{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-exempt-trafficking-survivors-restitution-from-federal-taxes/", "Warnock, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Exempt Trafficking Survivors\u2019 Restitution from Federal Taxes", "2025-11-20", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "GA", "Raphael G. Warnock", "W000790", "www.warnock.senate.gov", "warnock", "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "Senator Reverend Warnock is joining a bipartisan group of his Senate Colleagues to introduce the Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act\n\nThis legislation would prevent the civil damages, restitutions, and other monetary awards of human trafficking victims from being federally taxed\n\nIn 2021, 60% of Georgia\u2019s human trafficking victims were forced to pay restitution, which is above the national average\n\nThe Federal Bureau of Investigation has ranked Atlanta as one of the top 14 cities in America for human trafficking\n\nSenator Reverend Warnock: \u201cI am proud to join this legislation to ease the lifelong financial burdens that so many of these victims face\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) today introduced the Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act, which would exempt civil damages, restitution, and other monetary awards given to human trafficking survivors from federal income taxes. It would also codify current Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance that makes restitution payments made to survivors in criminal cases free from federal income taxes. In addition to Senator Warnock, Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and James Lankford (R-OK) and U.S. Representatives Jodey Arrington (TX-R-19) and Brad Schneider (IL-D-10) also co-lead the introduction.\n\n\u201cHuman trafficking is one of the most horrendous and inhumane things we continue to face in modern society,\u201d said Senator Reverend Warnock. \u201cI am proud to join this legislation to ease the lifelong financial burdens that so many of these victims face. Although money cannot undo the harms they\u2019ve suffered, it can usher in new opportunities for victims of these heinous crimes.\u201d\n\n\u201cTexans who have been exploited, coerced, or forced into involuntary sexual acts or labor should not have to pay taxes on the payments awarded to them after enduring such a horrific crime,\u201d said Senator Cornyn. \u201cProviding these survivors with tax-relief is one small step we can take to alleviate some of the burden on their journey to healing.\u201d\n\nUnder the Internal Revenue Code, civil damages awarded to human trafficking victims are considered taxable income. This legislation would exempt civil damages from federal income taxes, allowing survivors to file their taxes without worrying of penalties or fees for not reporting awarded damages as income. It also would provide parity between criminal restitution, which is tax-exempt through IRS Notice 2012-12, and civil damages, which are not. Often, human trafficking survivors\u2019 only recourse to pursue justice against traffickers is through civil litigation. Finally, the bill codifies IRS Notice 2012-12, ensuring that restitution payments made in criminal cases remain tax-free.\n\nThe Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act is endorsed by the Freedom Network USA and Rights4Girls.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-exempt-trafficking-survivors-restitution-from-federal-taxes/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3935139868408442, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}