Save Our Girls from Sex Trafficking Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6919
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-19: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-27T13:22:32Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The "Save Our Girls from Sex Trafficking Act of 2025" aims to combat child human trafficking, with a focus on sex trafficking. It seeks to reduce demand, prevent trafficking, raise awareness, improve victim identification and support, and coordinate government efforts to provide holistic, victim-centered services and law enforcement responses.
Key Provisions
The bill establishes several new initiatives across federal agencies:
- Interagency Task Force (Section 2): The Attorney General must create a task force including secretaries from Health and Human Services, Treasury, Labor, Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security. Responsibilities include collaborating with industry experts on demand reduction, prevention, awareness education; coordinating victim-centered services; screening arrested youth for trafficking victimization; and diverting victims to non-judicial rehabilitation programs.
- Study on Child Human Trafficking (Section 3): The Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services will conduct a study examining how children enter the sex trade, profiles of traffickers, vulnerable minors, and buyers; physical and psychological effects on survivors; and the impact of large events (like major gatherings) on trafficking. A report must be submitted to Congress within three years of enactment.
- School Grant Program (Section 4): The Secretary of Education can award grants to local school districts to educate children about child human trafficking. Grantees must apply and collaborate with expert organizations using victim-centered approaches (methods that prioritize survivors' needs and recovery).
- Foster Care Grant Program (Section 5): The Secretary of Health and Human Services can award grants to agencies overseeing or serving foster children for similar education efforts. Grantees must apply and partner with victim-centered experts.
- Law Enforcement Grant Program (Section 6): The Attorney General can award grants to states, local governments, and Tribal governments to train officers and prosecutors on identifying victims; create pre-trial diversion programs (alternatives to criminal prosecution for victims); and protect testifying victims. Applications are required, and grants can increase by up to 20% for recipients collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams, having diversion or identification programs, or policies against prosecuting victims.
- Job Training Grant Program (Section 7): The Secretary of Labor can award grants to nonprofits for job skills training and employment assistance for trafficking survivors and at-risk children. Nonprofits must apply.
- Long-Term Care Grant Program (Section 8): The Secretary of Health and Human Services can award grants to nonprofits for long-term care facilities, trauma-informed mental health counseling (therapy based on understanding trauma's effects), and transitional housing for victims. Nonprofits must apply.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill builds on the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 by defining "domestic child human trafficking" from that law and introducing new mechanisms like the interagency task force, a dedicated study, and multiple grant programs. It does not amend existing statutes directly but authorizes new funding and coordination, emphasizing victim diversion from prosecution and non-judicial rehabilitation, which expands beyond traditional law enforcement-focused responses.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases coordination among federal departments (e.g., Justice, Health, Education) and requires new administrative efforts for task forces, studies, and grant management, potentially straining resources but enhancing anti-trafficking expertise.
- Citizens: Provides education and prevention for schoolchildren and foster youth, reducing vulnerability; offers survivors access to training, housing, counseling, and legal protections, aiding recovery and reintegration. Law enforcement may shift toward identifying and supporting victims rather than prosecuting them.
- International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic child trafficking without addressing cross-border issues.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Children and Youth: Especially girls, foster children, and at-risk minors who may benefit from education, prevention, and services.
- Trafficking Survivors: Gain access to job training, mental health support, housing, and protections when testifying.
- Government Entities: Federal agencies (e.g., DOJ, HHS, Education, Labor), state/local/Tribal governments, school districts, and foster care agencies, which must apply for and administer grants.
- Nonprofits and Experts: Organizations focused on victim services, anti-trafficking, and multi-disciplinary teams, eligible for funding and required for collaborations.
- Law Enforcement and Prosecutors: Receive training and incentives for victim-centered practices, including diversion programs.
- Industry and Buyers/Traffickers: Indirectly targeted through demand reduction efforts, though no specific enforcement changes.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Promotes "victim-centered" approaches, including policies against prosecuting child victims, which could reduce wrongful arrests of minors but may challenge traditional criminal justice processes. Grant conditions encourage multi-disciplinary teams, potentially standardizing best practices nationwide.
- Constitutional: Aligns with due process by emphasizing screening and diversion for victims, avoiding potential Eighth Amendment concerns over punishing exploited children. No apparent conflicts with federalism, as grants involve voluntary state/local participation.
- Political: Highlights bipartisan interest in child protection, with a focus on prevention and rehabilitation over punishment. The three-year study could inform future legislation, but funding levels (not specified) may depend on appropriations, raising debates over federal spending priorities.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-19: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-12-19: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-12-19: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-12-19: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-12-19: Introduced in House
- 2025-12-19: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Save Our Girls from Sex Trafficking Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-19 — PDF (6 pages)