Gillibrand Statement On Passage Of Her Bipartisan Bill To Support Victims Of Human Trafficking

Jan 7, 2026
GillibrandFought to Pass the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act for Nearly a Decade
Today, following the signing of the bipartisanTrafficking Survivors Relief Actinto law, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) released the following statement:
“I am thrilled that my bipartisanTrafficking Survivors Relief Acthas been signed into law. This represents significant progress in the effort to support victims of human trafficking, protecting them against the vicious cycle of criminalization that arises when their traffickers force them to break the law. I want to thank Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and Reps. Russell Fry and Ted Lieu for their partnership in getting this bill across the finish line, and I am so grateful to all of the survivors who have bravely come forward and shared their stories. Our work continues in the fight to end human trafficking once and for all.”
TheTrafficking Survivors Relief Actenables survivors of human trafficking to have nonviolent criminal convictions or arrest records they incurred while being trafficked vacated and expunged, shielding them from criminalization and subsequent problems securing housing and employment as they work to reestablish their lives. Additionally, the new law:
Senator Gillibrand first introduced theTrafficking Survivors Relief Actwith a bipartisan group of colleagues in 2016 and reintroduced it in every subsequent Congress. The most recent version of the bill, which was signed into law by President Trump, was co-led by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) in the Senate and Reps. Russell Fry (R-SC-07) and Ted Lieu (D-CA-36) in the House of Representatives. The legislation unanimously passed the House and Senate in December 2025.
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