Massachusetts Survivors Act, S. 1256 and H. 1587, would enable individuals exploited through illegal activities to clear criminal records tied to their trafficking experiences. This change would enhance access to housing, employment, and education—key for recovery. Supporting these bills reflect compassion and help survivors regain independence and contribute to our communities.

Massachusetts Survivors Act, S. 1256 and H. 1587, would enable individuals exploited through illegal activities to clear criminal records tied to their trafficking experiences. This change would enhance access to housing, employment, and education—key for recovery. Supporting these bills reflect compassion and help survivors regain independence and contribute to our communities.

This bill generally prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals, both authentic and computer-generated, and requires certain online platforms to promptly remove such depictions upon receiving notice of their existence.  Specifically, the bill prohibits the online publication of intimate visual depictions of an adult subject where publication is intended to cause or does cause harm to the subject, and where the depiction was published without the subject’s consent or, in the case of an authentic depiction, was created or obtained under circumstances where the adult had a reasonable expectation of privacy; or a minor subject where publication is intended to abuse or harass the minor or to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. 

Human trafficking is far from new on Cape Cod, yet court charges increased by almost 700 per cent in the Cape and Islands' Superior and District courts between 2023 and 2024. The DA Robert Galibois attributes it to the past year's focus and cross-region collaborations on tackling the crime. Last week, a state-wide human trafficking conference gathered survivors, law enforcement and the hospitality industry to go from awareness to action. "We brought 321 charges in 2024 ... I don't say this for shock value. It's not like the Cape and Islands has an outbreak, if you will, in human trafficking ... but we are now starting to put a focus on it, and because of that, we're seeing the docket grow."Robert Galibois -Cape and Islands District Attorney

Survivors of human trafficking are too often criminalized for actions directly tied to their exploitation. Even without a conviction, an arrest record can create lifelong barriers—making it difficult or even impossible to secure employment, obtain housing, or volunteer in their children’s schools or sports programs. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (TSRA) would change that. For the first time ever, this legislation would create a federal pathway for criminalized trafficking survivors to clear their records. Enacting TSRA would mark a historic step toward justice, offering survivors a true chance at rebuilding their lives. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in January 2024 and in the Senate in April 2024.