The bill amends the title of Chapter 5-14.1 of the General Laws from "The Human Trafficking Prevention Notice Act" to "The Human Trafficking Prevention Notice and Training Act." It introduces new definitions, including "human trafficking awareness training," which encompasses various components aimed at educating hospitality employees about human trafficking, such as the definition of human trafficking, guidance on identifying at-risk individuals and signs of trafficking, differences between labor and sex trafficking specific to the hotel sector, the role of hospitality employees in reporting, and contact information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

The bill defines "short-term rental property" as a residential unit used or offered for tourist or transient use through a hosting platform. It mandates that all hotel employees and operators of short-term rental properties receive human trafficking awareness training within 180 days of employment or the first listing of a short-term rental property on a hosting platform, with annual training required thereafter by December 31. Additionally, it requires operators to implement procedures and adopt policies for reporting suspected human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline or local law enforcement agencies.

The bill also stipulates that operators of hotels and short-term rental properties must maintain records of employee or operator training for the duration of employment or operation, and for one year after it ends. These records must be provided to the department within ten business days of a written request. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
549: 5-14.1-1
549  as amended: 5-14.1-1