SRES-603-119
Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S557; text: CR S555-556)
Sponsored by Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
What it does
This resolution expresses the Senate's support for observing "National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month" from January 1 to February 1, 2026. It cites statistics on human trafficking, identifies vulnerable populations, and lists existing federal anti-trafficking laws. The resolution urges continued partnerships among federal, state, tribal, and local agencies and calls for a victim-centered approach to combating trafficking.
Who benefits
Survivors and victims of human trafficking who gain increased public visibility and awareness. Nonprofit organizations and social service providers working on anti-trafficking efforts, who may see increased public engagement and donations. Vulnerable populations named in the resolution — including homeless youth, LGBTQ youth, and Native American women and girls — who may benefit from heightened awareness. Law enforcement agencies that may receive more public tips and cooperation as awareness grows.
Who is hurt
This is a commemorative resolution with no binding legal or fiscal effect, so no group is directly harmed. Indirectly, some advocates may argue that symbolic resolutions without accompanying funding or enforcement mechanisms provide limited practical benefit to trafficking victims.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that public awareness is a proven first line of defense against human trafficking, as traffickers deliberately evade detection and limit self-reporting by victims. They point to the resolution's own data — over 62,891 reports of child sex trafficking in just the first six months of 2025, and 1 in 5 homeless youth victimized — to argue that sustained national attention is essential to mobilizing communities, educators, and first responders who are most likely to identify victims.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that symbolic resolutions without accompanying appropriations, enforcement mandates, or new legal protections do little to materially improve outcomes for trafficking victims. They contend that Congress has already enacted more than a dozen anti-trafficking statutes since 2000, and that another awareness declaration risks substituting visible but low-cost action for the harder legislative work of funding victim services, closing jurisdictional gaps in Indian Country, and addressing the root causes — such as youth homelessness — that the resolution itself identifies.