Trafficking Survivors Relief Act
Trafficking Survivors Relief Act
Plain Language Summary
# Trafficking Survivors Relief Act - Summary **What It Does:** This law allows people who were victims of human trafficking to have certain criminal convictions vacated (thrown out) and arrest records erased. The bill recognizes that trafficking victims may have committed crimes—like theft, prostitution, or drug offenses—as a direct result of being trafficked. It creates a legal process for survivors to petition courts to clear these convictions and records, essentially giving them a fresh start. The law also allows lawyers' grants meant for crime victims to be used to help trafficking survivors pursue this relief. **Who It Affects:** Human trafficking survivors are the primary beneficiaries.
The law also affects the criminal justice system, which must process these motions, and government agencies tasked with tracking the program's impact. Courts will need to evaluate whether crimes were committed under duress due to trafficking. **Key Provision:** A defendant can now prove they committed a crime under duress by showing they were a human trafficking victim at the time. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on how many survivors use this process and what impact it has. **Status:** This bill was signed into law in 2025.
CRS Official Summary
Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025This bill establishes a process to vacate convictions and expunge arrest records for certain criminal offenses committed by victims of human trafficking that directly result from or relate to having been a trafficking victim.It defines the offenses eligible to be vacated or expunged and sets forth procedures for filing a motion.The Government Accountability Office must assess the impact of this process, including the number of human trafficking survivors who file motions to vacate convictions or expunge records.The bill permits certain grants for legal representation to be used to seek post-conviction relief.Finally, the bill allows a defendant to establish that the offenses were committed under duress by demonstrating that he or she was a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense.
Latest Action
Became Public Law No: 119-73.