Keep Human Trafficking Prosecutions
Survivors of trafficking would get more time to sue
Under the New Jersey bill, civil claims could be filed up to 10 years after the harm, with added time for minors and some delayed-discovery cases. The same measure removes the criminal filing cutoff altogether.
A New Jersey bill would keep human trafficking prosecutions open no matter how much time has passed. It would also give survivors a longer civil window, so delay would be less likely to erase a case before it starts.
- No statute of limitations for trafficking prosecutions
- Civil claims tied to trafficking would get more time
- The bill is aimed at survivors who come forward late
- Key vote records show no recorded no votes
- In New Jersey, a trafficking case would no longer be forced into the calendar the way ordinary crimes are
In New Jersey, a trafficking case would no longer be forced into the calendar the way ordinary crimes are. Under the bill, prosecutions for human trafficking offenses could be commenced at any time, removing the statute of limitations that can shut a case before a survivor is ready to come forward.
The same measure extends the civil filing window for people harmed by trafficking. That gives survivors more room to bring a lawsuit after the abuse, rather than losing the right to sue because too much time has passed.
Why the clock matters
Deadline rules can be brutal in abuse cases. Trafficking survivors may spend years under fear, isolation or control before they can speak to police or a lawyer, and a hard filing cutoff can make the law feel closed before they ever reach it.
The bill rewrites that pressure point in state law by amending N.J.S.2C:1-6 and P.L.2013, c.51. Available key vote records show the bill advanced without recorded no votes.
A longer path to accountability
The practical shift is simple: time would no longer be the first defense in a trafficking prosecution, and the civil side would stay open longer for people seeking damages. That matters in cases where evidence, trust or safety comes together slowly.
For survivors, the change is less about legal theory than access. It keeps the courthouse door open when the harm itself made it hard to walk through earlier.