Trafficking Survivors Relief Act

This bill helps people who were trafficked clear federal records that came from their exploitation. It lets them ask a court to erase arrests and undo convictions for non-violent federal crimes that happened because they were trafficked. In some cases, arrests for other offenses can be erased if they were acquitted, charges were dropped, or the charges were reduced. When records are cleared, the government must remove them from official files, and the person is treated as if the arrest or conviction never happened under federal law .

The process is free and kept confidential, with filings under seal. Survivors can use a sworn letter from a service provider or clinician as proof; if it’s credible and other evidence is hard to get, that can be enough. Judges may also lower a prison sentence if the crime happened because of trafficking, and this policy applies to past and future cases. The government will study how often people use this, and certain grants can help pay for legal help; people facing charges can also show they acted under pressure from traffickers at the time.

• Who is affected: Survivors of human trafficking with federal arrests or convictions tied to their exploitation.
• What changes: Clear certain non-violent convictions and erase some arrests; possible sentence reductions; no filing fees; filings are sealed; cleared records are treated as if they never happened under federal law; fines or restitution are not automatically canceled .
• When: Applies to arrests or convictions from before, on, or after the date this becomes law.