Owens, Magaziner Fight to Strengthen Federal Response to Child Trafficking and Exploitation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Burgess Owens (UT-04) and Congressman Seth Magaziner (RI-02) introduced the Preventing Child Trafficking Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen coordination between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the fight against child trafficking.

The bill directs DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and HHS’s Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) to implement key anti-trafficking recommendations issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its December 2023 report, “Child Trafficking: Addressing Challenges to Public Awareness and Survivor Support.”

“Child trafficking and exploitation is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable, and the government has a responsibility to use every tool available to fight back,” said Rep. Owens. “Right now, federal efforts remain fragmented and unacceptably slow, and that failure allows pure evil to retain its foothold. Our bill requires the DOJ and HHS to close those gaps, work together, and strengthen our response to protect children, support survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Protecting innocent children from trafficking and exploitation must be a top priority. Our bipartisan Preventing Child Trafficking Act takes important steps to strengthen federal coordination, hold traffickers accountable, and support the young people who survive these horrific crimes,” said Rep. Magaziner. “I am proud to join this bipartisan effort to ensure every child is safe and every victim gets the justice and care they deserve.”

“3Strands Global Foundation is proud to endorse the Preventing Child Trafficking Act,” said Ashlie Bryant, CEO and Co-Founder, 3Strands Global Foundation. “For more than a decade, our mission has been to prevent human trafficking before it begins, and this legislation represents a vital step toward safeguarding children from exploitation. We are grateful to Rep. Owens, Rep. Magaziner, Senator Ossoff, and Senator Grassley for their bipartisan leadership and commitment to protecting young people. We urge Congress to advance and swiftly pass this essential legislation.”

Background: 

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, reports of suspected child trafficking continue to climb each year. The GAO’s 2023 review found that gaps in federal coordination hinder public awareness efforts, service delivery, and long-term support for survivors. The Preventing Child Trafficking Act: 

• Implements all GAO anti-trafficking recommendations within 180 days, as required by law. 
• Creates a formal collaboration mechanism between DOJ’s OVC and HHS’s OTIP focused solely on combating child trafficking.
• Establishes clear performance goals to improve prevention, outreach, and survivor support programs.
• Requires a congressional report within 60 days of implementation detailing the actions taken and progress made. 

The Preventing Child Trafficking Act is supported by 3Strands Global Foundation, Street Grace, the Tim Tebow Foundation, CPAC, NCOSE, NCMEC, and RAINN. 

The full text of the legislation is available here. 

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