RISE 2030

Policy Summary: The Restoration and Independence for Survivors of Exploitation Act of 2030 (RISE 2030)

Preamble

The United States government was founded on the principle that every person has the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When it fails to protect those most vulnerable survivors of exploitation and trafficking, it fails its most basic duty. RISE 2030 is a course correction. It ensures that survivors are no longer abandoned by the very institutions meant to protect them.

Purpose

The Restoration and Independence for Survivors of Exploitation Act of 2030 (RISE 2030) ensures that survivors of sex trafficking receive direct access to the support, justice, and healing they deserve in a timely manner through resource centers that are audited and have a proven track record of helping survivors get on their feet and recover quickly. 

 

Key Provisions

  • All core services whether they be trauma-informed therapy, mental health care (never forced, only offered), housing assistance, legal representation, if desired, will be funded and administered by the Federal Government through the foundation, which vets and audits each and every other organization for efficiency and client outcomes, while providing it’s own resources for others. 
  • The Foundation, in addition, will provide its own resources such as one-stop drop in centers for anyone seeking therapy from sexual, physical, emotional, mental abuse, or trafficking of any nature.
  • The Foundation and Center(s) will be funded through Federal Government grants and funding (along with private donations), will hold other agencies / organizations to the highest standards by ensuring that resources are properly utilized and individuals are receiving the help they need in a timely manner.
  • Survivors will not be disqualified nor treatment delayed due to missing documentation or identification. Every survivor deserves help.
 
  • Enforcement Measures
  • States and local jurisdictions must comply with federal standards or face audits, funding suspensions, or civil penalties.
  • A survivor-led federal oversight board will review service delivery, investigate failures, and hold agencies accountable to national standards of care.
  • Law enforcement and prosecutors receiving federal funding must undergo mandatory training on trauma-informed approaches or risk being disqualified from federal assistance programs.

Funding Penalties

  • Any jurisdiction found to be underreporting trafficking data, misusing survivor funds, or obstructing access to services will be subject to fines, audits, and potential criminal investigation.
  • A portion of recovered funds from traffickers and complicit third parties will be redirected to a federal survivor assistance fund—not local or state-run programs—to ensure transparency and reduce corruption.
  • No funds from this Act shall be reallocated to political initiatives, lobbying, or unrelated administrative expenses.

Criminal And Administrative Accountability

  • Public institutions, nonprofit agencies, or private actors who knowingly enable or conceal sex trafficking will face federal prosecution.
  • Prosecutors and public officials who refuse to pursue valid trafficking cases without legal justification will be subject to federal review and, if necessary, removal.
  • Survivors will have the legal right to request an independent federal review if their case is dismissed without cause at the local level.

Federal Coordination

  • A national, encrypted database will be created to track survivor care outcomes, prosecution rates, and systemic failures, while protecting survivor identities.
  • Federal survivor liaisons will be assigned to work with each state, ensuring compliance, quality of care, and access to all resources.
  • No survivor shall be required to reapply or be re-evaluated through third-party agencies after qualifying for federal assistance under this Act.

Intended Impact

RISE 2029 will end the cycle of neglect, exploitation, and bureaucratic failure that too many survivors of trafficking have endured. By removing third-party barriers and putting federal power behind survivor support, this legislation puts the responsibility exactly where it belongs: on a government that promises liberty and justice for all. Survivors deserve direct access to healing, protection, and power. RISE 2029 makes that promise real.

Learn about my story.

© Christian Hughes for Congress