By Elise Winland
Published October 30, 2025

              Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., marked the 25th anniversary of his landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) this week by urging Congress to pass new legislation reauthorizing and expanding key federal anti-human trafficking programs. 

              In an Oct. 28 press release, Smith, a Catholic and longtime human rights advocate, called on lawmakers to pass his recently authored Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 1144). He said the bill would continue funding prevention, victim assistance, and prosecution efforts across multiple federal agencies, including the State Department, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security. 

              “This legislation symbolizes the United States’ sustained leadership in the global fight against human trafficking — and our indefatigable commitment to advocate for the vulnerable, hold perpetrators accountable, and always address injustice wherever we see it,” Smith said in the release.

              The original TVPA, authored by Smith in the late 1990s, became law in 2000 and created the first comprehensive federal framework to combat human trafficking. According to the release, since its passage, the law and its reauthorizations have helped convict more than 2,200 traffickers, inspired anti-trafficking laws in all 50 states, and prompted more than 180 countries to enact similar legislation. 

              Smith also pointed to progress made under his International Megan’s Law, which requires U.S. authorities to notify foreign governments when convicted child predators attempt to travel overseas. Since 2024, more than 27,000 such travel alerts have been issued, the release stated.

              “As we mark this 25th anniversary, we recommit to the promise we made in 2000: that all persons shall live free from coercion, exploitation, and modern-day slavery,” Smith said. “We must act with courage, compassion, and resolve to ensure that freedom is more than a word — it is a lived reality for every human being.”