Reauthorizes and strengthens the main U.S. law fighting human trafficking abroad, extending program funding and adding new accountability requirements. The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons receives a funding authorization increase from $65 million to $102.5 million per year (through 2030), with up to $37.5 million earmarked for the Program to End Modern Slavery — which is also extended through 2029. Countries on the renamed Tier 2 Watch List (formerly Special Watch List) now face additional pressure: U.S. representatives at international development banks must actively push for anti-trafficking protections in development projects, and U.S. disaster aid must be planned to avoid creating conditions that increase trafficking risk. Tier 3 countries (those making no meaningful progress) face tougher financial consequences, with the President now directed to instruct U.S. directors at the IMF and multilateral development banks to vote against loans to those governments. Domestic workers employed by foreign diplomats or international organization employees (on A-3 or G-5 visas) gain new annual protections: a nationwide in-person registration program, annual rights briefings, and a requirement that their employers report wages to the U.S. government each year. Congress also gains more oversight: grant recipients must publicly list subgrantees (or submit a classified list), all grants must be awarded competitively, and the State Department must brief key committees within 30 days of any tier ranking changes or presidential waivers.
Transparency & Accountability
- Subgrantee disclosure — grant recipients must publish names of all subgrantee organizations or submit a classified list to Congress
- Competitive-grant requirement — all Program to End Modern Slavery grants must be awarded on a competitive basis with standard congressional notification
- Annual briefing on tier rankings — State Dept must brief foreign-affairs committees within 30 days of each Trafficking in Persons Report publication
- Waiver briefing requirement — State Dept must brief Congress within 30 days whenever the President grants a Tier 3 sanction waiver, including justification
- GAO oversight report — Comptroller General must submit a report to Congress within 2 years on U.S. anti-trafficking activities within multilateral development projects
- Employer wage reporting — accredited foreign mission and international organization employers of A-3/G-5 visa domestic workers must report wages paid annually to the Secretary of State
Congressional Summary
International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025This bill reauthorizes programs and activities that combat international human trafficking and updates various elements of the federal framework to combat international human trafficking.Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2029 programs and activities at various federal departments and agencies to combat international trafficking and reduce the prevalence of modern slavery. The bill also reauthorizes International Megan’s Law through FY2029. Among its provisions, the law requires sex offenders to provide certain information about their intended travel outside of the United States.Additionally, the bill updates the federal framework to combat international trafficking.First, with respect to country rankings for anti-trafficking efforts, the bill narrows the types of countries on the Tier 2 Watch List and increases the length of time a country may remain on the Tier 2 Watch List after being downgraded to the lowest ranking and then reinstated to the watch list. (The Tier 2 Watch List includes countries that are making significant efforts toward meeting the minimum standards to eliminate human trafficking but still have a significant or significantly increasing number of victims or fail to show improvement.)Second, the bill requires the Department of State to brief Congress on (1) countries that are downgraded or upgraded in the rankings, and (2) countries that receive a waiver from being downgraded. Third, the bill requires counter-trafficking strategies, activities, and efforts to be further incorporated into U.S. foreign assistance.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-08-01
- Date Added
- 2026-06-03
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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