Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)

Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)

In 2000, The U. S. Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The Department of State collects information about the progress of countries with a trafficking problem and then ranks the countries according to what action they have taken on the problem. Countries that do not make progress can lose their non-humanitarian foreign aid.

On June 1, 2003, the State Department will release their third annual report and make their first recommendations on countries that should be denied aid. This is an opportunity to make a powerful statement about one of the most serious human rights abuses in today’s world: the trafficking of girls and young women into forced prostitution.

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Write to members of Congress and ask them to use the TVPA annual report results, and U.S. foreign aid, as tools to rescue victims, hold perpetrators accountable, and place victims into restorative aftercare.

To improve the effectiveness of your letter keep in mind the following:
  • State the purpose of your letter in the first paragraph.
  • Address only one issue in each letter; include key information, using examples to support your position.
  • Limit the letter to one page.

When addressing correspondence, the following format is suggested:
To a Senator:

The Honorable (full name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator __________:

To a Representative:

The Honorable (full name)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative ____________:
To locate your representative:
Visit www.house.gov and www.senate.gov

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Write to members of the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives who periodically review the efficacy of the TVPA. To see a listing of these members visit:

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Write to officials in the U.S. Department of State:

  • The Honorable Colin Powell
    Secretary of State
    United States Department of State
    2201 C Street NW
    Washington, DC 20520
  • The Honorable Paula Dobriansky
    Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs
    United States Department of State
    2201 C Street NW
    Washington, DC 20520
  • John Miller
    Director, Office to Combat Trafficking
    U.S. Department of State
    1800 G Street NW
    Washington, DC 20006

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Write to the President: