advocate for the following federal and state administrative and legislative actions:

Reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
Addressing the root causes/intersection between forced migration conditions and trafficking vulnerabilities by crafting domestic and international solutions that use funding to remedy poverty and famines, help refugees, and address disasters and conflicts.
Cease wars and international conflicts.

Ensuring that the internet, technology platforms, applications and tools are age-appropriate and stop child exploitation and trafficking.
Technology companies do more to identify and report Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and to ensure that children are safe online.
Remove liability protections for technology companies so that children and their families have legal remedies and rights of redress when companies or individuals exploit, traffic, and abuse them.
Ensuring unaccompanied minors have legal representation and proper oversight to prevent trafficking and exploitation.

Expungement of federal and state criminal records of survivors related to
human trafficking-related convictions.
Removing the cap on and/or substantially increasing the availability of T Visas.
Funding for prevention, recovery and support services.

The H-2A and H-2B programs should have policies designed to identify, prevent, and stop human trafficking.
Unaccompanied minors need access to legal services, proper oversight, and safety in proper placements.
Asylum seekers came to the U.S. seeking refuge and protections. Hearing their claims quickly and fairly should be a prerequisite for adjudicating their cases.

Supply chain requirements should be developed to ensure that contractors and subcontractors follow laws that prohibit human trafficking.
Payment processors should have better standards that require identification and reporting of suspected trafficking.
Federal and state regulators should build in better opportunities and labor protections for farmworkers
Funding for recognition of and “speciality awards” / grants to entities that educate about human trafficking and can help identify and rescue victims.
Sector-specific guidelines should be evaluated to stop trafficking in specific industries that build-up our national and state economies (e.g., garment, fishing, chocolate).

Federal, state and local governments should convene task forces and “best practices.”
Specific education programs and task forces should address rural areas.
Specific resources should be developed for Indigenous communities.
Funding for the hotline should continue and be increased as appropriate.
Federal and state lawmakers should support the Equality Model, an effective strategy in preventing human trafficking and aiding survivors which involves decriminalizing individuals who are prostituted or trafficked, providing support and exit strategies for those looking to leave, and holding pimps, brothel owners, and buyers accountable for their criminal actions.