Trafficking Victims Act Makes $5,000 Court Fee Permanent, Removing 2025 Expiration Date

The “Enduring Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act” is short, but it makes a significant, permanent change to how the federal courts fund victim services. Essentially, this legislation takes a specific $5,000 financial penalty—currently charged to people and businesses convicted of certain federal crimes—and removes its scheduled expiration date of September 30, 2025. This means that the $5,000 special assessment fee, which is added on top of standard court fees and fines, is now a permanent fixture in the federal sentencing playbook, provided the convicted person or entity is not deemed indigent (meaning they can afford to pay).

The Permanent Price Tag on Conviction

Think of this $5,000 charge as a dedicated surcharge. Right now, if a non-indigent person or corporation is convicted under certain parts of Title 18 of the U.S. Code—which covers a wide range of federal crimes—the court adds this fee. The money collected is typically funneled into funds that support victims of trafficking. By removing the sunset clause in Section 2, the bill ensures this funding stream never runs dry. For victims’ services, this is a clear win, as it locks in a continuous, reliable source of revenue without the uncertainty of future legislative renewal.

Who Pays and What It Means

This change directly impacts non-indigent individuals and entities convicted of the relevant federal offenses. If you’re a business or a person with assets, and you’re found guilty of one of these crimes, you’re on the hook for that extra $5,000, indefinitely. The language is clear that this applies to those who can afford it, which is a key distinction—it prevents the fee from becoming an undue burden on the poorest defendants. However, for everyone else, this assessment is now a guaranteed part of the financial penalty, adding a significant fixed cost to the consequences of conviction. It’s the difference between a temporary tax and a permanent one—it’s now baked into the system.

Stability vs. Perpetual Penalty

The benefit here is stability. Programs that rely on these funds for critical services—like shelters, legal aid, and counseling for trafficking survivors—can now count on this revenue source without worrying about a looming deadline. The challenge, however, is that this makes a substantial financial penalty permanent without any future requirement for legislative review. While the intent is solid—making offenders pay to help victims—it also means that even minor offenses that fall under the relevant code sections will perpetually carry this $5,000 burden for non-indigent individuals, adding a fixed, non-negotiable cost to the justice system’s entry fee.