A Bipartisan Step Forward: What the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025 Means for Survivors

In a rare and meaningful bipartisan effort, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle recently came together to pass legislation that will have a lasting impact on survivors of human trafficking.

H.R. 4323 / S. 3110 — The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025 establishes a federal legal framework allowing survivors to vacate certain convictions and expunge arrest records for non-violent offenses committed as a direct result of their exploitation.

This legislation addresses a reality that frontline advocates have long documented: trafficking is rarely confined to one form of abuse. Beyond sexual exploitation or forced labor, traffickers frequently coerce victims into additional criminal activity. Through psychological manipulation, threats, isolation, and coercion, survivors may be forced into theft, fraud, drug distribution, or other illegal acts under duress.

This dynamic often referred to as “forced criminality” compounds trauma and creates long-term barriers to recovery.

For years, survivors who were criminalized for acts committed under coercion faced limited federal protections. While some states enacted vacatur or expungement laws, protections varied significantly, and many survivors were left navigating inconsistent legal standards depending on geography.

With the passage of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025, there is now a federal pathway to address these injustices.

Why This Matters for Long-Term Recovery

A criminal record can prevent survivors from securing stable housing, obtaining employment, accessing higher education, and rebuilding financial independence. Even when exploitation has ended, the consequences of forced criminalization often continue.

By allowing survivors to clear certain records, this legislation removes a structural barrier to long-term stability. It restores access to opportunity. It reinforces dignity. And it acknowledges that exploitation should never define a person’s future.

Recovery is not only emotional and clinical, it is also economic and legal.

The Current Landscape Across States

Prior to this federal law, vacatur and expungement statutes have existed in many states, but not all. Some states providing limited relief only for sex trafficking victims while others excluded labor trafficking survivors completely.

Several states lack comprehensive legal remedies altogether.

States do however continue to update legislation, and legal framework continues to evolve.

Survivors should consult legal counsel for current protections in their jurisdiction.

The federal act does not eliminate the need for strong state-level statutes, but it creates a uniform standard and reinforces survivor-centered legal reform nationwide.

A Moment Worth Noting

The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025 was championed by bipartisan leadership, including Representatives Ann Wagner (R-MO), Darrell Fry (R-SC), Ted Lieu (D-CA), and others. The bill received unanimous support in the Senate before being signed into law.

In a news cycle often dominated by division, this legislation stands as a reminder that human dignity can transcend party lines.

Where Last Word Stands

At Last Word, we believe that recovery must be comprehensive. Legal relief, trauma-informed therapy, education, stable housing, and career pathways all play essential roles in long-term independence.

Through our Freedom, Funded campaign, we work through strategic partnerships to support organizations that walk alongside survivors in these critical phases of recovery.

Legislation creates opportunity.

Community sustains it.

This moment is not the end of the work. It is a meaningful step forward.

Sources: U.S Department of State | Human Trafficking Institute Report | U.S. Congress