Sponsor
Frederica Wilson
Representative · D-FL
Representative · D-FL
The bill would substantially expand identification, trauma‑informed care, prevention education, and grant‑funded supports for child trafficking survivors—improving outcomes for many youth—but does so at meaningful federal cost and administrative complexity that could produce uneven access, privacy/legal tradeoffs, and fiscal pressures for smaller jurisdictions.
Children and youth who are victims will be identified more often and routed into victim-centered diversion and services instead of prosecution, reducing criminal records and improving recovery outcomes.
Child survivors gain access to long-term, trauma‑informed health, mental‑health, housing, and transitional care that can reduce PTSD, homelessness, and improve long‑term outcomes.
K–12 students and children in foster care receive prevention education and school-based partnerships with victim‑centered experts, increasing awareness and reducing vulnerability to trafficking.
Taxpayers face increased federal spending to fund multi‑agency task forces, multi‑year studies, grants for services, and workforce/housing programs—potentially adding to deficits if not offset or appropriated.
State, local, Tribal governments, schools, and nonprofits will incur substantial administrative burden to apply for grants, meet reporting requirements, and implement new practices, straining smaller organizations and agencies.
Competitive and limited grant funding may produce uneven geographic and provider access, leaving some survivors, foster populations, and rural communities without timely services.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal task force, requires a DOJ–HHS study, and authorizes grant programs for prevention, diversion, services, and long‑term care for child sex trafficking victims.
Official title: To combat child human trafficking, and for other purposes.
Introduced December 19, 2025 by Frederica Wilson · Last progress December 19, 2025
Creates a federal interagency task force and funds prevention, training, services, and research to identify, help, and divert children who are victims or at risk of sex trafficking. It directs a multi‑agency study on how children enter the sex trade and authorizes grants for schools, foster-care providers, law enforcement, nonprofits, and job training to support victim‑centered responses, long‑term care, and prevention education. The bill focuses on victim-centered approaches: training law enforcement and prosecutors, funding diversion and witness protection, educating students and foster youth, supporting long-term mental health and housing, and improving collaboration among federal, state, local, tribal, and nonprofit actors. It requires applications and collaborations with organizations experienced in victim-centered care and allows modest grant enhancements for programs that meet specified best practices.