H.R. 1144 would reauthorize several programs to combat trafficking in persons. Those programs are managed by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS), Justice (DOJ), and State. The bill would authorize the appropriation of $114 million for 2025, $248 million each year over the 2026-2029 period, and $134 million for 2030. Because funding for those programs was provided for 2025 in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (Division A of Public Law 119-4), CBO estimates that H.R. 1144 would not authorize additional appropriations for 2025 compared with current law. Thus, CBO estimates that the bill would authorize appropriations totaling $1,126 million over the 2025-2030 period.
Subject to appropriation of those specified amounts, and using historical spending patterns, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $654 million over the 2026-2030 period; another $419 million would be spent over the 2031-2035 period.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget functions 150 (international affairs), 600 (income security), and 750 (administration of justice).
Table 1.
Estimated Spending Subject to Appropriation Under H.R. 1144
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2025-2030
2025-2035
Authorization
0
248
248
248
248
134
0
0
0
0
0
1,126
1,126
Estimated Outlays
0
41
94
141
184
194
146
113
76
50
34
654
1,073
The bill would authorize annual appropriations of the following amounts for the 2026-2030 period:
$111 million each year for foreign assistance to address trafficking overseas; and
$23 million each year for ongoing activities of the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, and for an interagency task force.
Additionally, the bill would authorize annual appropriations of the following amounts for 2025-2029 period:
$77 million each year for DOJ grants to assist victims of trafficking and perform other activities to investigate and prevent human trafficking;
$31 million each year for HHS to provide benefits and services for victims of trafficking; and
$6 million each year for activities by DOJ, DHS, and the Department of State to monitor sex offenders travelling overseas and to combat child sex trafficking.
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are David Rafferty (for the Department of State and Foreign Assistance), Jada Ho (for the Department of Health and Human Services), and Jon Sperl (for the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security). The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
