ATEST Applauds Overwhelming Bipartisan House Passage of the First of Four Bills to Reauthorize Trafficking Victims Protection Act
WASHINGTON – Legislation to reauthorize the key law that underpins the U.S. government’s efforts to combat human trafficking and forced labor has passed the House of Representatives with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 401 to 20.
The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 6552) authorizes more than $200 million per year in funding over the next five years to support federal anti-trafficking programs and provide grants to civil society organizations that combat trafficking. The bill includes policy initiatives proposed by the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST), including a provision to further integrate anti-trafficking strategies into programs of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and reform of programs historically focused on sex trafficking to more comprehensively address both labor and sex trafficking.
ATEST applauds House Passage of H.R. 6552 and thanks its sponsors, Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Karen Bass (D-CA), and Michael McCaul (R-TX). We appreciate their dedication to ensure that this landmark law, first passed in 2000, is reauthorized during the 117th Congress.
H.R. 6552 now moves to the Senate for consideration. While H.R. 6552 reauthorizes key parts of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, three other bills to reauthorize and strengthen other parts of the law are currently pending in the Senate. ATEST urges the Senate to vote on these measures quickly. Saturday, July 30, marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, and the United States can reaffirm its global leadership in combating human trafficking and forced labor by ensuring that its groundbreaking anti-trafficking law is fully reauthorized.
ATEST is a U.S.-based coalition that advocates for solutions to prevent and end all forms of human trafficking and modern slavery around the world. We advocate for lasting solutions to prevent forced labor and sex trafficking, hold perpetrators accountable, ensure justice for victims and empower survivors with tools for recovery. Our collective experience implementing programs at home and abroad provides our coalition an unparalleled breadth and depth of expertise.
ATEST member organizations include: Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), Covenant House, Free the Slaves, HEAL Trafficking, Human Trafficking Institute, Human Trafficking Legal Center, Humanity United Action (HUA), McCain Institute for International Leadership, National Network for Youth (NN4Y), Polaris, Safe Horizon, Solidarity Center, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, United Way Worldwide, Verité, and Vital Voices Global Partnership.
Media Contact: ATEST Director Terry FitzPatrick | [email protected] | 571-282-9913