Human Trafficking: Laws

The landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 laid the groundwork for the federal response to human trafficking. In the years since, Congress has built on this foundation, honing and expanding the U.S. strategy to combat sex trafficking and labor trafficking through a holistic, multi-agency approach.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 is the first comprehensive federal law to address trafficking in persons. The law provides a three-pronged approach that includes prevention, protection, and prosecution. The TVPA was reauthorized through the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2013.

Under U.S. federal law, “severe forms of trafficking in persons” includes both sex trafficking and labor trafficking.