What's happening
This bill requires bars and similar establishments to display signs with human trafficking hotline information to assist potential victims.
Why it matters
Increases visibility of help for trafficking victims. By mandating highly visible signage in bars and adult entertainment venues, the bill aims to ensure that both employees and patrons—who may be at higher risk of exploitation or have direct contact with trafficking victims—are made aware of confidential resources for help.
Targets high-risk environments. The specific requirement for establishments where nudity or partial nudity occurs, as well as all bars, reflects recognition that these venues are statistically more likely to intersect with human trafficking, especially sex trafficking.
Establishes clear enforcement and penalties. The bill creates a civil penalty (up to $100 per day) for noncompliance, giving the law real consequences and incentivizing businesses to participate in anti-trafficking efforts.
Ensures timely updates and accessibility. By requiring the state authority to quickly update and distribute new signs if hotline numbers change, and to provide notices in multiple languages, the bill makes sure accurate, accessible information is always available to those who may need it most.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Post Human Trafficking Hotline Signs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to alcoholism and substance abuse
- Reported and committed to finance
- Print number 2167a
- Amend and recommit to alcoholism and substance abuse
- Referred to alcoholism and substance abuse
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.
Post Human Trafficking Hotline Signs
In Assembly Committee · Economic Development · Sponsor Felix Ortiz
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2167--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 23, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to promoting the education of the human trafficking information and referral hotlines to assist individuals from becoming or freeing themselves from any act of severe forms of sex trafficking
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative findings. Presently, there is no law requiring wine and beer establishments to post a notification regarding the offense of human trafficking. About 80 percent of trafficking victims are often forced into the sex-slave trade industry. In many of these cases, women and men are forced to be hosts or servers in establishments that serve alcohol in bars or entertainment clubs. Furthermore, outreach services are widely unknown to victims of trafficking. The purpose of this act is to promote the education of the federal toll free human trafficking referral hotlines.
§ 2. The alcoholic beverage control law is amended by adding a new section 65-e to read as follows:
§ 65-e. Posting of signs relating to human trafficking. 1. The authority shall prepare, print and distribute across the state to any establishment that permits any person to appear on licensed premises in such a manner or attire as to expose to view any portion of the pubic area, anus, vulva or genitals, or any simulation thereof, or permit any female to appear in such a manner or attire as to expose to view any portion of the breast below the top of the areola, a sign or poster meeting the following specifications:
(a) Conspicuous lettering stating "Notice on Human Trafficking: Obtaining forced labor or service is a crime under federal law. If you
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05630-02-9
S. 2167--A 2
or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you are encouraged either to call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free number at 1-888-373-7888 or to get immediate help call the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Complaint Line at 1-888-428-7581 (voice and TTY). You may remain anonymous."
(b) (i) The sign must be at least eight and one-half inches high and eleven inches wide. The English notice must cover approximately twothirds of the sign, and Spanish and any other language that the authority deems necessary to display on the notice should cover one-third of the sign.
(ii) If the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free number or the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Complaint Line number changes, the authority is required to reissue the sign or poster with the change within thirty days to any person, corporation, partnership, other business establishment with a license to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises and any establishment that permits any person to appear on licensed premises in such a manner or attire as to expose to view any portion of the pubic area, anus, vulva or genitals, or any simulation thereof, or permit any female to appear in such a manner or attire as to expose to view any portion of the breast below the top of the areola.
(c) Any person, corporation, partnership, or other business establishment with a license to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises and any establishment that permits any person to appear on licensed premises in such a manner or attire as to expose to view any portion of the pubic area, anus, vulva or genitals, or any simulation thereof, or permit any female to appear in such a manner or attire as to expose to view any portion of the breast below the top of the areola, shall display, in an upright position and in a conspicuous place where it can be easily read by clientele and employees of the establishment, such sign or poster upon receiving it from the authority.
2. Any person, corporation, partnership, or other business establishment with a license to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises and any establishment that permits any person to appear on licensed premises in such a manner or attire as to expose to view any portion of the pubic area, anus, vulva or genitals, or any simulation thereof, or permit any female to appear in such a manner or attire as to expose to view any portion of the breast below the top of the areola, who violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty, not to exceed one hundred dollars for each day of violation.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to promoting the education of the human trafficking information and referral hotlines to assist individuals from becoming or freeing themselves from any act of severe forms of sex trafficking
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to require the posting of the federal human trafficking referral hotline information at all establishment selling alcohol beverages.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 establishes the legislative findings that presently, there is no law requiring wine and beer establishments to post a notification regarding the offense of human trafficking.
Section 2 amends the alcoholic beverage control law by adding a new section, 65-e, which would require the NYS Liquor Authority to prepare, print and distribute across the state to all adult entertainment estab- lishments, including any person, corporation, or other business estab- lishment with a license to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, a sign or poster with conspicuous lettering that states the following:
a. "Notice on Human Trafficking: Obtaining forced labor or service is a crime under the federal government. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you are encouraged either to call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free number at 1-888-373-7888 or to get immediate help call the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Complaint line at 1888-428-7581. You may remain anonymous.
b. (i) The sign must he at least 8 1/2 inches high and 11 inches wide. The English notice must cover approximately two-thirds of the sign, and Spanish and any other language that the authority deems necessary to display the notice should.cover one-third of the sign.
(ii) If the National Human Trafficking Resource center toll free number or the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force complaint line number changes, the authority is required to reissue the sign or poster within thirty days to any person, corporation, or other business establishment with a license to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, including adult entertainment establish- ments.
c. Any person, corporation, or other business establishment with a license to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, including adult entertainment establishments, shall display in an upright position and in a conspicuous place where it can be easily read by clientele and employees of the establishment, the sign or poster upon receiving it from the authority.
Section 3 is the effective date.
Justification
Presently, there is no state law requiring wine and beer establishments, including adult entertainment establishments, to post a human traffick- ing notification sign. About eighty percent of trafficking victims are often forced into the sex-slave trade industry. Furthermore, outreach services are widely unknown to victims of trafficking. According to the United States Department of Justice, forty-eight percent of the human trafficking matters opened by federal attorneys were in federal judicial districts in four states: California (17%), Florida (14%-), Texas (99e), and New York (8%). In many of these cases, women and men are forced to be hosts or servers in establishments that serve alcohol in bars or entertainment clubs. Of the 555 human. trafficking suspects in matters opened by United States attorneys between 2001 through 2005, fifty-eight percent were investigated fcr offenses and twenty-four percent were forced labor violations under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: S.8322/A3169(Ortiz)- Referred to Investigations and Government Operations
Fiscal implications
To be determined
Effective date
Immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.