We are writing to invite you to co-sponsor legislation that strengthens Pennsylvania’s response to human trafficking by ensuring that the assets used in or gained from these heinous crimes are directly utilized to compensate the victims.

Currently, while Pennsylvania law allows for victim restitution, the practical reality is that many convicted traffickers lack the liquid assets to pay court-ordered compensation. Victims are often left with "paper judgments"—legal orders for money that is never actually paid. Meanwhile, the property used to facilitate these crimes (hotels, vehicles, digital infrastructure) or the proceeds generated by the exploitation often remain within the reach of the perpetrator or are absorbed into general law enforcement forfeiture funds that do not specifically prioritize the victim’s financial recovery.

This legislation amends Title 18 to create a clear, mandatory path from the trafficker’s pocket to the victim’s recovery. It establishes two critical pillars:

1. Upon conviction of a human trafficking offense, the court will be required to order the forfeiture of any property—real or personal—that was involved in or derived from the criminal activity.
2. The bill mandates that all forfeited assets (or the proceeds from their sale) be transferred to satisfy victim restitution orders. This transfer will have absolute priority over any other claims, including standard law enforcement or administrative distribution formulas.

Crucially, this bill ensures that the perpetrator remains responsible for the full scope of their debt. The transfer of forfeited assets to a victim does not mitigate the convict's ongoing legal obligation to satisfy the remainder of a restitution order through other means.

Human trafficking is a crime of profit. We can turn the tools of the traffickers into the resources needed for victim recovery.