WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced the National Human Trafficking Database Act, which would establish a national human trafficking database at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and incentivize state law enforcement agencies to report data.

Given the success of the state-level data collection program in Tennessee implemented by Belmont University’s Data Collaborative and the anti-human trafficking organization Engage Together, Congress should follow Tennessee’s lead and create a national database of human trafficking data—a groundbreaking step forward in the fight against the scourge of human trafficking.

“Human trafficking prosecutions have skyrocketed in recent years, and the federal government must use every available tool to convict criminals that have not yet been identified in our communities,” said Senator Blackburn. “The National Human Trafficking Database Act would help combat this heinous crime by incentivizing states to identify the risks of human trafficking in their counties and track the number of prosecutions statewide.”

“We must do all we can to prevent human trafficking. This means making sure that we have the best data and tools available,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation will establish a national database to fill critical information gaps, help streamline collaboration between those fighting to end trafficking, and ultimately save lives.”

 Human trafficking is among the fastest-growing illicit trades in the world, generating over $150 billion in profits each year. According to the United Nations’ International Labour Organization, human traffickers victimize an estimated 28 million people worldwide with 80% subjected to forced labor and 20% in sex trafficking. In 2022, agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) helped 765 human trafficking victims and made 3,655 trafficking-related arrests. As of 2022, DHS allocated more than $60 million to combating human smuggling and sent over 1,300 personnel to the southwest border and Latin America to aid in this effort. 

Human traffickers know no bounds in their pursuit of victims, and their actions often cause mental trauma, physical harm, financial ruin, and countless other harms to survivors. Many trafficking cases in the U.S. involve workers in jobs with low pay and few legal protections in the underground economy and the service industry. As a result, it’s critical that states can collect data on the human trafficking that occurs in their state and share it with the federal government.

Senators Blackburn and Klobuchar have also introduced the Stopping the Abuse, Victimization, and Exploitation of Girls (“SAVE Girls”) Act, which would provide states, local governments, and non-profits with the vital resources they need to put an end to the trafficking of young women and girls. 

• The National Human Trafficking Database Act would establish a national human trafficking database at the FBI and incentivize certain state law enforcement agencies to report data, including:
• The human trafficking risk assessment index score—which indicates the presence and prevalence of trafficking—for every county in every state;
• The names of all anti-trafficking organizations operating in each county; and
• The total number of state-level human trafficking prosecutions collected in coordination with local District Attorneys’ offices.
• To incentivize submission of data, this bill would direct the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime to award $50 million per fiscal year in grant funding for states to collect and submit data.

• The National Human Trafficking Database Act is endorsed by Raven, Street Grace, Hope for Justice, Engage Together, Shared Hope International, National Child Protection Task Force, Lynn’s Warriors, Thistle Farms, Restore Corp by Freed Life, Ancora TN, 3Strands Global Foundation, and the Fraternal Order of Police.

Click here for bill text.