Anti-Trafficking Bill Boosts Funding to $111M Annually, Requires Organ Harvesting Reporting, and Clarifies Foreign Aid Holds

The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025 is essentially a major system upgrade for how the U.S. government tracks and fights human trafficking globally. It focuses on extending funding, tightening up foreign aid rules, and making sure the State Department shines a spotlight on some of the worst forms of exploitation.

The Budget Bump: More Money for Victim Services

For those working on the front lines, the biggest news is the cash injection (Sec. 11). This bill significantly increases the money authorized for anti-trafficking programs and victim services. The overall annual authorization is jumping from the previous $65 million to a hefty $111 million per year for fiscal years 2025 through 2029. Plus, up to $37.5 million of that total is now earmarked specifically for programs aimed at ending modern slavery. If you run a shelter or an NGO that helps survivors, this means a much larger pool of resources will be available to keep the lights on and expand critical services like housing, legal aid, and counseling.

Clearing Up the Global Watch List

Remember the “special watch list” the State Department uses for countries that aren't doing enough to combat trafficking? That term is getting a simple rebrand (Sec. 4). It will now be called the “Tier 2 watch list.” This is mostly a terminology cleanup to make the ranking system clearer. More importantly, the criteria for landing on this list are being reinforced. The Secretary of State now has to specifically list countries that require “special scrutiny” if they have high or growing numbers of victims but aren't showing meaningful action to fight it, or if they haven't shown they are trying harder than the previous year.

Closing the Loopholes in Foreign Aid

This bill takes a hard look at how U.S. foreign aid is distributed, especially in disaster zones (Sec. 5). The new requirement is simple but critical: when the President delivers disaster or development aid, they must take specific steps to ensure that the aid does not create or worsen conditions that make people—especially those displaced by natural or human-made disasters—more vulnerable to being trafficked. Think of it as a mandatory anti-trafficking risk assessment built into every aid package. For vulnerable communities overseas, this means U.S. assistance should come with built-in safeguards, not new risks.

The Aid Freeze: What’s Exempted?

One of the main tools the U.S. uses to pressure non-compliant countries is freezing certain foreign aid. This bill clarifies exactly what aid gets frozen—and what doesn't (Sec. 6). The hold applies to “nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related assistance.” However, the bill carves out large exceptions that will continue regardless of a country’s compliance status. This includes aid for law enforcement, antiterrorism assistance, disaster relief, health programs, food assistance, and any aid delivered through NGOs, international organizations, or private sector partners.

This is where the policy gets a little tricky. While it makes sense to keep delivering humanitarian and health aid even if a government is failing, these broad exemptions could dilute the U.S. government’s leverage. For example, if a country is failing to prosecute traffickers, the U.S. can still fund its security programs and channel massive amounts of aid through NGOs. Furthermore, the President can simply determine by October 1st that any other assistance is necessary for U.S. security or economic interests, effectively overriding the aid hold. This suggests the penalty for non-compliance might be more symbolic than punitive for many countries.

Shining a Light on Organ Trafficking

Finally, the bill mandates a critical update to the State Department’s annual global trafficking report (Sec. 7). From now on, the report must include specific details on trafficking for the purpose of organ removal. This means the U.S. government will be required to track and report on victims trafficked solely to have their organs harvested, along with what foreign governments are doing to stop this horrific practice. This dedicated focus ensures that this specific, often overlooked, form of exploitation gets the international attention and policy response it desperately needs.