This article was originally published by the press office of Congressman Chris Smith. Since February 2004, Chris Smith has served as OSCE PA Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues. 

Chris Smith speaks on the floor of the US House of Representatives in favor of his in favor of his legislation to bolster the fight against human trafficking, Washington, 13 February 2024WASHINGTON, 13 February 2024 – In a landslide vote of 414-11, the House of Representatives today passed comprehensive legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act for five years and strengthen and expand successful anti-trafficking programs to bolster the fight against modern-day slavery.

“This critical legislation reauthorizes funding for FY2024 through 2028—a total of five years—to continue current year enacted appropriation and authorization levels to enhance programs, strengthen laws, and add accountability,” said Smith, who authored the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and four subsequent anti-trafficking laws.

Named in honor of the renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglass, Smith’s bill—the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act (HR 5856)—now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to garner broad consensus.

“In the words of my great-great-great grandfather and the great American abolitionist Frederick Douglass—enslavement is a scourge on humanity that ‘to expose it is to kill it. Slavery is one of those monsters of darkness to whom the light of truth is death. Expose slavery, and it dies,’” said Kenneth B. Morris, Jr, President of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, who helped craft the legislation.

“Congressman Smith’s TVPA has shaped the domestic and international anti-trafficking landscape since 2000 creating empowering programs for survivors and strengthening efforts to prosecute traffickers,” Morris continued. “Since 2018 his law has been named after my ancestor, Frederick Douglass, thereby emphasizing education and resilience as effective means to prevent human trafficking among children, prevent re-trafficking of survivors, and provide support and hope to survivors in their journeys toward self-empowerment.”

“It is after all ‘easier to build strong children than to repair broken men,’” added Morris, who said HR 5856 would “allow us and many other organizations to continue the necessary work of combatting human trafficking and honoring the lives of so many effected by it in the US and abroad.”

Specifically, the Frederick Douglass Act:

· Seeks to promote situational awareness training—prevention—on how not to be a victim for both elementary and secondary students and faculty through the Frederick Douglass Human Trafficking Prevention Education Grants;

· Authorizes survivors’ employment, housing, and education programs;

· Authorizes a new $175 million over five years program for DOJ Housing Assistance Grants for victims of human trafficking;

· Makes scalable programs through training of the trainers and collaboration with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force;

· Encourages the usage of prevention efforts to include accessible, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed approaches for USAID beneficiaries and the further incorporation of counter-trafficking efforts across the development portfolio;

· Streamlines statutory language for Tier 2 Watch List;

· Reauthorizes the Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; and

· Adds forced organ harvesting trafficking as part of the annual TIP Report to expose China and other countries for this crime.

Smith said the Frederick Douglass Act would also reauthorize funding for his International Megan’s Law, which was enacted in 2016 and requires convicted child sex offenders who travel abroad to provide notice to the US Government—via the Angel Watch Center—prior to departure to all planned destinations. Upon receipt of the travel itinerary, the US government informs the destination country or countries of those plans.

According to Homeland Security Investigations (HIS), the US Government has notified foreign governments of the planned travel of 27,679 covered sex offenders to their countries. As of late January, 9,489 individuals who were convicted of sex crimes against children were denied entry by these nations.

During debate on the House Floor, Smith highlighted the vital input he received from human trafficking survivors for the bill and shared compelling testimony delivered by a brave survivor from New Jersey at one of his recent hearings examining the United States’ current implementation of programs to combat trafficking.

“At a congressional hearing I chaired last May, Gina Cavallo—an amazing, courageous woman from my home state of New Jersey—told us how she suffered unspeakable violence including rape, beatings, coercive drug abuse and other torture as her traffickers sold her like a commodity to one buyer after another,” said Smith.

“In writing the Frederick Douglass Act, we listened to survivors including Gina Cavallo who have heroically spoken out against these crimes against humanity and demanded that lawmakers craft polices and write laws that are victim-informed and trauma-informed,” Smith said.

A host of organizations and survivor experts who provided insights, recommendations and endorsements for Smith’s legislation stressed the benefits of the bill and offered praise for the strong support and House passage.

“One of the most important things I tell fellow survivors is, ‘You are not alone,’” said Judge Robert Lung, former Chair of the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. “The TVPRA is your opportunity to tell survivors, ‘You are not alone, you matter and Congress cares.’ Those may be the most life changing and important words spoken in this legislative session. May God continue to bless Congress.”

“I am proud of Congressman Smith and his staff for drafting HR 5856, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2023,” said Bella Hounakey, survivor leader, expert and member of US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. “I feel very empowered and I am convinced that while I can’t make a difference alone, I’m renewed and rejoice that there are organizations and politicians like Mr. Smith who are running towards survivors, instead of away from them. HR 5856 would continue to give voice and space for ethical storytelling to ensure that the public is well informed and prepared to act, and that survivors deserve our undivided attention and support. HR 5856 would allow survivors to develop their—our narrative, one that is tailored to the unique needs and sensitivities of our community while continuing to fight trafficking in all its forms.”

“The Frederick Douglass TVPRA of 2023 is essential for maintaining and improving the US response to the heinous crime of human trafficking,” said Gina Cavallo, Survivor Consultant, New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking. “As a country we mustn’t slow down the critical work we’re doing to punish criminals and ensure that those victimized are given access to support and justice.”

“Human trafficking is a heinous crime that robs individuals of their dignity, freedom, and basic human rights,” said Ashlie Bryant, 3Strands Global Foundation. “The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2023 is a critical step in our ongoing efforts to combat modern slavery. By reauthorizing and strengthening the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, we reaffirm our commitment to preventing trafficking, protecting survivors, and prosecuting perpetrators.”

“The US has the world’s most comprehensive governmental effort to fight human trafficking, and this law is the reason why,” said Terry FitzPatrick, Director of the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST), which is comprised of 15 member organizations. “It’s the blueprint for comprehensive action at home and abroad. Updating and reauthorizing the act is essential to maintaining America’s leadership.”

“The Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act is a flagship piece of human rights legislation, and one that is critical to combat the scourge and horror of human trafficking,” said Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs, Family Research Council. “Every man, woman, and child is made in the image of God, and every effort to compel or coerce someone into labor or commercial sex is an abomination. The dark underbelly of this global illness must be brought into the light and exposed, so that justice can be applied. It is imperative that the United States be a part of the solution in this area, not the problem.”

“In 2000, Congress passed the groundbreaking Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)—the first comprehensive federal law to address human trafficking,” said Sharon Payt, Vice President of US Corporate and Government Partnerships, International Justice Mission (IJM). “Reauthorizing the TVPA is an important signal to our global neighbors that the US government remains committed to ending human trafficking. IJM is grateful to Congressman Chris Smith for his persistent dedication to this crucial issue.”

“Hope for Justice supports the TVPA because of the robust opportunities it provides trafficking survivors to reenter society in a meaningful and deserved way,” said Sarah Butler, US Program Director, Hope for Justice. “As a global organization, we are particularly thrilled with the section that addresses fighting human trafficking abroad that would allow for increased opportunity for grant funding, and expansion of prevention efforts internationally. We have seen immense results from our programs globally, and this bill will help organizations like ours continue to impact survivors worldwide. This horrific criminal enterprise has left so many survivors in its wake, and it's time we give them the support they deserve to flourish as they heal.”

“With provisions for job training, education, expungement assistance, scholarships, and case management, this initiative stands to positively shape the lives, families, and communities of survivors by offering hope and opportunity after the trauma of human trafficking,” said Tasha Kennard, CEO, Thistle Farms.

“Empowering our educators and equipping our youth with the tools to recognize and prevent human trafficking, exploitation, and abuse is not just a moral imperative; it’s a strategic necessity,” said Elizabeth Fisher Good, CEO, The Foundation United. “The Frederick Douglass TVPA bill provides vital resources through grants for prevention education, enabling the frontlines of our education system to get ahead of trafficking before it ensnares another innocent life.”