New Act Launches Federal Task Force, Funds Long-Term Care, and Job Training for Child Trafficking Survivors

The Save Our Girls from Sex Trafficking Act of 2025 is a major federal effort aimed squarely at combating domestic child human trafficking. It doesn't just focus on law enforcement; it builds a comprehensive system covering research, prevention education, victim identification, and long-term recovery.

This legislation kicks off by creating an Interagency Task Force led by the Attorney General and involving the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, and Homeland Security, among others (Sec. 2). Their job is to coordinate efforts to reduce demand, boost prevention, and—crucially—ensure that when law enforcement encounters a trafficked child, they are identified as a survivor and diverted toward non-judicial rehabilitation services, not prosecution.

The First Step: Understanding the Landscape

Before launching all the services, the Act mandates a comprehensive Study on Child Human Trafficking (Sec. 3). This isn't just a headcount; the study requires the Attorney General and HHS Secretary to dig deep into why kids enter the sex trade, profile the traffickers and the people who purchase sex from minors, and examine the long-term physical and psychological effects on survivors. They have three years to report back to Congress, providing the data needed to make future efforts smarter.

Education and Prevention: Reaching Kids Where They Are

This bill recognizes that prevention starts early. It establishes two key grant programs focused on education. First, a School Grant Program authorizes the Secretary of Education to fund local school districts to teach children about human trafficking (Sec. 4). Second, a Foster Care Grant Program allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to fund agencies working with foster children—a population known to be highly vulnerable—to provide targeted education (Sec. 5). A necessary requirement for both grants is that recipients must collaborate with organizations that use a victim-centered approach, ensuring the message is delivered safely and effectively.

Changing Law Enforcement's Role

The Law Enforcement Grant Program (Sec. 6) is designed to shift how police and prosecutors interact with victims. The grants fund training to help officers correctly identify trafficked children, create pre-trial diversion programs for victims (so they aren't treated as criminals), and provide protection for survivors who testify against their abusers. The bill even includes a smart incentive: law enforcement agencies can get up to 20% more funding if they commit to two things: collaborating with victim-centered teams and having a policy not to prosecute or otherwise punish victims of child sex trafficking. This is a huge win for survivors, moving the focus from punishment to recovery.

The Long Road to Recovery: Jobs and Housing

For survivors trying to rebuild their lives, the Act creates two vital programs. The Job Training Grant Program (Sec. 7) authorizes the Secretary of Labor to fund nonprofits that provide job skills training and help survivors and at-risk children find employment. This is the practical, getting-back-on-your-feet support that makes independence possible.

Finally, the Long-Term Care Grant Program (Sec. 8) addresses the critical need for stability after rescue. It authorizes HHS to fund nonprofits providing three essential services: long-term care facilities, long-term counseling and trauma-informed mental health services, and long-term and transitional housing. This provision acknowledges that recovery isn't a quick process; it requires sustained, stable support.

The Fine Print: Administrative Discretion

While the goals are excellent, there's a common administrative note across nearly all the new grant programs (Sec. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). The application processes for these funds are largely left to the discretion of the administering Secretaries—meaning agencies have to apply “at a time, in a manner, and containing information that the Secretary may reasonably require.” This is standard bureaucratic language, but it means that the real-world success of these programs hinges heavily on how quickly and clearly the various Secretaries establish the application rules. If the rules are slow or confusing, it could delay vital funds from reaching schools, police departments, and nonprofits on the ground.