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In a landmark victory for human rights and survivor advocacy, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have passed the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act on a bipartisan basis. The bill has now been sent to the President for signature, marking a critical step toward justice for thousands of trafficking survivors across the nation.

For too long, survivors of human trafficking have faced a devastating double burden: the trauma of their exploitation and the weight of criminal records that resulted directly from that victimization. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act finally addresses this injustice by creating a federal legal mechanism that allows survivors to clear their federal records and rebuild their lives.

In February 2025, Assemblywoman Maggy Krell introduced a significant piece of legislation aimed at combating sex trafficking in California. The Survivor Support and Demand Reduction Act (AB379) represents a comprehensive approach to addressing the sex trafficking crisis by focusing on victim support and reducing the demand for trafficking.

In September 2024, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1414 into law, making it a serious felony to purchase sex from a minor under the age of 16. While this is a step forward, it’s not enough to protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable. The reality is that the demand created by buyers fuels the entire sex trafficking industry—and until buyers are held accountable in a more meaningful way, we will continue to fight an uphill battle against trafficking.