The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2024 would allow human trafficking victims to vacate federal criminal convictions and expunge arrest records for crimes they committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Specifically, trafficking survivors could petition federal courts to vacate convictions for non-violent crimes and expunge records for arrests related to any federal crime if the criminal conduct was directly caused by their trafficking victimization. The bill also allows courts to reduce prison sentences for currently incarcerated trafficking victims and establishes a legal presumption of duress in trafficking cases, meaning defendants who prove they were trafficking victims when they committed the crime would be presumed to have acted under duress. The legislation requires U.S. Attorneys to report on cases filed under these new provisions within one year, and directs the Government Accountability Office to submit a comprehensive report within three years assessing the impact and recommending further improvements. There is no specific funding authorization in the bill, though it does allow grants for legal services to be used for post-conviction relief representation in these cases.
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