WorldWE Legislative Priorities

Changing minds and hearts on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation is critical to our efforts at World Without Exploitation (WorldWE). But lasting cultural transformation will only occur when we also change the laws that have allowed the sex trade to flourish in the United States and beyond our borders. With over 170 member groups working in virtually every state in the nation, WorldWE is uniquely situated to support local and statewide advocacy efforts while spearheading and coordinating national policy campaigns addressing human trafficking and exploitation.

Our current advocacy priorities include:

State Legislative Priorities

At World Without Exploitation, we are dedicated to creating a future where sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation is eradicated and survivors are supported with dignity and justice. Our legislative priorities are focused on advancing policies that protect individuals from exploitation and ensure comprehensive, survivor-centered care. These initiatives are key to building a world free from trafficking, and include:

The Survivor Model

We advocate for the Survivor Model (Equality Model), which seeks to decriminalize individuals who are exploited in the sex trade, while holding buyers, traffickers, and exploiters accountable. This model centers the voices and needs of survivors, promoting safety, dignity, and opportunities for recovery.

This model has been adopted by a host of countries that have prioritized human rights and gender justice, including Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Iceland, France, Israel, and Norway.  In 2023, WorldWE, in partnership with organizations, policy champions, and survivor leaders on the ground successfully passed through legislation in Maine that decriminalizes prostituted people and provides them avenues to seek criminal record relief, while maintaining penalties for pimps, sex buyers, and brothel owners. We continue to support efforts around the country to pass comprehensive Survivor Model legislation.

Child Sex Crimes Victims Protection Act (Sara’s Law)

The names Cyntoia Brown and Chrystul Kizer spent many months in the news. These are just two of the girls who were charged as adults for killing the men who raped and trafficked them. 

When child victims engage in violence against their abusers, courts should have as much flexibility as possible in creating a trauma informed and age-appropriate response, including suspending any sentence or transferring a child victim into the juvenile or child welfare system for treatment and services.

World Without Exploitation and our partner organizations have introduced bills in states across the country that would allow judges sentencing discretion in these cases. Often known as “Sara’s Law”, the legislation is named in honor of a child sex trafficking victim who killed her trafficker and rapist and was then sentenced to life without parole. Thankfully, Sara is no longer incarcerated and has become a champion and advocate for passing these laws around the country. 

State-Based Vacatur Laws

These laws allow survivors of trafficking to vacate criminal records related to offenses committed as a result of being trafficked. By clearing these records, we help remove barriers to employment, housing, and education, providing survivors with a genuine path to healing and independence. In recent years, several states have expanded criminal record relief laws to allow survivors to vacate felony and violent felony convictions resulting from their trafficking, recognizing that abusers often force victims to commit a wide array of crimes beyond prostitution.

Demand Accountabilty Laws

Demand accountability laws in the context of sex trafficking refer to legislative measures aimed at reducing or eliminating the demand for commercial sex, which is often a driving force behind human trafficking. These laws target the individuals who purchase sex (the "demand" side) rather than just focusing on prosecuting traffickers or victims, and they seek to address the root cause of the trafficking by reducing the market for it.  Legislative initiatives to address demand across the U.S. include: 

  • Stiffer Penalties for Buyers: 
    • In some jurisdictions, sex buying is now a felony, allowing for more severe penalties and greater deterrence. 
    • Codifying into the law mandatory fines for those arrested for buying sex - these fines are distributed into victim compensation funds that go towards services for those who have been exploited in the sex trade. 
  • “End Demand” Initiatives: Some laws include initiatives or public awareness campaigns that stress the importance of ending the demand for paid sex as a means to combat sex trafficking. The goal is to shift societal attitudes and make the purchase of sex viewed as socially unacceptable.

Federal Legislative Priorities

Together, these legislative priorities aim to create a legislative framework that prioritizes prevention, survivor support, and accountability for those who perpetrate exploitation. We believe that by aligning laws with the lived experiences of survivors, we can create lasting change and move toward a world without exploitation.

The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (TSRA)

Survivors of human trafficking are often criminalized for situations stemming from their trafficking experiences. Across the U.S., the majority of states have passed criminal record relief for convictions in the state criminal system. However, survivors with federal records have no pathway to clear these records. The TSRA would allow trafficking survivors to clear their federal criminal records for the first time. The TSRA is also designed to provide comprehensive relief for trafficking survivors, including legal remedies, financial compensation, and access to vital services. This act ensures that survivors are empowered to rebuild their lives and pursue justice without being further victimized by legal or systemic barriers.