This bill creates a path for human trafficking survivors to clear their criminal records when they were forced to commit crimes as part of their trafficking experience. Here's what it does: If you were trafficked and committed a federal crime as a direct result of that trafficking, you can ask a court to erase your conviction or arrest record. For less serious crimes, the court can vacate your conviction entirely, meaning it's treated as if it never happened. For more serious crimes, the court can erase arrest records if charges were dropped, you were acquitted, or the charges were reduced. The bill also allows judges to reduce prison sentences for trafficking survivors who are currently incarcerated, considering that their trafficking experience was a factor in their crime. Additionally, the bill creates a legal defense called "duress" that allows trafficking survivors to argue in court that they committed a crime because they were being trafficked and had no real choice. To file these motions, you don't have to pay any fees. The process is kept confidential—your name and details are sealed from public view. The bill recognizes that traffickers increasingly use "forced criminality" as a control tactic, forcing victims to commit crimes like drug dealing or theft. By allowing survivors to clear their records, the bill aims to help them rebuild their lives without the burden of a criminal history that resulted from their victimization.

Trafficking Survivors Relief Act

Fry, Russell

Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025This bill establishes a process to vacate convictions and expunge arrest records for certain criminal offenses committed by victims of human trafficking that directly result from or relate to having been a trafficking victim.It defines the offenses eligible to be vacated or expunged and sets forth procedures for filing a motion.The Government Accountability Office must assess the impact of this process, including the number of human trafficking survivors who file motions to vacate convictions or expunge records.The bill permits certain grants for legal representation to be used to seek post-conviction relief.Finally, the bill allows a defendant to establish that the offenses were committed under duress&nbsp;by demonstrating that he or she was a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense.