# National Human Trafficking Hotline Enhancement Act

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a phone line where people can report suspected human trafficking. Right now, organizations that run this hotline can receive tips about trafficking situations, but there's no requirement that they share that information with local police departments or state law enforcement agencies. This bill changes that by requiring any organization that gets a government grant to operate the hotline to cooperate with local and state law enforcement when they receive tips about trafficking.

In practical terms, if someone calls the hotline to report that they suspect trafficking is happening in their neighborhood, the organization running the hotline would now be required to help local police investigate that tip. The bill includes protections—organizations can still follow privacy laws and won't have to share information in ways that would be impractical or illegal. But the basic expectation is that information about potential trafficking victims and perpetrators should be shared with the police agencies closest to where the crime is happening, so they can actually do something about it.

This matters because trafficking victims need help quickly, and local police are often in the best position to respond. By requiring information sharing between the hotline and law enforcement, the bill aims to make sure that tips don't get stuck in one place but actually reach the officers who can rescue victims and arrest traffickers. The bill also requires the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to report back to Congress on how well this new requirement is working in practice.

National Human Trafficking Hotline Enhancement Act

Lee, Laurel M.

National Human Trafficking Hotline Enhancement Act This bill requires an applicant for a grant to operate the National Human Trafficking Hotline to certify that the applicant will provide information received from the hotline to state and local law enforcement agencies, at their request.