Sponsors (4)
The bill provides a targeted, $50M federal grant program to strengthen services and prevention for at‑risk youth and anti‑smuggling efforts, but it limits legal remedies for affected individuals, may leave some communities without support depending on agency discretion, and imposes modest taxpayer cost.
Children and young adults (ages 12–24) at risk of trafficking will receive targeted prevention and support services through a federally funded grant program, funded at $50 million.
States, tribes, local governments, and nonprofit victim‑service organizations will gain federal funding and capacity to bolster prevention and response programs against trafficking.
The program prioritizes prevention-focused grants intended to reduce cross‑border smuggling of minors and young women, which could lower trafficking incidents and improve public safety.
The provision bars private lawsuits against the U.S. or its officers arising from the subsection, limiting legal remedies for individuals harmed under the program.
Grant awards depend on federal agency design and discretion, so some communities or eligible groups may not receive needed funding, producing uneven coverage.
Taxpayers face a federal cost of $50 million (plus administrative expenses) that could displace other spending priorities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes an official short title for the Act and creates a new federal grant program to prevent the smuggling of children and young women aged 12–24 across U.S. borders and to provide services and support for people aged 12–24 who have been smuggled into the United States or who are victims of, or at risk of becoming victims of, child sex trafficking or other severe forms of trafficking. The Attorney General and the HHS Secretary, working with the Secretary of State, may award grants to states, Indian tribes, local governments, and nonprofit victim-service organizations. The bill authorizes $50,000,000 to the Attorney General for these grants (available until expended) and clarifies that the new grant program does not create a private right of action against the United States or its officers or employees.
Introduced January 9, 2025 by Marsha Blackburn · Last progress January 9, 2025