Human trafficking strips individuals of their safety, dignity, and humanity. There is no state untouched by the evils of human trafficking. The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 287 cases involving 676 victims within the Commonwealth in 2024. Among the most common venues where human trafficking occurred were hotels, motels, and short-term rentals, particularly in cases of sex trafficking.  As sex trafficking has increased over the years, it has become increasingly important for employees of these establishments to understand how to identify and respond to it in real time.

In the near future, we will introduce companion legislation to HB1286, which would require public lodging establishments and third-party listing platforms to provide human trafficking awareness training to hotel and motel employees and short-term rental operators. Similar legislation sponsored by Sen. Schwank (SB1335 of 2021-22) was previously co-sponsored by Senators Costa, Tartaglione, Kane, Street, Comitta, Fontana, Kearney, Cappelletti, Boscola, and Muth.  

This legislation was developed with best practices from our Pennsylvania employers and is in concert with the industry’s national training model. In addition to training that includes identifying the signs of trafficking and how to respond to suspected trafficking, employers and third-party listing platforms would be required to maintain training records and provide them upon request from either law enforcement or the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

Employees in hotel and lodging industries and short-term rental owners are uniquely positioned to identify and report trafficking. By partnering with our restaurant and lodging industry to equip them with the right tools, Pennsylvania is taking a much-needed step in reducing further human exploitation and ensuring victims of these horrendous crimes receive justice. 

We urge our colleagues to join us in co-sponsoring this necessary measure to combat the growing issue of human trafficking in Pennsylvania.