New York State Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed into law eight pieces of legislation designed to combat human trafficking. These laws require many hospitality industry employers to provide specific anti-human-trafficking awareness training to employees. They also require certain hospitality and transportation industry employers to post information regarding services available to human trafficking victims.
The new laws require employers that are required to provide employees with alcohol awareness training to include a human trafficking curriculum in such training; require lodging facilities to train their client-facing employees to recognize human trafficking victims; and require the Thruway Authority, airports, truck stops, port authority, and port authority bus terminals to post informational signs and cards concerning services for human trafficking victims in public restrooms. In addition, establishments that serve alcoholic beverages must display signs about the illegality of human trafficking and the assistance hotline.
The law requiring lodging facilities to provide human trafficking awareness training to employees applies to any inn, hotel, motel, motor court or other establishment that provides lodging to transient guests. Client-facing employees are lodging facility employees who are likely to come into contact with guests in their facility.
