At a pivotal moment for federal anti-trafficking policy, Allies Against Slavery convened over 320 national leaders, researchers, and survivor-advocates to examine three major legislative efforts shaping the future of the U.S. response to human trafficking: the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) reauthorization, the National Human Trafficking Database Act, and the Trafficking Survivor Relief Act.

Together, these policies reflect shared lessons learned over 25 years of anti-trafficking work: prevention must start early, recovery takes time, and effective policy must be guided by data and survivor experience.

Reauthorizing the TVPA: Strengthening What Works

Since its passage in 2000, the TVPA has served as the cornerstone of the federal response to human trafficking. Reauthorized eight times, it has evolved alongside emerging evidence, survivor voices, and shifting trafficking tactics. The current reauthorization effort—H.R. 1144, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act—builds on that legacy.

H.R. 1144 strengthens the TVPA through targeted investments in four key areas: K–12 prevention education, survivor employment and education, victim services, and data and research. Data from Polaris’ National Survivor Study show that trafficking vulnerability often begins in childhood and is closely tied to abuse, household instability, and economic insecurity. Schools, where most youth are already present, are critical sites for early prevention and identification. Evidence-based prevention education programs have demonstrated strong outcomes, equipping students with the knowledge to recognize and report exploitation.

Recovery, however, does not end at exit. Survivors frequently face long-term barriers to economic stability, housing, healthcare, and mental health services. By investing in employment pathways, education, and sustained victim services, H.R. 1144 acknowledges that long-term safety and self-sufficiency are essential to preventing re-exploitation. Just as importantly, the bill reaffirms Congress’s bipartisan commitment to grounding policy in evidence by authorizing ongoing data collection and research.

Building a National Data Infrastructure

While the TVPA authorizes funding for research, the United States still lacks a comprehensive, standardized national human trafficking database. This gap limits the field’s ability to understand trends, identify disparities, and evaluate what works.

The National Human Trafficking Database Act (S. 61) represents a critical first step toward addressing this challenge. The bill would establish a national database housed at the Department of Justice, supported by grants to states to collect and report county-level trafficking data. Importantly, all data would be aggregated and anonymized, with explicit protections for survivor privacy and clear limits on how the data can be used.

Research and state-level experience demonstrate what becomes possible when trafficking data are coordinated and governed responsibly. States like Florida that have invested in centralized data repositories have been able to identify trends, map risk and resilience, and develop evidence-based strategies that were previously out of reach. While S. 61 is intentionally modest and not a complete solution, it lays the groundwork for a shared data infrastructure that can grow over time—much as the TVPA itself has evolved through successive reauthorizations.

From Law to Lived Reality: Implementing Survivor Relief

The webinar also marked a milestone worth celebrating: the passage of the Trafficking Survivor Relief Act, which creates a federal pathway for survivors to seek vacatur and expungement of criminal records stemming from their exploitation. This law reflects a long-overdue recognition that many survivors are criminalized as a direct result of trafficking and forced criminality.

Research shows that a significant share of women prosecuted in federal sex trafficking cases were likely victims themselves. Criminal records create lasting barriers to employment, housing, education, and financial stability—often long after survivors have exited exploitation. The Trafficking Survivor Relief Act provides a survivor-centered framework for relief, including reasonable evidentiary standards and access to sentence reduction for incarcerated survivors.

However, experience from state vacatur laws makes one thing clear: having a law is not the same as having access. Implementation will require sustained outreach, legal representation, judicial training, monitoring, and survivor leadership to ensure the Act delivers on its promise. Without these supports, the survivors most in need of relief may remain unable to access it.

Looking Ahead

Across all three policy areas, a consistent theme emerged: progress happens when survivor experience, rigorous data, and sustained advocacy work together. H.R. 1144, the National Human Trafficking Database Act, and the Trafficking Survivor Relief Act each address different points along the prevention–protection–recovery continuum, but together they point toward a more coordinated, equitable, and effective federal response.

As we look to 2026, maintaining momentum will require continued engagement from practitioners, policymakers, survivors, and communities nationwide. The evidence is clear. The solutions are within reach. The next step is collective action to ensure these policies are passed, implemented, and strengthened over time.