Skip to content
Congress·Passed Senate·3 months ago

Justice Department must set measurable goals and report progress on child anti-trafficking programs

Also known as: Preventing Child Trafficking Act of 2025

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
✓ Review
✓ Senate
House
President

Key Points

  • The Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime must keep carrying out recommended steps to prevent child trafficking and support survivors.
  • DOJ must coordinate with the federal office focused on trafficking in persons to plan and run these anti-trafficking strategies together.
  • The agencies must set clear, measurable goals for child anti-trafficking programs, using baseline data from groups that receive federal grants.
  • Within 180 days after the law takes effect, DOJ must send Congress a report describing exactly what steps it has taken.
  • For everyday families, this is meant to improve how well federal programs are managed and tracked, not to create new criminal penalties.
Criminal JusticeCivil Rights

Milestones

4 milestones9 actions
Dec 17, 2025House

Held at the desk.

Dec 17, 2025House

Received in the House.

Dec 17, 2025Senate

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Dec 16, 2025Senate

Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8753-8754; text: CR S8754)

Dec 16, 2025

Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Right after the Act is enacted

OVC and the Office on Trafficking in Persons continue joint work to prevent child trafficking and support survivors

Federal agencies are expected to coordinate more closely so programs are less fragmented and more consistent across communities

Within months after enactment, then applied in grant guidance and renewals

OVC sets measurable performance goals and targets for child anti-trafficking programs using grantee baseline data

Grant-funded programs may have clearer expectations and may need to report results in a more standardized way

Related News

5 articles
U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary (press release)·3 months ago

Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Backed Bill to Combat Child Trafficking

Covers Senate passage of the Preventing Child Trafficking Act, requiring DOJ and HHS to implement GAO anti-child-trafficking recommendations and improve coordination.

+
Chuck Grassley Senate Office (press release)·3 months ago

Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Backed Bill to Combat Child Trafficking

Announces Senate passage and describes the bill’s requirements for interagency coordination and implementation of GAO recommendations.

R+
Jon Ossoff Senate Office (press release)·5 months ago

NEWS: Sen. Ossoff’s Bipartisan Bill to Protect Children from Human Traffickers Passes U.S. Senate

States Ossoff’s Preventing Child Trafficking Act passed the Senate as part of the NDAA and highlights GAO findings about child-specific coordination gaps.

CL+

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Preventing Child Trafficking Act of 2025

Bill NumberS 1049
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionHeld at the desk.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.