Congress·In Committee·S. 426

Congress targets tougher anti-trafficking reporting and investigations in federal contracting

Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

Federal contractors and grantees would have to turn in their anti-trafficking compliance plan when they certify they are following the rules, not only when asked.
If a contractor, subcontractor, or agent is found to have been involved in trafficking-related conduct during a contract or grant, the contractor’s representative must quickly report it and explain what they did to fix it.
When a report is filed, an agency Inspector General would be required to investigate what happened and whether the contractor’s fix was good enough.
Agencies could pause payments until the contractor takes proper corrective steps, and key officials would be notified if an investigation isn’t finished because the contractor already corrected the problem.
The federal budget office would have to report to Congress within 18 months on targeting more checks in high-risk contracts and locations, streamlining reports, and tracking anti-trafficking training for contracting staff.

Labor EmploymentConsumer ProtectionNational Security

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(3)

Farmer Rancher

Neutral

Federal Employee

Neutral

Small Business Owner

Neutral

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 5, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Feb 5, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

When the law takes effect after enactment (typically soon after signing unless delayed).

Federal contractors must provide anti-trafficking compliance plans when they make required certifications (not only when asked).

Companies may add new forms and checks during bidding/renewals, and workers may see more screening of recruiters and labor practices.

As soon as the law is in force, for any new or ongoing covered contracts during their term.

Contract recipients must promptly report trafficking-related conduct discovered during contract performance, including what they did to fix it.

Problems are more likely to reach the contracting officer quickly, which can trigger faster intervention, contractor fixes, or contract consequences.

After each qualifying incident report is submitted.

Inspectors General must investigate when a recipient submits an incident report.

More incidents should result in formal fact-finding instead of being handled quietly inside a company, increasing accountability.

Case-by-case, after an incident is found and before corrective action is accepted.

Agencies may suspend payments on a contract until the recipient takes appropriate corrective action after trafficking-related activity.

Companies have a strong financial reason to fix issues quickly; some projects could slow if payments are paused.

No later than 18 months after the bill is enacted.

OMB delivers a report to Congress on whether to add risk-based compliance checks, streamline reporting, and track anti-trafficking training by contracting staff.

This could set up later changes that focus extra oversight on higher-risk products and locations and ensure staff are trained, but the report itself does not change rules yet.