Stay up to date on the latest policy developments impacting the fight against human trafficking. Our July Policy Update highlights Georgia’s historic new felony law for sex buyers, major federal investments to strengthen child exploitation investigations, and the key legislation Street Grace is advocating for in the months ahead.

A Historic Victory for Georgia: Beginning July 1, Buying Sex Becomes a Felony

For more than a decade, Street Grace has led the fight to end the demand that fuels human trafficking. We have always known one truth: as long as there are buyers, traffickers will continue to exploit the vulnerable for profit. That is why we have relentlessly championed stronger laws to hold sex buyers accountable.

Several years ago, Georgia took an important step by making the second offense for attempting to purchase sex a felony. While that was meaningful progress, it left too many offenders facing only misdemeanor consequences. Combined with limited law enforcement resources dedicated to demand-focused operations, the law simply did not go far enough to deter those driving the commercial sex trade.

That changes now.

Thanks to the leadership of Senator Brian Strickland and the passage of SB 547, Georgia reaches a historic milestone. Beginning July 1, 2026, every attempt to purchase sex in Georgia will be a felony.

This landmark law sends an unmistakable message: those who seek to exploit vulnerable individuals will face serious criminal consequences.

The timing could not be more critical as the 2026 FIFA World Cup ramps up attendance with knock-out rounds and semi-finals being played in Atlanta after this law goes into effect. Georgia law enforcement is now equipped with one of the nation’s strongest tools to combat sex trafficking before it occurs.

Increasing penalties does more than punish offenders — it prevents exploitation. Strong felony penalties create a powerful deterrent for would-be buyers while providing law enforcement with greater incentive and authority to conduct proactive operations.

Landmark Legislation: Renewed Hope Act Strengthens the Fight Against Child Exploitation

Street Grace was honored to be in Washington, D.C. last month as history was made in the fight to protect children when Senator Josh Hawley’s Renewed Hope Act provision, H.R. 6998, passed Congress and was signed into law by President Trump. This marked one of the most significant federal investments in combating exploitation in recent years.

This landmark legislation will enable Homeland Security Investigations to dramatically expand its child exploitation workforce by hiring 200 new investigators and intelligence analysts, an increase from seven full-time specialists to a robust team of experts equipped to identify offenders, rescue victims, and bring exploiters to justice.

At Street Grace, we have witnessed firsthand the extraordinary difference that dedicated human trafficking investigators make. When law enforcement agencies have officers whose sole mission is investigating child exploitation and human trafficking, more offenders are identified, more children are rescued, and more traffickers and buyers are held accountable.

These are some of the most complex and time-intensive investigations in law enforcement. They demand specialized training, relentless attention, and significant resources. This historic investment recognizes that reality and gives HSI the capacity to pursue more predators, dismantle more exploitation networks, and protect more children than ever before. This is more than additional staffing. It is a powerful commitment that the United States will continue strengthening its efforts to combat child exploitation.

Street Grace is proud to support policies that equip law enforcement with the tools they need to stop exploitation, protect vulnerable children, and ensure those who prey on them are brought to justice.

Legislative Focus for July

We Advocate For: The GUARD Act

Ban AI companion chatbots for minors
AI companies would be prohibited from providing AI companion chatbots to users under 18.

Require clear disclosure that users are interacting with a machine
Companies must disclose to users that they are engaging with an AI system and not a human.

Prohibit chatbots from falsely claiming professional status
AI chatbots would be barred from representing themselves as licensed professionals, including therapists and medical professionals.

Create new criminal penalties for sexual-content solicitation or production involving minors
The bill establishes criminal penalties for companies allowing minors to access AI companions that solicit or produce sexual content.

We Oppose: The KIDS Act, H.R. 7757

The KIDS Act is being promoted as a bill to protect children online, while it is actually a toothless piece of legislation pieced together by Big Tech to help them remain immune to any attempts to hold them responsible for knowingly and purposefully creating harmful products.

It is a distraction from bills like the Senate version of KOSA, the Kids Online Safety Act, and the App Store Accountability Act that would actually hold Big Tech to a reasonable standard of care as they are developing their products and actually protect children.