Biden Signs Bass Bill to Enhance Services and Fund Programs For Survivors of Human Trafficking

Statement

Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) issued the following statement after United States President Joe Biden signed her bill to extend the authorization for the special assessment for the Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund into law. The bill had previously been passed by the House of Representatives 415-0.

"I want to thank President Biden for taking action on this important issue," said Rep. Bass. "We must continue to do all we can to end human trafficking in this country."

The White House thanked Congresswoman Bass for her leadership in getting this bill to the President's desk.

Background

The Domestic Trafficking Victims Fund (DTVF), first established under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, is a fund specifically designated to provide services and support to survivors of human trafficking. When an individual is convicted of an enumerated offense related to human trafficking, a $5,000 additional assessment is imposed on any non-indigent person's sentence. These collected sums are then deposited in the Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund, which then awards grants to states and localities. Those grants support programs to combat trafficking, provide protection and assistance for victims of trafficking, develop and implement child abuse investigation and prosecution programs, and provide services for victims of child pornography.

This bill extends the mandatory special assessment. The fees collected from the special assessment are transferred to the DTVF and used to fund and enhance victim services and programming for trafficking survivors. This mandate expired on September 11, 2022.

The DTVF has consistently been reauthorized on a bipartisan basis since it was first created. Without Congressional action, the fund would face significant setbacks. This is not only because grant recipients would be left with uncertainty about how to provide vital services, but also because the government would be unable to collect the sums for these purposes until the fund is reauthorized.

Source