Summary#
This bill creates a national human trafficking database run by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) at the Department of Justice. It authorizes grants to covered State agencies (State bureaus of investigation or other State agencies that coordinate a statewide trafficking response) to collect and report specified human trafficking data. The bill requires guidance from OVC within 180 days of enactment, initial state data submissions within 1 year, and publication of an online database within 18 months. The database must include county-level, aggregated, anonymized counts (for example prosecutions, arrests, convictions), aggregated hotline and agency data, the names and primary services of anti-human trafficking organizations, and rankings of counties by trafficking rates. States must report annually (beginning FY2025) and OVC must update the database and report its contents to Congress each year.
What it means for you#
- State agencies that receive grants will collect and submit specified trafficking data or explain why data are unavailable.
- The public will have access to an online database with aggregated, county-level trafficking information and lists of anti-human trafficking organizations and their primary services.
- The bill requires agencies to protect survivor confidentiality and forbids the Department of Justice and grant recipients from demanding or publicizing personally identifying information about survivors.
- Covered State agencies may contract with private or nonprofit organizations to collect the data.
Expenses#
- The bill authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 2025 through 2028 as follows:
- $50,000,000 per year to carry out the grant program (subsection (b)); and
- $1,000,000 per year to carry out parts of the database publication, updating, and reporting (specified paragraphs of subsection (c)).
- The authorized amounts are to remain available until expended.
- No publicly available information on additional cost estimates or financial impacts beyond these authorized amounts.
Proponents' View#
No publicly available information.
Opponents' View#
No publicly available information.