What's happening
This bill requires lodging facility employees in New York to receive human trafficking recognition training and mandates record-keeping of such training.
Why it matters
Expands responsibility for trafficking prevention. By requiring all hospitality employees who interact with guests to be trained, the bill positions hotel and motel staff as frontline identifiers of potential trafficking situations, increasing the likelihood that victims are recognized and helped.
Standardizes training content and delivery. The law ensures consistency by mandating that training programs be established or approved by state agencies and address specific topics, including legal definitions, identification methods, survivor support, and available services, reducing gaps in knowledge or awareness.
Creates accountability through record-keeping. Mandating that lodging facilities maintain records of employee training (both current and for one year after employment ends) introduces a compliance mechanism, allowing for oversight and potential enforcement.
Addresses both new and existing employees. By requiring current employees to be trained within four months and new hires within their first month, the bill aims for prompt, comprehensive coverage, minimizing potential loopholes during staff transitions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Train Hotel Workers on Trafficking
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
23 Co-sponsors
- Pamela J. Hunter
- Diana Richardson
- Carmen De La Rosa
- Marcos Crespo
- Jo Anne Simon
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Sandy Galef
- Anthony D'Urso
- Michael Blake
- Walter T. Mosley
- Richard Gottfried
- Peter Abbate
- Felix Ortiz
- Jose Rivera
- Clifford Crouch
- Joseph Giglio
- David McDonough
- Dan Quart
- Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
- Steven Otis
- Patricia Fahy
- David Weprin
- Yuh-Line Niou
History
- Referred to economic development
- Referred to economic development
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Train Hotel Workers on Trafficking
In Senate Committee · Consumer Protection · Sponsor Shelley Mayer
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
357
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, HUNTER, RICHARDSON, DE LA ROSA, CRESPO, SIMON, JAFFEE, GALEF, D'URSO, BLAKE, MOSLEY, GOTTFRIED, ABBATE, ORTIZ, RIVERA, CROUCH, GIGLIO, McDONOUGH, QUART, BICHOTTE, OTIS, FAHY, WEPRIN, NIOU -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, JEAN-PIERRE, MORINELLO, WALSH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Economic Development
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to human trafficking awareness and training for certain lodging facility employees
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 205 to read as follows:
§ 205. Human trafficking awareness and training. 1. Human trafficking recognition training program. a. For purposes of this section, "lodging facility" shall mean any inn, hotel, motel, motor court or other establishment that provides lodging to transient guests. Such term shall not include an establishment treated as a dwelling unit for the purposes of any state or local law or regulation or an establishment located within a building that has five or less rooms for rent or hire and that is actually occupied as a residence by the proprietor of such establishment.
b. Every lodging facility shall require all employees who are likely to interact or come into contact with guests to undergo a human trafficking recognition training program to provide training in the recognition of a human trafficking victim as defined in section four hundred eighty-three-aa of the social services law. Such training program shall be established or approved by the division of criminal justice services and the office of temporary and disability assistance in consultation with the New York state interagency task force on human trafficking. The training program may be developed by a federal, state, or non-profit
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01277-01-9
A. 357 2
organization, and may be incorporated as part of the lodging facility's existing training programs or may be provided by organizations or providers identified by the commissioner of the division of criminal justice services or the commissioner of the office of temporary and disability assistance, provided that the training includes all of the requirements of this section. Established or approved training programs may be made available through methods including, but not limited to, in-person instruction, electronic and video communication, or online programs.
c. Any human trafficking recognition training program established or approved by the division of criminal justice services and the office of temporary and disability assistance in consultation with the New York state interagency task force on human trafficking as required in this section shall address no less than the following issues:
(i) the nature of human trafficking;
(ii) how human trafficking is defined in law;
(iii) how to identify victims of human trafficking;
(iv) relief and recovery options for survivors; and
(v) social and legal services available to victims.
d. The commissioner of the division of criminal justice services and the commissioner of the office of temporary and disability assistance shall make available a list of established or approved human trafficking recognition programs for use by a lodging facility.
e. All new employees required to receive human trafficking recognition training shall receive such training within their first month of employment.
f. The training shall take place on the premises of the lodging facility and shall be considered compensable time.
2. Record keeping requirements of human trafficking recognition training. Every keeper of each lodging facility shall maintain records indicating that each employee required to undergo an established or approved human trafficking recognition training program pursuant to this section has completed such training. Such records shall be kept on file by the lodging facility for the period during which the employee is employed by the lodging facility and for one year after such employment ends.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law; provided however, paragraph d of subdivision 1 of section 205 of the general business law, as added by section one of this act shall take effect immediately; provided further that all applicable current employees of a lodging facility on the effective date of this act shall receive human trafficking recognition training within four months of the effective date of this act.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.