A bill to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to make technical corrections.
- Bill Number
- S. 1155
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- International Affairs
- Status
- Passed Senate
- Latest Action
- 2025-08-08: Held at the desk.
- Last Updated
- 2025-08-13T11:31:50Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This legislation, S. 1155, aims to make minor technical corrections to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. The TVPA is a U.S. law focused on combating human trafficking, protecting victims, and prosecuting offenders. These changes fix small errors in how the law references its own sections, ensuring clarity without altering the law's overall meaning or intent.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 103 of the TVPA (codified at 22 U.S.C. 7102), which contains definitions for terms used throughout the act.
- In paragraph (16) of Section 103: Replaces the reference to "paragraph (9)" with "paragraph (11)" to correct an outdated cross-reference.
- In paragraph (17) of Section 103: Replaces the reference to "paragraph (9) or (10)" with "paragraph (11) or (12)" for the same reason.
These are straightforward updates to internal numbering, likely resulting from previous amendments to the TVPA that shifted paragraph numbers.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- No substantive changes are made to the TVPA's policies, protections, or enforcement mechanisms.
- The amendments only update cross-references within the definitions section to align with the current structure of the law, preventing potential confusion in legal interpretation.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Minimal direct impact, but improves accuracy for agencies like the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which enforce anti-trafficking laws. This could streamline legal reviews and reduce errors in court or policy application.
- On citizens: Indirect and negligible; victims of trafficking and the public benefit from a clearer law, but no new rights or obligations are created.
- On international relations: None, as the changes are purely domestic and technical, with no effect on U.S. treaties or foreign aid related to trafficking.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Legal and enforcement professionals: Judges, lawyers, and federal agencies (e.g., DOJ, DHS) who rely on the TVPA for prosecutions and victim support.
- Anti-trafficking organizations: Nonprofits and advocates working under the TVPA, who may reference the definitions in their programs.
- Victims and survivors: Indirectly affected through ensured legal precision, though no immediate changes to services or protections.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Enhances statutory clarity, reducing risks of misinterpretation in court. No challenges to constitutionality, as it is a non-controversial correction.
- Constitutional: None; the bill does not alter fundamental rights or powers.
- Political: Low-profile "housekeeping" measure with bipartisan appeal, passed by the Senate without debate. It signals ongoing maintenance of anti-trafficking laws but introduces no new policy debates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Recent Actions
- 2025-08-08: Held at the desk.
- 2025-08-08: Received in the House.
- 2025-08-08: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- 2025-08-02: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S5521; consideration: CR S5521)
- 2025-08-02: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- 2025-08-02: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- 2025-08-02: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- 2025-03-26: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- 2025-03-26: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- An Act To amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to make technical corrections. — issued 2025-08-02 — PDF (4 pages)
- To amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to make technical corrections. — issued 2025-03-26 — PDF (2 pages)