IJM welcomes Senate passage of the International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022

Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, WASHINGTON, D.C. — International Justice Mission (IJM) welcomes recent Senate passage of the International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022 (S. 4171) by voice vote on Dec. 1, 2022. Introduced by Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) on May 11, 2022, S. 4171 was unanimously reported out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 14, 2022 and was also co-sponsored by Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ben Cardin (D-MD).

This important legislation reauthorizes essential U.S. anti-trafficking programs and policy, which lapsed in September 2021. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 is the landmark federal law that governs U.S. policy to address trafficking in persons in the United States and around the globe. The TVPA has been reauthorized through the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) five times, most recently in early 2019.

“I come to the Floor today to get this body to act on the face of one of the most heinous forms of exploitation on the planet, which is human trafficking,” said Chairman Menendez. “The year is almost over. The Congress is coming to a close. We're running out of time. And the Senate still has not passed the Menendez-Risch International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which was reported out of the Foreign Relations Committee by voice vote over five months ago.”

“Human trafficking is a scourge on the global community, and we are grateful to Sen. Menendez for his leadership on this critical legislation in the Senate,” said Sharon Payt, Vice President, Corporate & Government Partnerships, IJM. “We encourage Congress to finalize a comprehensive reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act as soon as possible.”