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HR7225119th Congress

Protecting Child Sex Trafficking Victim Witnesses Act

Sponsored By: Representative Moore, Tim [R-NC-14]

Introduced

Summary

Protecting child sex trafficking victims who testify is the core aim. This bill would create a federal, victim-centered framework to shield child survivors at trial, require victim-centered training, expand grants to support protections, and modernize rules to allow digitally recorded testimony.

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  • Child victims and families: Gives child survivors safer testimony tools and planning. It recognizes "child sex trafficking" in federal witness-rights law and permits digitally recorded testimony.
  • Law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges: Would require training that follows the victim-centered guidance. The Attorney General would publish guidance within 18 months and train U.S. Attorney offices within 180 days of publication.
  • Service providers and grant programs: Allows Victim-Centered Child Human Trafficking Deterrence Block Grants to fund protections for child witnesses, including use by child advocacy centers and family justice centers.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Modernize child testimony recording rules

If enacted, the bill would update federal child witness rules to recognize child sex trafficking alongside child prostitution and add "victim advocacy" alongside law enforcement. It would replace the word "prostitution" with the defined term "commercial sex act" and allow digitally recorded testimony and recordings instead of only videotape. Courts, prosecutors, and victim advocates would get clearer, modern rules for recording and handling child interviews and testimony.

More grant support for child victims

If enacted, the Victim-Centered Child Human Trafficking Deterrence Block Grant would explicitly be allowed to pay for activities that strengthen protections for child sex trafficking victims who must testify. Grant recipients could use funds to follow the Attorney General's victim-centered guidance and to carry out any uses already authorized under section 204(a)(1) of the 2005 law. The bill text does not itself add new funding.

More protections for child witnesses

If enacted, the Attorney General would have to develop and publish victim-centered guidance within 18 months to protect child sex trafficking victims who testify. The guidance would cover ways to reduce harms from testifying, safe travel, lodging, accompaniment, use of child advocacy and family justice centers, and safety planning including post-trial plans. Within 180 days after publication, the Attorney General would share the guidance and train every U.S. Attorney's Office. The bill would also add related training for DOJ personnel, federal prosecutors, and judges based on that guidance.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Moore, Tim [R-NC-14]

NC • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 1/22/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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