[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 16, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8753-S8754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PREVENTING CHILD TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2025

  Mr. OSSOFF. Mr. President, child trafficking in Georgia and 
nationwide is a crisis and one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. 
In my State, the Georgia Department of Public Health this year reported 
that more than 370 girls are trafficked in Georgia every month--370 
girls every month.
  It is every parent's worst nightmare. I have got two young daughters 
at home, and I know that there is no more fundamental question for any 
human being than, Is my child safe?
  That is why here in the Senate, despite whatever differences and 
divisions we might have, we have to work together to protect children 
from trafficking. That is why Senator Grassley and I, together, have 
authored the Preventing Child Trafficking Act to strengthen prevention, 
investigation, and prosecution of child trafficking crimes and to 
ensure that prosecutors and law enforcement officials work together 
with those who provide supportive services to victims and survivors 
because too often the children who have endured this crime and this 
trauma fall through the cracks and are targeted and victimized again.
  Now, the Government Accountability Office is one of the top Federal 
watchdogs, and its investigation found that this failure of prosecuting 
and enforcement authorities to work with those who provide services to 
victims leaves American children at risk in Georgia and across the 
country.
  We have also found, through congressional investigations, that 
something that sounds simple--law enforcement working with those who 
serve victims--is essential to protecting children.
  That is why Senator Grassley and I have written this bill to solve 
this problem to protect children in Georgia, in Iowa, and across the 
country.
  So I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation 
because there is nothing more important than protecting children.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am happy to join Senator Ossoff in 
support of our bill, the Prevent Child Trafficking Act. This is an 
important bill with an important objective: fostering communication 
between the Department of Justice and Health and Human Services with 
the result, we hope, of preventing children from falling prey to the 
evils of human trafficking.

[[Page S8754]]

  It does this, as Senator Ossoff just said, by implementing 
recommendations from the Government Accountability Office and requiring 
these Agencies to set performance goals that reflect best practices. 
Preventing future instances of trafficking is very, very essential, and 
I am happy to support this bill's advancement today.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. OSSOFF. Mr. President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous 
consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from 
further consideration of S. 1049 and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant executive clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1049) to direct the Office for Victims of Crime 
     of the Department of Justice to continue implementing the 
     anti-trafficking recommendations of the Government 
     Accountability Office and to report to Congress regarding 
     such implementation.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged and the Senate 
proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. OSSOFF. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that bill be read 
a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1049) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and was passed, as follows:

                                S. 1049

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Preventing Child Trafficking 
     Act of 2025''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINED TERM.

       In this Act, the term ``anti-trafficking recommendations'' 
     means the recommendations set forth in the report of the 
     Government Accountability Office entitled ``Child 
     Trafficking: Addressing Challenges to Public Awareness and 
     Survivor Support'', which was published on December 11, 2023.

     SEC. 3. CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF ANTI-TRAFFICKING PROGRAMS 
                   FOR CHILDREN.

       (a) In General.--The Office for Victims of Crime of the 
     Department of Justice, in coordination with the Office on 
     Trafficking in Persons of the Administration for Children and 
     Families, shall continue implementing the anti-trafficking 
     recommendations by--
       (1) working together, in accordance with the leading 
     collaboration practices referenced in GAO-24-106038, to 
     develop and implement strategies to prevent child trafficking 
     and support child trafficking survivors; and
       (2) establishing achievable performance goals and targets 
     for anti-trafficking programs for children that reflect 
     leading practices, such as being objective, measurable, and 
     quantifiable, using baseline data from program grantees.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office for Victims 
     of Crime shall submit a report to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary of the Senate and Committee on the Judiciary of the 
     House of Representatives that explicitly describes the steps 
     taken pursuant to subsection (a).
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.

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