Senators’ legislation empowers human trafficking survivors by exempting their civil damages and restitution from federal taxes
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the bipartisan Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act—legislation helping survivors of human trafficking get back on their feet by exempting their restitution from federal taxes.
“Human trafficking survivors deserve our full support as they recover and rebuild their lives. Our bipartisan bill empowers survivors and strengthens our work to combat human trafficking,” said Sinema.
Currently, civil damages and restitution awarded to human trafficking victims are considered taxable income. The bipartisan Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act, introduced by Republican Senator John Cornyn (TX) and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden (OR), fixes this by exempting civil damages, restitution, and any monetary award given to survivors from federal income taxes. The legislation allows survivors to pursue justice and rebuild their lives without worry of a bill from the IRS.
The Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act is supported by the ASU Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research, Phoenix Starfish Place, End Child Pornography and Trafficking (ECPAT), the National Association to Protect Children, the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW), Rights4Girls, Shared Hope International, the National Children’s Alliance, the Polaris Project, Freedom Network USA, the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST), and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST).