W W W. E C PAT U S A . O R G

UNPACKINGHUMAN TRAFFICKINGA Survey of Laws in the United States Targeting
Human Trafficking in the Hospitality Industry

UNPACKING

HUMAN TRAFFICKINGA Survey of Laws in the United States Targeting
Human Trafficking in the Hospitality Industry

Unpacking Human Trafficking is a summary of the laws in the United States relating to
the display of human trafficking awareness posters in lodging facilities, the requirementthat employees be trained to recognize and handle suspected incidents of humantrafficking, and if hotels are civilly and/or criminally liable. Studies have shown thata large percentage of human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking, occurs in hotels,
motels, and other places of public lodging.

AuthorKaren Wigle Weiss

Acknowledgements
ECPAT-USA acknowledges the important contribution by a number of attorneys at White& Case, LLP, to this project. They are Andrew Zatz, Michelle Choi, Aaron Colodny, Terrel
Ferguson, Bridget Hahn, Ilan Har-El, Eric Lenier Ives, Daniel Latham, Suh Lee, Jennifer
McWhaw, Michael Meises, Tyler Melwani, Logan Quinn, Aaron Raffel, John Ramirez, Clay
Roberts, Neeraj Shah, Kathryn Sutherland-Smith, Romer Telemi, Mihret Woldesemait,and Lauren Wyszomierski. Their hard work and dedication to the cause of ending humantrafficking are greatly appreciated. Additional support was provided by Bailey Springer,
Zhengping Lu, Cynthia Moreno, and Emily Becker.

Research Completed			
October 22, 2020			

Copyright © ECPAT-USA 2020

Report Launched
January 2021

Report Funding Provided by7

Report Overview: Unpacking Human Trafficking Vol. 3

8Chart of Laws Concerning Human Trafficking AwarenessSignage in Lodging Facilities

10

Chart of Elements of Laws Mandating Human Trafficking
Awareness Signage

12

Chart of Training, Civil and Criminal Liability Laws
by State

14

Chart of Training, Civil and Criminal Liability Laws
by Jurisdiction

16

Signage, Training, Civil and Criminal Liability Laws
Explained by State and Jurisdiction

88

Endnotes

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UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3 | ECPAT-USA

ECPAT-USA | UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3

Unpacking Human Trafficking Vol.3
The following is an update to Unpacking Human Trafficking Vols. 1 and 2, launched in May
2019 and January 2020, respectively, of the laws of the 50 states relating to the displayof human trafficking awareness posters in lodging facilities, the training requirements for
hospitality industry employees concerning the recognition and handling of suspected
incidents of human trafficking, and the laws addressing the criminal and civil liability of
lodging facilities for incidents of human trafficking that occur on their property.
This report, Unpacking Human Trafficking Vols 3, is an update and expansion of the two
previous reports. It covers laws as of October 2020 and is more comprehensive than ever.
We have expanded the criminal liability section to include laws that potentially subject
hotels to criminal liability. These laws impose criminal liability on a person that (1) harbors
human trafficking activities; (2) financially benefits from human trafficking actitivies; or(3) permits owned premise to be used for prostitution, including prostitution associatedwith human trafficking actities. The legal definition of a “person” can include corporation,business, company, enterprise, or partnership, so hotels are potentially exposed to liability
under these provisions.
As an increasing number of jurisdictions have become engaged with this issue, we haveseen more states, territories, counties, cities, and municipalities adopt ordinances related tothese concerns. It is especially noteworthy that cities are increasingly assuming a leadershiprole on this issue, particularly where statewide legislation does not currently exist.
Posters that comply with the various laws as well as additional resources for hospitality
brands, management companies, and properties are available on ECPAT-USA’s website atwww.ecpatusa.org/hotel, as well as a free anti-trafficking training for hotel associatesthat was developed with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and MarriottInternational. For states that do not have a human trafficking awareness signage
requirement, ECPAT-USA’s Standard Hotel Poster can be utilized. Additionally, we havenoted the jurisdictions in which the local government has created posters, trainings, andother resources companies can utilize in their anti-trafficking work.

Disclaimer: This publication is provided for reference only and does not constitute legal advice.

7

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UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3 | ECPAT-USA

Chart of Laws Concerning Human Trafficking
Awareness Signage in Lodging Facilities
JURISDICTIONSMANDATORYSIGNAGEVOLUNTARYSIGNAGE

Alabama
AlaskaArizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
FloridaGeorgia
Hawaii3

Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
KansasKentuckyLouisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
MichiganMinnesota
Mississippi
MissouriThis category refers to laws that limit the mandate to establishments that have be found to constitutea nuisance under the jurisdiction’s law due to prostitution or other illegal activity on the premises.
This category refers to laws that mandate the exact language that appears on the posters.
3
The mandate is applicable to facilities that hold liquor licenses.
1

2

MANDATORYFOR NUISANCE 1

MANDATORYTEXT 2

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ECPAT-USA | UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3

JURISDICTIONSMANDATORYSIGNAGEVOLUNTARYSIGNAGEMANDATORYFOR NUISANCE 1

Montana
Nebraska
NevadaNew Hampshire
New Jersey

4

New Mexico
New York

5

North Carolina

6

North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
OregonPennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas

7

Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Back-of-house information sheets in areas accessible to employees are mandatory, while posters in public areas are voluntary.
Information cards are mandatory, while posters are voluntary.
The mandate is applicable to lodging facilities that hold liquor licenses.
7
The mandate is applicable to facilities that hold liquor licenses.
4

5

6

MANDATORYTEXT 2

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JURISDICTIONS

Guam
Puerto Rico
Washington, D.C.
Albert Lea, MN
Anchorage, AK
Baltimore, MD
Chicago, IL
Fulton County, GA
Hapeville, GA
Houston, TX
Jacksonville, FL
Lancaster, CALong Beach, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Miami Beach, FL
Miami Lakes, FL
Minneapolis, MN
New Orleans, LA
Phoenix, AZ
Prince George’s County, MD
Pueblo of Laguna, NM
San Diego, CA
Tucson, AZ

MANDATORYSIGNAGEVOLUNTARYSIGNAGEMANDATORYFOR NUISANCE 1

MANDATORYTEXT 2

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Chart of Elements of Laws Mandating
Human Trafficking Awareness Signage

JURISDICTIONSREQUIREDLANGUAGES
SPECIFIED 1

REQUIREDFONT SIZE
SPECIFIEDMINIMUM
POSTER SIZE
SPECIFIEDPENALTYFOR
FAILURE

SPECIFICPOSTERSREQUIRED 2

Alabama(Nuisance Only) 3

ENG,
SPA

No

At Least
8½ x 11”

Warning/$50 fine

Yes

Arkansas(Nuisance Only)

ENG,
SPA

No

At Least
8½ x 11”

Warning/$500 fineYes

California

ENG,
SPA

At least
16pts

At Least
8½ x 11”$500/$1,000 fineNo

Connecticut

No

No

No

$100/
$250 fineYes

Delaware(Nuisance Only)

No

No

No

$300 fineYes

FloridaENG,
SPA

At least
32pts

At Least
11”x 15”$200
per day

No (but identicaltext required)Georgia

ENG,
SPA

At least
16pts

At Least
8½ x 11”$500/$5,000 fineNo

HawaiiENG

No

At Least
8½ x 11”$100 fineNo

Illinois

ENG,
SPA

At least
16pts

At Least
8½ x 11”$500 fineNo

ENG, SPA,LA FRAAt least
14pts in bold

At Least
8½ x 11”$50 – 2,500
fine

No

Maine

No

No

No

$300 fine

Yes

Maryland(Nuisance Only)

ENG,
SPA

No, but
bold type

At Least
3” x 5”$1,000fine

No (but identicaltext required)Louisiana

In addition to the languages listed here, many laws require posters in more languages as determined by the Federal Voting Rights Act (AR., CA., MD., MO., PA.), Commissioner of Labor(AL.), the Human Trafficking Interagency Coordinating Council (DE.), any other language predominately spoken in the area as determined by the Dept. of Business and Professional
Regulation (FL.), Bureau of Investigations (GA.), Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections (LA.), Attorney General or Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (MI.), Division of Justice andCommunity Services (WV.), and any language used by ten percent or more of the employees or facility users (NM.).
2
Some jurisdictions have directed various agencies to design posters and make them available to businesses on their websites for use on a voluntary basis. Some go a step further andmandate that the businesses use the posters designed by the agencies. Those mandated uses are indicated here.
3
In some jurisdictions, human trafficking awareness posters are only mandated if the establishment has been declared a “nuisance” as that term is defined under the applicable law.
1

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UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3 | ECPAT-USA

JURISDICTIONSREQUIREDLANGUAGES
SPECIFIED 1

REQUIREDFONT SIZE
SPECIFIED 1

MINIMUM
POSTER SIZE
SPECIFIED 1

PENALTYFOR
FAILURE

SPECIFICPOSTERSREQUIRED 2

Michigan(Nuisance Only)

ENG,
SPA

At least
14pts

At Least
8½ x 11”$250/$500 fineNo

Minnesota

No

No

No

No

Approvalrequired

Missouri(Nuisance Only)

ENG,
SPA

No

At Least
8½ x 11”

Warning/
Infraction

Yes

New Jersey(Back of House)

No4

No

No

Impact on
LicenseYes

New Mexico(If Subject toMin. Wage Act)

ENG,
SPA

No

At Least
8½ x 11”No

No

New York(Information Cards)

No

No

No

No

No

North Carolina(If Licensed toSell Alcohol)

No

No

No

Permit
Revocation/ Fine

Yes

Pennsylvania(Nuisance Only)

ENG,
SPA

No

At Least
8½ x 11”$100/$500 fineNo

Rhode Island(Nuisance Only)

No

No

No

$300 fineNo

South Carolina

ENG,
SPA

At Least
16pts

At Least
8½ x 11”

Warning/$50 fine

Yes

Posters available in English and Spanish

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ECPAT-USA | UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3

JURISDICTIONSREQUIREDLANGUAGES
SPECIFIED 1

REQUIREDFONT SIZE
SPECIFIED 1

MINIMUM
POSTER SIZE
SPECIFIED 1

PENALTYFOR
FAILURE

SPECIFICPOSTERSREQUIRED 2

Texas(If Licensed toSell Alcohol)

ENG,
SPA

No

At Least
8½ x 11”

No

No

West Virginia

ENG,
SPA

No

No

Warning/$250 – 500 fineNo

Anchorage, AK

Five mostcommonlanguages

No

At Least
8½ x 11”$100 fine

No (but specifictext required)

Baltimore, MD

ENG,
SPA

No

At Least
3” x 5”Up to$1,000 fineNo

Fulton County, GA

ENG,
SPA

None

None

$500 fineNo

Hapeville, GA

ENG,
SPA

None

None

$500 fineNo

Houston, TX

ENG,
SPA

None

None

None

No

Jacksonville,FL

ENG,
SPA

At least
12 ptsAt least
3” x 7”

None

No

Miami Beach, FL

ENG,
SPA

None

None

Up to
$500 fineNo

Miami Lakes, FL

ENG,
SPA

None

None

Up to
$500 fineNo

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Chart of Training, Civil and Criminal Liability Laws By State

Mandated Training

Voluntary Training Laws

Civil Liability Law

Criminal Liability Law

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

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ECPAT-USA | UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3

Chart of Training, Civil and Criminal Liability Laws By Jurisdiction

Mandated Training

Voluntary Training Laws

Civil Liability Law

Criminal Liability Law

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

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UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3 | ECPAT-USA

Signage, Training, Civil and Criminal Liability Laws
Explained By State And Jurisdiction
ALABAMA
Signage Law
Alabama requires any hotel cited as a nuisanceto post a human trafficking awareness poster thatmeets the following requirements:(a) The poster must be at least 8½ x 11 inches
in size;2(b) The poster should be posted in a location(s)where it is clearly visible to the public,
including the entrance of the hotel andany location where posters and notices
are customarily posted;3(c) Hotels subject to this provision must print
the posters from the website of The Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board, The Public Service
Commission, or the Department of Labor or
ask that the poster created by one of thoseagencies be mailed for the cost of printing
and first class postage;4(d) The posters must be printed in English, Spanish
and any other languages deemed appropriateby the Commissioner of Labor;(e) The poster must state the following:5
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave –whether it is commercial sex, housework, farmwork, or any other activity – call the National
Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at
1-888-373-7888 to access help and services.
1(1) Victims of human trafficking are protectedunder U.S. law.
(2) The Toll-free Hotline is:a. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
b. Operated by a nonprofit,
non-governmental organization.
c. Anonymous and confidential.
d. Accessible in 170 languages.
e. Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.
Hotels that fail to post a sign in accordance withthese specifications are subject to a warning on
the first violation and a fine not to exceed $50
for each subsequent violation.6

Training Law
Alabama does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking.

Criminal Liability Law
Certain aspects of Alabama criminal laws
prohibiting human trafficking may apply tohotels, as a “person” (including a corporation)7.
Hotels could potentially be found guilty of humantrafficking in the first degree for knowingly
harboring, holding, or maintaining any minor
for the purpose of causing the minor to engage
in sexual servitude.8

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ECPAT-USA | UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3

ALABAMA, continued
Further, Alabama criminalizes human trafficking inthe second degree conduct including: (i) knowingly
benefitting financially from participating in a
venture or engagement for the purpose of sexual
servitude or labor servitude and (ii) knowingly
harboring, holding, or maintaining another person
for the purpose of labor servitude or sexual
servitude. A corporation may be prosecuted fora human trafficking offense if (1) an agent of thecorporation or entity performs the conduct which
is an element of the crime while acting within
the scope of their employment and on behalf ofthe corporation or entity, and (2) the commissionof the crime was either authorized, requested,commanded, performed, or within the scope of theperson’s employment on behalf of the corporationor entity or constituted a pattern of conduct that an
agent of the corporation or entity knew or shouldhave known was occurring.9
The penalties for human trafficking include a fineof up to $60,000 (for human trafficking in thefirst degree), a fine of up to $30,000 (for humantrafficking in the second degree), or any amountnot exceeding double the pecuniary gain to thedefendant or loss to the victim caused by thecommission of the offense (in respect of either
crime).10 Any profits or proceeds and any interestin property acquired or maintained as a result ofcommitting human trafficking shall be forfeited to
the State of Alabama for the purpose of paying
restitution to trafficking victims.11

Civil Liability Law
Under state law, the Alabama Attorney Generalis permitted to bring an action in the name of thestate seeking a temporary restraining order or
injunction against any person or corporation thatthey have reason to believe has engaged or isabout to engage in human trafficking.12 Further,
the Attorney General may bring a civil action torecover actual damages for victims of acts orpractices performed in violation of the statehuman trafficking law.13
Alabama law also allows a victim of humantrafficking to bring a civil action in state court.14
The Alabama Supreme Court has suggested thata hotel could be liable in a civil context if theplaintiffs presented substantial evidence that theagent of a hotel could foresee that criminal humantrafficking acts would occur in their hotel.15

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UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3 | ECPAT-USA

ALASKA

Signage Law
Alaska does not currently have a statewide law
requiring human trafficking awareness posters inhotels.

Training Law
Alaska does not currently have a law that requires
training employees of lodging facilities concerning
human trafficking.

Criminal Liability
Certain aspects of Alaska’s laws criminalizing
human trafficking may apply to hotels.
For example, a “person”16 (which includes abusiness) commits the crime of human trafficking
in the second degree if the person obtains abenefit from the commission of human trafficking,with reckless disregard that the benefit is a resultof the trafficking.17 Human trafficking in the second
degree is punishable by a fine not exceeding$100,000.18

A person commits the crime of sex trafficking in thethird degree if the person receives compensation
for prostitution services rendered by another; andwith the intent to promote prostitution, manages,
supervises, controls, or owns, either alone or inassociation with others, a place of prostitution
or engages in conduct that institutes, aids, or
facilitates a prostitution enterprise.19
Proposed legislation would create a new crime,
human trafficking in the third degree, which would
prohibit providing “services, resources, or otherassistance,” which includes providing “businessservices” or “lodging” in furtherance of humantrafficking in the first or second degree.20

Civil Liability
Alaska does not currently have a law concerning
the civil liability of lodging facilities where humantrafficking occurs.

ECPAT-USA | UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Signage Law
The City of Anchorage requires hotels and motels
to display human trafficking awareness posters
that meet the following requirements:21
1. The posters must be at least 8½ x 11 inches
in size;
2. The poster should be posted in a clearly visible
location to employees;
3. The poster should be printed in the five mostcommonly spoken languages of the municipality.
4. The poster must state substantially thefollowing:If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in an activity and cannot leave —whether it is prostitution, housework, restaurant
work, janitorial work, factory work, retailwork, or any other activity— call the National
Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at
1-888-373-7888 or text INFO or HELP to 233733 to access help and services. The hotline
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
toll-free, anonymous and confidential, andaccessible in 170 languages. You may also call
the Anchorage Police Department at 786-8900
or the local FBI office at 276-4441 for assistance.
Victims of slavery and human trafficking areprotected under United States and Alaska law.
Posted pursuant to AO 2016-115(S).
Lodging establishments will be fined $100 for eachweek that they fail to display the required sign.22

19

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ARIZONA
Signage Law
Arizona does not currently have a law concerning
human trafficking awareness signage in lodging
facilities.

Training Law
Arizona does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
about human trafficking. However, the existenceof a voluntary training program for hotel
employees can act as a mitigating factor in
the event of a conviction for human trafficking
at a lodging facility (see Criminal Liability below).
The Arizona Attorney General’s office, in
conjunction with the Arizona Anti-Trafficking
Network, has launched a voluntary and free
training program for hospitality staff at hotels
on how to identify, report, and prevent sex
trafficking. Hotels can access the free online
training or request in-person training at
www.safeactionproject.org.

Criminal Liability
It is a crime for a “person” (which includes an“enterprise”23) to engage in human trafficking,which includes knowingly harboring a person withthe knowledge that (i) they will be subject to forcedlabor services; (ii) they will engage in prostitution
or sexually explicit performance by deception,
coercion or force; or (iii) the enterprise will benefit
financially from a human trafficking offense.24 Eachof these instances of human trafficking is classified
as a felony and enterprises face a maximum fine of$1,000,000 for such felony offenses.25

For dangerous and repeat enterprise offenders,the court may impose a fine of up to $5,000,000.26
However, the fine can be reduced by 25% if thecourt finds by a preponderance of the evidence
that the enterprise had in effect, at the time ofthe offense, an “effective program to prevent anddetect violations of law.” 27 The law defines theminimum qualification of an “effective program”
as including (i) established compliance standards
and procedures to be followed by employees
and agents that are reasonably capable ofreducing the chances of violations of law; (ii) the
assignment of a high-level personnel to oversee
compliance; (iii) the use of due care to not delegate
authority to individuals whom the enterpriseknows, or should know, have a propensity toengage in illegal activities; (iv) steps are taken
to communicate the standards and procedures
to employees and agents, including requiring
participation in training programs; (v) reasonable
steps are taken to achieve compliance with thestandards, including systems designed to detectviolations of law; (vi) consistent enforcement of
the standards through the use of reasonabledisciplinary mechanisms; and (vii) after a violation
is detected, reasonable responsive steps are taken
to prevent further violations. The statute also lists
several circumstances under which an enterprisewould not be entitled to the 25% reduction of thefine, including the involvement of management in
the violation, delay in reporting the offense, andobstruction of the investigation.28

Civil Liability
Arizona does not currently have a law concerning
the civil liability of lodging facilities where humantrafficking occurs.

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PHOENIX, ARIZONATUCSON, ARIZONA

Signage and Training OrdinanceTraining OrdinancePhoenix does not have an ordinance requiring
the posting of human trafficking notices.
However, the Phoenix Human Trafficking Task
Force has created a free notice available forvoluntary posting and free training resources.29
Arizona Attorney General’s Office and Homeland
Security Investigations–Phoenix have also
partnered with the SAFE Action Project, aprogram that provides free training to thetravel, hospitality, and tourism industry.30

Tucson does not currently have an ordinanceaddressing the issue of training employees of
lodging facilities concerning human trafficking.
However, the Southern Arizona Anti-Trafficking
Unified Response Network has free and voluntarytraining resources available on its website.31

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ARKANSAS
Signage Law
Arkansas requires that any hotel, motel, orother establishment cited as a public nuisance32
must post signage that meets the following
requirements:
1. The posters must be at least 8½ x 11 inches.
2. The posters must be displayed in a conspicuous
location near the entrance of the establishment
or where notices and posters are customarily
posted.33
3. The posters must be printed in English, Spanish,
and any other language mandated by thefederal Voting Rights Act.34
4. The poster must state the following:35
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave –whether it is commercial sex, housework, farmwork, or any other activity – call the National
Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at
1-888-373-7888 to access help and services.
Victims of human trafficking are protected under
United States and Arkansas state law.

The Hotline is:• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Toll-free• Operated by a non-profit, non-governmentalorganization• Anonymous and confidential• Accessible in 170 languages• Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.
Business owners may print copies of the poster
from the websites of the Alcoholic BeverageControl Board, the Department of Labor andLicensing, or the Department of Transportation.
Alternatively, business owners may request
copies of the poster by mail from one of theaforementioned agencies but will be responsible
for the cost of printing and first-class postage.36
If the regulatory agency finds that a hotel or motel
has failed to post the required information theowner or operator will initially receive a warning,
but any additional violation will result in a finenot exceeding $500 (which does not apply toestablishments owned or operated by the Stateof Arkansas).37

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ARKANSAS, continued
Training Law
Arkansas does not require that lodging facilities
provide their employees with training related tohuman trafficking.

Criminal Law
It is a crime for a “person,” (including an“organization”)38 to engage in the trafficking of
persons.39 A person or organization engages inhuman trafficking by knowingly (i) harboring ormaintaining a person knowing that the person will
be subjected to involuntary servitude; (ii) harboringor maintaining a minor for commercial sexual
activity, or (iii) benefitting financially from any such
ventures.40 In Arkansas, the trafficking of an adultis a Class A felony, for which the maximum fineis $15,000.41 The trafficking of an individual who
is a minor at the time of the offense is a Class Y
felony, for which the maximum fine is unspecified.42
In addition to a fine, a convicted organization may
be subject to any combination of the following: (1)a suspension or revocation of a license or permit;(2) a court order to dissolve or reorganize; (3) otherrelief as is equitable.43

Civil Law
Arkansas does not currently have a law
concerning the civil liability of lodging facilities
where human trafficking occurs.

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CALIFORNIA
Signage Law
California requires all hotels, motels, and bed andbreakfast inns44 to post notices concerning slavery
and human trafficking that meets the following
requirements:
1. The notices must be at least 8½ x 11 inches.
2. The notice should be printed in no smaller than
16 point font.
3. The notice should be printed in English, Spanish,
and one additional language that is widely
spoken in the county where the lodging
establishment is located and for whichtranslation is required by the federal Voting
Rights Act.45
4. The notice must be displayed in a conspicuous
manner near the entrance or other location
where they are in clear view to the public andemployees.46
5. The notice must state as follows:47
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave– whether it is commercial sex, housework,
farm work, construction, factory, retail, or
restaurant work, or any activity – text 233-733(Be Free) or call the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or
the California Coalition to Abolish Slavery andTrafficking (CAST) at 1-888-KEY-2-Fre(EDOM) or
1-888-539-2373 to access help and services.
Victims of slavery and human trafficking areprotected under United States and California
law.

The hotlines are:
• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Toll-free.
• Operated by nonprofit, nongovernmentalorganizations.
• Anonymous and confidential.
• Accessible in more than 160 languages.
• Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.
Failure to comply with this law can result in a civil
penalty of $500 for the first violation and $1,000
for each subsequent violation.48

Training Law
On or before January 1, 2021, California hotels,
motels, and bed and breakfast inns are required
to provide at least 20 minutes of human trafficking
awareness training to new and existing employees
who may interact or come into contact with victimsof human trafficking or may receive a reportfrom another employee about suspected humantrafficking.49
The law specifies that the training must include:(i) the definition of human trafficking, including
sex trafficking and labor trafficking, (ii) myths
and misconceptions about human trafficking; (iii)
physical and mental signs to be aware of that may
indicate that human trafficking is occurring, (iv)guidance on how to identify individuals who aremost at risk for human trafficking, (v) guidance on

ECPAT-USA | UNPACKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOL. 3

CALIFORNIA, continued
how to report human trafficking, including, but notlimited to, national hotlines (1-888-373-7888 andtext line 233733) and contact information for local
law enforcement agencies that an employee may
use to make a confidential report and (vi) protocols
for reporting human trafficking when on the job. An
employee’s failure to report an incident of humantrafficking is not, by itself, a basis for a finding ofliability.50

Criminal Liability
Under the California Penal Code, real property“used to facilitate” a human trafficking offense
may be designated as a nuisance, which shall beenjoined, abated, and prevented, and in respectof which damages may be imposed.51 If real
property is “put to substantial use for the purposeof facilitating the crime of human trafficking thatinvolves a commercial sex act where the victim
was less than 18 years of age”, the property may
be seized and ordered to be forfeited.52

Civil Liability
California does not currently have a law
concerning the civil liability of lodging facilities
where human trafficking occurs.

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LANCASTER, CALIFORNIALOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Criminal Liability

Training Law

The Lancaster Municipal Code provides that“every owner, operator, manager and/or employee
shall be responsible for preventing the use of the
motel for human trafficking” and must notify thedesignated authorities53 if they suspect humantrafficking.54 The Lancaster local ordinance:(i) provides that it may be an unlawful public
nuisance to directly or indirectly maintain or
permit the use of a motel for human trafficking
or sex trafficking;55 (ii) prohibits renting a roomon an hourly basis or more than once within acalendar day;56 (iii) and imposes strict registration
requirements for the purpose of verifying theidentity of motel guests.57 Violation of the relevant
Lancaster ordinances constitutes a misdemeanor,
in respect of which a maximum fine of $1,000 may
be imposed, and a motel at which the city council
finds an unlawful public nuisance connected withhuman trafficking has occurred may be designateda “nuisance motel” and be subject to abatement.58

Los Angeles does not currently have an ordinanceaddressing the issue of training employees of
lodging facilities concerning human trafficking,however. However, the hotel association of Los
Angeles offers free human trafficking training to
its members.61

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Signage Law
Long Beach requires that a motel deemeda nuisance59 must place human trafficking
awareness postings in order to retain its
business license.60 The law does not require
any specifications for the postings.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Signage Law
San Diego does not currently have an ordinanceconcerning human trafficking awareness signage
in lodging facilities. However, the San Diego
City Human Relations Commission initiated a
countywide effort to implement section 52.6of the California Civil Code, which requires theposting of certain information about humantrafficking and the human trafficking hotline
at required establishments.62

Training Law
San Diego does not currently have an ordinanceaddressing the issue of training employees of
lodging facilities concerning human trafficking.
However, training staff on the content andrequirements of the human trafficking awarenessposting is highly recommended.63

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COLORADO

Signage Law

Criminal Liability

Colorado does not currently have a law
concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities.

It is a crime for a “person,” including a
corporation,67 to engage in the trafficking of
persons. These acts include but are not limited
to: knowingly harboring, transferring, or isolating
another person for the purpose of coercing theperson to engage in a commercial sex act.68
Human trafficking is generally a Class 3 felony,
the penalty for which is $3,000 – $750,000, or aClass 2 felony if the victim is a minor, for which thepenalty is $5,000 – $1,000,000.69

Training Law
Colorado does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
about human trafficking. Colorado does, however,
have a statutorily proscribed human trafficking
council, which is tasked with the developmentof, among other things, training standards andcurricula for individuals who work in places where
human trafficking victims are likely to appear.64
Absent further action, the statute providing for thecouncil is scheduled to be repealed on September
1, 2024.65 Prior to repeal, the Department ofRegulatory Agencies will review the council.66

Civil Liability
A victim of human trafficking can recover damages
proximately caused by any person who commits
human trafficking as defined in the above criminal
liability provisions.70 A criminal conviction is not a
condition precedent to maintaining a civil action.71

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CONNECTICUT
Signage Law
Connecticut requires an operator of a hotel, motel,
inn, or similar lodging to post a notice concerning
services available to victims of human trafficking inaccordance with the following:72
1. The notice should indicate that any person
who is forced to engage in any activity and who
cannot leave may contact a state or federal antitrafficking hotline, and must include the toll-free
telephone numbers for such hotlines.73
2. The notice should be posted in plain view.
3. The law does not specify the exact text or size
requirements for the posters.
4. The Office of the Chief Court Administrator shalldevelop this notice and distribute it to persons
who are required to post such notices.74

Protection with recommending a human trafficking
training program in conjunction with the state andnational hotel and lodging associations.77
Lodging establishment operators must also
conduct ongoing awareness campaigns for
employees on the activities commonly associatedwith human trafficking.78 Operators of lodging
facilities were required to certify by October 17,
2017, and annually thereafter that every employee
has received the required training and to keepsuch records in the employee’s personnel file.79

Criminal Liability Law

The penalty for any operator that fails to comply
with this law is a fine of $100 for a first violation
and $250 for any subsequent violation.75

Connecticut law classifies “sex trafficking” as the“recruitment, harboring, transportation or provisionof a person for the purpose of engaging in sexual
conduct with another person for a fee.”80 Sex
trafficking is a Class A felony,81 which carriesa maximum fine of $20,000.82

Training law

Civil Liability Law

Connecticut law provides “[t]he operator of each
hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging shall ensure thateach employee… receive training at the time of hireon the (1) recognition of potential victims of humantrafficking, and (2) activities commonly associatedwith human trafficking.”76 The statute tasks theCommissioner of Children and Families and theCommissioner of Emergency Services and Public

Any person aggrieved by the above criminal
actions may bring a civil action against the person
or persons who committed such violation torecover actual damages, statutory damages ofnot more than one thousand dollars for each day
such person was coerced by another person anda reasonable attorney’s fee.83

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DELAWARE
Signage Law
Delaware requires certain locations designatedby the Human Trafficking Interagency Coordinating
Council to display a public-awareness sign inaccordance with the following:
1. The Human Trafficking Interagency Coordinating
Council is required to create a sign that contains
both the state and National Human Trafficking
Resource Centers’ hotline information.85
2. Be displayed in a place that is clearlyconspicuous and visible to employees.
84

The penalty for an employer who knowingly fails
to comply with this law is $300 per violation.86

Training Law
Delaware does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking.

Criminal Liability
An organization is criminally liable for sex
trafficking if the organization knowingly harboredor enticed forced labor or sexual servitude,87 and(1) the board of directors or a high managerial
agent acting within his or her scope of employment
engaged in, authorized, solicited, requested,commanded, or recklessly tolerated that conduct,or (2) an agent of the organization engaged in that
conduct while acting within the scope of his or her
employment.88 Forced labor or human trafficking
are both Class C felonies unless the victim is aminor, in which case both are Class B felonies.

In addition to the penalties otherwise associatedwith violations of the Human Trafficking
Statute, a court may consider the severity of anorganization’s violation of the Human Trafficking
Statute and order any of the following: (a) afine of not more than $25,000 per offense; (b)disgorgement of profit from illegal activity inviolation of this section; and (c) debarment
from state and local government contracts.89

Civil Liability
Delaware permits human trafficking victims tobring civil actions against individuals that violate
the criminal sex trafficking law detailed above.90
An organization can be held liable for a violationof the statute if (a) the conduct constituting a
violation of the statute is engaged in, authorized,
solicited, requested, commanded, or recklessly
tolerated by the board of directors or by a highmanagerial agent acting within the scope of his or
her employment and in behalf of the organization;or (b) the conduct constituting a violation of
the statute is engaged in by an agent of theorganization while acting within the scope of
employment and in behalf of the organization.91
In a civil suit, a victim may make a claim forcompensatory damages, punitive damages,
injunctive relief, or any other appropriate relief.92
A victim may also recover reasonable attorneys’
fees and costs, including reasonable fees forexpert witnesses.93 The victim must commence
the civil action no later than five (5) years after
the later of the date on which the victim: (a) was
freed from the human trafficking situation; or (b)attained 18 years of age.94

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FLORIDA
Signage Law

Training Law

Florida requires public lodging establishments topost a human trafficking public awareness signthat meets the following requirements:(a) The sign must be at least 11 x 15 inches in size;(b) The sign must be printed in an easily legible
font, in at least 32-point type;(c) The sign should be posted in a conspicuous
location that is accessible to employees;(d) The sign must be in English and Spanish andany other language predominantly spoken in
the area which the Department of Business andProfessional Regulation deems appropriate;(e) The sign must state the following:

Florida requires public lodging establishments
to provide annual training regarding humantrafficking awareness to employees (a) who
perform housekeeping duties in rental units or(b) who work at a front desk or reception area
where guests ordinarily check-in or check out.98“If you or someone you know is being forced toengage in an activity and cannot leave, whether itis prostitution, housework, farm work, factory work,retail work, restaurant work, or any other activity,
call the National Human Trafficking Resource
Center at 888-373-7888 or text INFO or HELP to233-733 to access help and services. Victims ofslavery and human trafficking are protectedunder United States and Florida law.”95
Public lodging establishments must comply
with the above-stated signage requirements
by January 1, 2021.96 Failure to comply will
result in a fine of $2,000 per day unless thelodging establishment provides adequate
written documentation demonstrating thateach deficiency will be corrected within
ninety days of receiving a notice of violation.97

New employees must receive this training
within 60 days of their first day in that role.99
Each employee must submit a signed anddated acknowledgment of having received
the training, which may be kept electronically,
but must be provided to the Department of
Business and Professional Regulation uponrequest.100 Additionally, by January 1, 2021, eachpublic lodging establishment must implement a
procedure for the reporting of suspected humantrafficking to the National Human Trafficking
Hotline or to a local law enforcement agency.101
The required human trafficking awareness training
must be submitted to and approved by
the Department of Business and Professional
Regulation, and must include all of the following:(a) The definition of human trafficking and thedifference between sex trafficking and labor
trafficking;(b) Guidance specific to the public lodging sector
concerning how to identify individuals who may
be victims of human trafficking;(c) Guidance concerning the role of the employees
of a public lodging establishment inreporting and responding to suspected
human trafficking.102

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FLORIDA, continued

Failure to comply will result in a fine of $2,000 per
day unless the lodging establishment adequately
documents that each deficiency was corrected
within ninety days of receiving a notice of
violation.103

In Florida, the trafficking or forced labor of an adultor a minor is a felony in the first degree.106 The
maximum fine for such an offense is $10,000.107
Additionally, any property used in violation ofa human trafficking offense may be seized andforfeited.108

Criminal Liability
Florida defines “human trafficking” as“transporting, soliciting, recruiting, harboring,
providing, enticing, maintaining, or obtaining
another person for the purpose of exploitationof that person.”104 Further, corporations can becriminally liable for knowingly or in recklessdisregard of the facts “benefitting financially byreceiving anything of value from participation ina venture that has subjected a person to humantrafficking.”105

Civil Liability
Any person who has been injured due to sex
trafficking or human trafficking shall have a causeof action for threefold the amount gained fromthe sex trafficking or human trafficking and in any
such action is entitled to minimum damages in theamount of $200 and reasonable attorney’s fees
and court costs in the trial and appellate courts.109

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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
Signage OrdinanceTraining Ordinance

Jacksonville requires public lodging
establishments to place human trafficking
awareness signs that meet the following
requirements:(a) The sign should be placed in a conspicuous
location that is clearly visible to the public
and employees of the establishment.110(b) The signs must be placed on the inside of themain access door of all guest rooms and public
restrooms.111(c) The signs in guest rooms and public restrooms
must be at least 3 x 7 inches, be printed in
12-point font, and must substantially state
the following in English and Spanish:112“If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in an activity and cannot leavewhether it is prostitution or sex work,
housework, farm work, factory work, retailwork, restaurant work, or any other activitycall the National Human Trafficking Resource
Center at 1-888-373-7888 or text INFO or
HELP to 233-733 to access help and services.
Victims of slavery and human trafficking areprotected under United States and Florida
law. This notice is posted pursuant to Section
250.125, Jacksonville Ordinance Code.”

Jacksonville’s human trafficking ordinance requires
all public lodging establishments to train all
employees on spotting, reporting, and preventing
human trafficking.113 The manager or owner mustcertify to the Director of the Neighborhoods
Department on a quarterly basis the names ofall employees who have received the required
training and identify the name of the programused for the training. The acceptable training
literature and programs include those developed
and presented by the American Hotel & Lodging
Association, the Polaris Project, ECPAT-USA,
Business Ending Slavery & Trafficking, and the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Other
programs not listed may be approved by the
Director of the Neighborhoods Department.114
Violations of this ordinance are considered aClass C offense, with each day and each separate
violation of the requirement constituting a separate
and enforceable violation.115

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MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDAMIAMI LAKES, FLORIDA

Signage OrdinanceSignage OrdinanceMiami Beach requires public lodging
establishments116 to post human trafficking notices
that meet the following requirements:(a) The notices should be posted in a place where
they are clearly visible to the employees.117(b) The notices must be printed in English andSpanish.
(c) The notices must state the following:118“If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in an activity and cannot leave whether it is prostitution, housework, farm work,
factory work, retail work, restaurant work or
any other activity - call the National Human
Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888
or text INFO or HELP to 233-733 to access help
and services. Victims of slavery and humantrafficking are protected under United Statesand Florida Law.”

Miami Lakes law requires public lodging
establishments120 to post human trafficking
notices that meet the following requirements:(a) The notice should be posted in a place where
they are clearly visible to their employees;121(b) The notice must be printed in English andSpanish;(c) The notice should state the following:122“If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in an activity and cannot leave whether it is prostitution, housework, farm work,
factory work, retail work, restaurant work or
any other activity - call the National Human
Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888
or text INFO or HELP to 233-733 to access help
and services. Victims of slavery and humantrafficking are protected under United Statesand Florida Law.”

A violation of this ordinance is punishable by amaximum fine of $500, and a continued violation
shall be considered a separate offense for eachday.119

A violation of this ordinance is punishable by amaximum fine of $500, and a continued violation
shall be considered a separate offense for eachday.123

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GEORGIA
Signage Law
Georgia mandates that hotels, inns, andother establishments that offer overnightaccommodations to the public post a noticethat meets the following requirements:(a) The notice should provide information on how
to contact the National Human Trafficking
Hotline and the Statewide Georgia Hotline
for Domestic Minor Trafficking.124(b) Notices must be displayed in every public
restroom and near the public entrance or inanother location in clear view of the public
and employees where notices are customarily
posted.125(c) The notices must be in English, Spanish andany other language deemed appropriate by
the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
(d) The notices must also be at least 8½ x 11 inches
and printed in not less than 16-point font.126(e) Georgia law requires the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation to develop a model notice
available for download from its website.127
In line with this requirement, the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation has developed amodel notice that reads as follows:128
Are you or someone you know being sold forsex or made/forced to work for little or no pay
and cannot leave? Call the National Human
Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888
or the Statewide Georgia Hotline for Domestic
Minor Trafficking at 1-844-842-3678 for help.
All victims of slavery and human trafficking
have rights and are protected by international,
federal, and state law.

The hotline is:(1) Anonymous and confidential;(2) Available 24 hours a day, seven days aweek;(3) Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information;(4) Accessible in 170 languages;(5) Operated by a nonprofit, non-governmentalorganization; and(6) Toll free.
Failure to comply with this statute, following a
30-day period after receipt of a notice to correcta violation, constitutes a misdemeanor and canresult in a fine of up to $500. Upon a second or
subsequent conviction, the offense is elevatedto an aggravated misdemeanor subjecting thelodging owner to a fine of up to $5,000.129

Training Law
Georgia does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, theGeorgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and
Education Commission offers free and voluntarytraining materials for employees in Georgia andthe general public.130

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GEORGIA, continued
Criminal Liability
Georgia proscribes, in part, recruiting, enticing,harboring, transporting, providing, soliciting,patronizing, or obtaining an individual for the
purpose of sexual servitude.131 A “person,”which includes a corporation,132 can also beheld criminally liable for benefiting financiallyor “receiving anything of value from the sexual
servitude of another.”133
A corporation can be held liable for humantrafficking only if (A) “an agent of the corporation
performs the conduct which is an element of
the crime while acting within the scope of his or
her office or employment and on behalf of thecorporation” and (B) the commission of the crime
was either (1) “authorized, requested, commanded,
performed, or within the scope of his or her
employment on behalf of the corporation” or (2)“constituted a pattern of illegal activity that an
agent of the company knew or should have
known was occurring.”134
Any person or corporation who commits theoffense of human trafficking may be fined up to$100,000 and imprisoned for 10 to 20 years unlessthe victim is under the age of 18, in which case theoffender may be imprisoned for 25 to 50 years or
life.135

Civil Liability
Georgia does not currently have a law concerning
the civil liability of lodging facilities where humantrafficking occurs.

35

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FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA(CONTAINS ATLANTA)HAPEVILLE, GEORGIA

Signage Ordinance

Hapeville requires hotels to post a notice thatmeets the following requirements:(a) The sign should be posted in English, Spanish,
and any other language deemed appropriateby the director of the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation;(b) The sign should be posted in each public
restroom and either a conspicuous placenear the public entrance of the business or
establishment or in another conspicuous
location in clear view of the public andemployees where similar notices arecustomarily posted;(c) The Georgia Bureau of Investigation isrequired to develop a model notice that isavailable for download from its website.

Fulton County requires hotels to post a notice thatmeets the following requirements:(a) The sign should be posted in English, Spanish,
and any other language deemed appropriateby the director of the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation;(b) The sign should be posted in each public
restroom and either a conspicuous placenear the public entrance of the business or
establishment or in another conspicuous
location in clear view of the public andemployees where similar notices arecustomarily posted;136(c) The Georgia Bureau of Investigation isrequired to develop a model notice that isavailable for download from its website.137
A violation of this ordinance is punishable by a finenot more than $500. Upon a second or subsequentconviction, the owner shall be guilty of a high andaggravated misdemeanor and shall be punishedby a fine not to exceed $5,000.00.138

Signage Ordinance

A violation of this ordinance is punishable bya fine not more than $500. Upon a second or
subsequent conviction, the owner shall be guilty
of a high and aggravated misdemeanor and shallbe punished by a fine not to exceed $5,000.00.139

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HAWAII
Signage Law
Hawaii requires employers that hold a liquor
license or a cabaret license to keep a poster thatmeets the following requirements:(a) The sign must be posted in English in a placereadily accessible to employees;(b) The poster should be at least 8½ x 11 inches;(c) The poster should state the following:140
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave –whether it is commercial sex, housework, farmwork, or any other similar activity – call the
National Human Trafficking Resource Center
Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to access help
and services. Victims of human trafficking areprotected under United States and Hawaii law.
The hotline is:(1) Available twenty-four hours a day,seven days a week;(2) Toll-free;(3) Operated by a nonprofit, non-governmentalorganization;(4) Anonymous and confidential;(5) Accessible in one hundred seventy
languages; and(6) Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.
Any employer who willfully and knowingly fails,
neglects, or refuses to post shall be fined not morethan $100 for each day of the violation.141

In addition, legislation proposed in 2019 would
require a hotel or lodging facility to post theposter described above.142

Training Law
Hawaii does not currently have a law that requires
training employees of lodging facilities concerning
human trafficking.
However, a proposed bill that is currently pending
in the state legislature would require operatorsof transient accommodations to provide theiremployees with human trafficking awarenesstraining.143 The proposed bill specifies the topics
to be included in such trainings, such as guidanceon identifying human trafficking and reporting
protocols.144

Criminal Liability
Hawaii’s human trafficking law prohibits advancing
or profiting from the prostitution of a minor.145“Advancing” prostitution includes permitting“premises to be regularly used for prostitution
purposes.”146 Sex trafficking is a class A felony.147
Corporations can be held liable for the offense
and a fine of up to $50,000.148

Civil Liability
Hawaii does not currently have a law concerning
the civil liability of lodging facilities where humantrafficking occurs.

38

IDAHO
Signage Law
Idaho does not currently have a law concerning
human trafficking awareness signage in lodging
facilities.

Training Law
Idaho does not currently have a law that requires
training employees of lodging facilities concerning
human trafficking.

Criminal Liability
Idaho criminal law defines felony “humantrafficking” as “[t]he recruitment, harboring,transportation, provision, or obtaining of aperson for labor or services.”149 A corporation
can be held liable for a violation of the statue
and can be penalized up to $50,000.150

Civil Liability
Idaho does not currently have a law concerning
the civil liability of lodging facilities where humantrafficking occurs.

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ILLINOIS
Signage Law
Illinois requires hotels and motels to posta human trafficking notice that meets thefollowing requirements:(a) The notice should be posted in a conspicuousand accessible location on the premises thatis in clear view of employees;151(b) The notice must be at least 8 ½ x 11 inches
in size, written in 16-point font;(c) The notice should be printed in English, Spanish,
and one other language that is most widely
spoken in the county (if not English or
Spanish).152(d) The notice must state the following:153
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave,
whether it is commercial sex, housework, farmwork, construction, factory, retail, or restaurant
work, or any other activity, call the National
Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888373-7888 to access help and services.
Victims of slavery and human trafficking areprotected under United States and Illinois law.
The hotline is:• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Toll-free.
• Operated by nonprofit non-governmentalorganizations.
• Anonymous and confidential.
• Accessible in more than 160 languages.
• Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.

Model notices in different languages are available
on Illinois’s Department of Human Services
webpage, as required by the Act.154
Establishments that fail to post a notice incompliance with the Human Trafficking Resource
Center Notice Act may be found guilty of a petty
offense and subject to a fine of up to $500.155

Training Law
Illinois’s Lodging Services Human Trafficking
Recognition Training Act requires that lodging
establishments provide their employees withtraining in the recognition of human trafficking andprotocols for reporting observed human trafficking
to the appropriate authority.156 The employees of
lodging establishments must complete the training
within six months after beginning employment
and every two years thereafter if still employed
there.157 Further, the training must be at least
twenty minutes in duration.158
A lodging establishment may use its own humantrafficking program or that of a third party if
the program includes: (a) a definition of humantrafficking and commercial exploitation of children;(b) guidance on how to identify individuals who aremost at risk for human trafficking; (c) the difference
between human trafficking for purposes of laborand for purposes of sex as the trafficking relates
to lodging establishments; and (d) guidance on
the role of lodging establishment employees inreporting and responding to human trafficking.159

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ILLINOIS continued

CHICAGO, ILLINOISIn addition, the Department of Human Services
has developed a curriculum for an approved
human trafficking training recognition program
in compliance with the Act.160 This program may
be used by lodging establishments that do
not administer their own program as describedabove.161

Signage and Training Resources
The Cook County Human Trafficking Task Forceoffers both voluntary signs and training materials
available for free for businesses.166
Training for businesses to identify child trafficking
is also offered by the Chicago Children’s
Advocacy Center.167

Criminal Liability
Illinois law criminalizes advancing or profitingfrom prostitution or trafficking as a Class 4 felony
or if committed within 1,000 feet of real property
comprising a school, a Class 3 felony.162 Advancing
prostitution includes keeping a place that could
offer seclusion or shelter for the practice of
prostitution and permitting the continued use of
the place after becoming aware of facts fromwhich he or she should reasonably know that theplace is being used for purposes of prostitution.163

Civil Liability
Illinois’s Trafficking Victims Protection Act allows
victims of human trafficking against any person orentity who profits from the victim in any sex tradeact.164 However, the Act notes if a person or entity
provides goods and services to the general public,
they shall not liable if they also provide those
goods or services to persons who are liable under
the criminal liability section, absent a showing thatthe person or entity either: (1) knowingly markets orprovides its goods or services primarily to persons
or entities liable; (2) knowingly receives a higher
level of compensation from persons or entities
liable than it generally receives from customers;or (3) supervises or exercises control over persons
or entities liable.165

INDIANA
Signage Law
Indiana does not currently have a law concerning
human trafficking awareness signage in lodging
facilities.

Training Law
Indiana does not currently have a law that requires
training employees of lodging facilities concerning
human trafficking.

Criminal Liability
Indiana does not currently have a law concerning
the civil liability of lodging facilities where humantrafficking occurs.

Civil Liability
Indiana does not currently have a law concerning
the criminal liability of lodging facilities where
human trafficking occurs.

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IOWA
Signage Law
Iowa does not currently have a law mandating
human trafficking awareness signage in lodging
facilities.

Training Law
Iowa does not have a law that mandates trainingof lodging facility employees. However, the Iowa
Department of Justice is statutorily mandated tocreate a human trafficking awareness training
program that is available, on a voluntary basis, tobusinesses “that have a high statistical incidence
of debt bondage or forced labor or services.”168
Lodging facilities fit within this category. The
programs shall train participants to recognize
and report incidents of human trafficking and to
suppress the demand that fosters exploitationof persons and leads to human trafficking.
Beginning January 1, 2022, a lodging provider
may voluntarily complete and certify that each of
the lodging provider’s employees has completed
human trafficking prevention training and shallmaintain training records for each employee.169
The human trafficking prevention training shallfocus on the accurate and prompt identification
and reporting of, or response to, suspected
human trafficking and the training’s content
must be approved by the commissioner ofthe department of public safety.170

No later than December 31, 2021, the commissioner
shall develop and maintain procedures to certify
a lodging provider’s voluntary completion ofhuman trafficking prevention training.171 The bill
also prohibits the use of public funds to procure
lodging, facilities, or services from non-certified
lodging providers.172

Criminal Liability
A “person,” including a corporation,173 can be held
criminally liable for participating in a venture to
recruit, harbor, transport, or supply provisions forthe purpose of sex trafficking.174 A person who
knowingly engages in human trafficking in Iowa
is guilty of a class “D” felony, except that if thevictim is under the age of eighteen, the person is
guilty of a class “C” felony.175 Further, a corporation
can be prosecuted for benefitting financially or
by receiving anything of value from knowing
participation in human trafficking.176
Class “D” felonies are punishable by confinement
for no more than five years and a fine of at least$750 but not more than $7,500.177 Class “C”
felonies are punishable by confinement for no
more than 10 years and a fine of at least $1,000
but not more than $10,000.178

Civil Liability
Iowa does not currently have a law concerning
the civil liability of lodging facilities where humantrafficking occurs.

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KANSAS
Signage Law
Kansas does not currently have a law concerning
human trafficking awareness signage in lodging
facilities. It does, however, have statutorily
mandated human trafficking awareness notices,
created by the Secretary of Labor, that areavailable for display on a voluntary basis.179

Training Law
Kansas does not currently have a law that requires
training employees of lodging facilities abouthuman trafficking. It has, however, a statutorily
mandated plan to educate employers abouthuman trafficking created by the Secretary ofLabor.180

Criminal Liability
Under Kansas law, a corporate entity,181 such as alodging facility, could be guilty of human trafficking
if such entity intentionally benefitted financiallyor received anything of value from participation
in a venture that the entity had reason to know
involved human trafficking.182 Such an entity could
be guilty of aggravated human trafficking if it was
harboring a child knowing that the child, with orwithout force, fraud, threat, or coercion, will be
used to engage in sexual gratification of someone
involving the exchange of anything of value.183
Penalties include a fine of $2,500 to $5,000
for human trafficking and at least $5,000 for
aggravated human trafficking.184
Additionally, under Kansas law it is illegal toknowingly establish, own, maintain, manage orotherwise participate in the establishment of any
property where sexual relations are being sold oroffered for sale by a person younger than 18 yearsof age.185

Civil Liability
A victim of human trafficking or commercial sexual
exploitation of a child may bring a civil action in
an appropriate state court against the person
or persons who engaged in such conduct if thevictim suffered personal or psychological injury
as a result of violations of the criminal liability
provision. Such victims may seek actual damages,
exemplary or punitive damages, injunctive relief,
and any other appropriate relief.186

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KENTUCKY
Signage Law
Kentucky does not currently have a law
concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities.

Training Law
Kentucky does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, theKentucky Attorney General’s office offers
training to organizations throughout the state.
Most recently, the office launched the state’s
first coordinated effort to encourage Kentucky
hotel owners to sign a pledge to have their frontline staff complete an online human trafficking
training.187

Criminal Liability
A “person”, including a corporation,188 can beprosecuted for "promoting human trafficking"if they benefit financially or receive anythingof value from knowing participation in humantrafficking or harbor another person knowing thatthe person will be subject to human trafficking.189
Under Kentucky state law, a corporation is guiltyof an offense only if (a) the conduct constituting
the offense consists of a failure to discharge a
specific duty imposed upon corporations by law,(b) the conduct constituting the offense is engaged
in, authorized, commanded or wantonly tolerated
by the board of directors or by a high managerial
agent acting within the scope of his employment
in behalf of the corporation, or (c) the conduct
constituting the offense is engaged in by an agentof the corporation acting within the scope of his
employment and in behalf of the corporation.190

Corporations can be held liable for a fine of up to$20,000 for a felony, including human trafficking.191

Civil Liability
Kentucky law provides a civil right of action for a
victim of human trafficking against a defendant in
the event of a conviction, allowing for recovery of
the costs of bringing the action, attorney’s fees,
compensatory, and punitive damages, if the victim
prevails.192

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LOUISIANA
Signage LawLouisiana requires hotels to post humantrafficking awareness notices that meet thefollowing requirements:194(a) The notices must be no smaller than
8½ x 11 inches, and in bold font no smaller
than 14 points.
(b) The notices must be posted in the location
where other employee notices required bystate and federal law are posted.
(c) The notices must be in English, Spanish,Louisiana French, and any other language
required by the Commissioner of Alcoholand Tobacco Control.
(d) The notices must state as follows:195
193

If you or someone you know is being forced toengage in any activity and cannot leave, whether
it is commercial sex, housework, farm work, or any
other activity, call the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text
“HELP” to 233733 (Be Free) in order to access help
and services.
In addition to the notices, hotels must affix a flyer
to the inside door to each bathroom stall at theestablishment. Such a flyer shall be designed by
the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task
Force, with the approval of the Commissioner of
the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, andshall be no larger than 8 ½ x 11 inches. The flyer isavailable on the website for the Office of Alcoholand Tobacco Control.196

The first violation of this law can result inrevocation or suspension of a business permit and/or a fine of $50 to $500. The fine for a second
offense occurring within three years is $250 to$1000, and for a third offense within three yearsof the first the fine is $500 to $2500.197

Training Law
Louisiana does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, Louisiana
provides for the Department of Children andFamily Services and the Department of Healthand Hospitals to develop a plan for the deliveryof services to human trafficking victims and thecreation of educational materials for public use.198

Criminal Liability
Louisiana law defines felony human trafficking,in part, as knowingly recruiting, harboring,transporting, providing, soliciting, receiving,isolating, enticing, obtaining, or maintaining theuse of another person through fraud, force, or
coercion to provide services or labor.199 In addition,
it is a felony for any person to knowingly benefit
from or to knowingly facilitate such activities.200
Under Louisiana law, a corporation,201 can beliable for human trafficking and can be fined up to$15,000, or $25,000 if the victim is under 18 yearsof age.202 In addition, the law directs courts to seize
any personal property used in the commission of
the offense.203

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LOUISIANA, continued

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Civil Liability

Posters and Training Resources

Louisiana law provides for a civil cause ofaction for victims of human trafficking.204

The New Orleans Trafficking Task Forces offers
free and voluntary awareness posters and training
resources for businesses.205

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MAINE
Signage Law

Criminal Liability

Maine requires certain businesses, wherecontact with victims of human trafficking is likely,
including lodging establishments206, to post
human trafficking awareness posters that meetthe following requirements:(a) The posters should contain a telephone number
for the National Human Trafficking Hotline, withsuch posters to be provided by the Departmentof Labor;207(b) The posters should be posted in a place that isclearly visible to the public and employees;(c) The law does not specify the size or text ofthe posters.

Under Maine law, a person is guilty of sex
trafficking if they knowingly promotes prostitution,
including leasing or otherwise permitting aplace to be regularly used for prostitution.209
An organization is guilty of a crime when an
agent engages in or causes the conduct
outlined in a crime while acting in the scopeof the agent’s employment.210

The penalty for failing to comply with the law is afine of $300 per violation.208

Training Law
Maine does not currently have a law that requires
training employees of lodging facilities concerning
human trafficking.

Civil Liability
A trafficked person may bring a civil action for
actual damages, compensatory damages, punitive
damages, injunctive relief, any combination of
those or any other appropriate relief. A prevailing
plaintiff is entitled to an award of attorney’s fees
and costs.211 A legal guardian, family member,
representative of the trafficked person or court
appointee may represent the trafficked personor the trafficked person’s estate if deceased.212
Additionally, all assets, including money
instruments, personal property and real property,
used or traceable to a human trafficking offense
are subject to forfeiture to the State.213

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MARYLAND
Signage Law
Maryland’s law enforcement is authorized toissue a civil citation to a lodging establishment
requiring the posting of a human trafficking
awareness notice in each of its guest rooms for
one year if there has been an arrest leading to aconviction for prostitution, solicitation of a childor human trafficking on the property.214 Lodging
establishments subject to the law include inns,
hotels, motels, and any property that contains aminimum of four rooms available to temporary
guests for lodging or sleeping purposes for a fee.215
The required notice must meet the following
requirements:(a) The notice should be at least 3 x 5 inches;(b) The notice should be printed in English, Spanish
and any other language dictated by the federal
Voting Rights Act.
(c) The notice must include, in bold type, thetelephone number of the National Human
Trafficking Resource Center Hotline.
(d) The notice, which is identical to that designedby the Department of Labor, Licensing andRegulation, must state as follows:216
REPORT HUMAN TRAFFICKING:
National Human Trafficking Resource Center –1-888-373-7888.
CALL FOR HELP IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU
KNOW:• Is being forced to have sex without consent• Has had an ID or document taken away

• Is being threatened by or is in debt to an
employer• Wants to leave a job but cannot freely do so.
TOLL FREE. 24/7. CONFIDENTIAL.
INTERPRETERS AVAILABLE.
This sign is required under State law.
Failure to comply with the notice requirement can
result in a fine of up to $1,000 (in the aggregate,
rather than for each room in violation).217

Training Law
Maryland does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. A commercial
driver's license training school shall include aspart of its curriculum education and training
on the recognition, prevention, and effective
reporting of human trafficking.218

Criminal Liability
Under Maryland law, a corporation219 canbe criminally liable for human trafficking by
knowingly “harboring” another for the purpose of
prostitution.220 In addition, the statute proscribes
knowingly benefiting financially or receiving
anything of value from a venture that traffics
others for the purpose of prostitution.221 It isalso illegal for a person to knowingly allow abuilding, structure, or conveyance to be used forprostitution, or to allow a person into a building
for prostitution.222 Property used in connection
with trafficking is subject to forfeiture.223

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MARYLAND, continued

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

Sex trafficking is a felony subject to a fine up to$5,000 and imprisonment up to 10 years; or, if
the victim is a minor, a fine up to $15,000 andimprisonment up to 25 years.224 Those who aid
and abet trafficking are subject to the same
penalties, as are those who benefit financiallyfrom trafficking.225

Signage Ordinance

Civil Liability
Maryland does not currently have a law
concerning the civil liability of lodging facilities
where human trafficking occurs.

Baltimore requires hotels to post a sign that meetsthe following requirements:(a) The sign must be at least 3 x 5 inches in size;(b) The sign should be printed in English andSpanish;(c) The sign must draw attention to the phone
number of the national human trafficking
resource center hotline by showing thephone number in bold type;226(d) The sign should be posted on the back ofeach hotel room entry door;(e) The sign must state the following:227
REPORT HUMAN TRAFFICKING:
National Human Trafficking Resource Centeror text “BeFree” (233733)
1-888-373-7888
CALL FOR HELP IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU
KNOW:• is being forced to have sex without consent• has had an ID or documents taken away
• is being threatened by or is in debt to an
employer• wants to leave a job but cannot freely do so
TOLL-FREE | 24/7 | CONFIDENTIAL |INTERPRETERS AVAILABLE
This sign is required by Baltimore City law.

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, continued
Beginning in 2020, any person who owns oroperates a hotel within the city must annuallycertify to the housing commissioner, in the form
and manner required by the department of
housing and community development, no later
than December 31 of each year, that the hotel
is in compliance with this section.228
Any person who violates any provision of thissubtitle is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on
conviction, is subject to a fine of not morethan $1,000 for each offense.229

Training Law
Baltimore requires anyone who owns or operates
a hotel within the city to provide biennial
training to all hotel employees on how to
identify human trafficking activities and humantrafficking victims.230 In addition, the hotel must
annually certify to the police commission, no
later than December 31st of each year, that allof their employees have completed the required
training.231
A violation of this ordinance is subject to a fineof not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for
not more than 12 months.232

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY,MARYLAND
Training OrdinancePrince George’s County requires public lodging
establishes, including hotels, rooming houses,
tourist homes, motels, or tourist cabin park, toprovide training to employees on how to identify
human sex trafficking victims.233 Each new
employee must complete the human trafficking
training, and lodging establishments must annuallycertify that all their employees have completed
the required training.234
Any violation of this ordinance shall be punishedby a fine not exceeding $500 for the first offense
and $1,000 for subsequent offenses.235

Criminal Liability
Prince George’s County defines human sex
trafficking, in part, as knowingly harboring anotherin any place for prostitution.236 In addition, any
person who knowingly benefits financially or byreceiving anything of value from participation in a
venture that engages in human trafficking can be
subject to the same penalties.237 A violation of thishuman trafficking ordinance carries of fine not toexceed $1,000.238

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MASSACHUSETTS
Signage Law

Criminal Liability

Massachusetts does not currently have a
law concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities. However, theAttorney’s General’s Office established a
Human Trafficking Division that links businesses
to trafficking awareness and prevention resourceson its websites but the use of those resources byprivate business is not mandatory.239 There is a
proposed bill to require signage in hair salonsand cosmetology studios.240

Under the Massachusetts Penal Code, humantrafficking is defined, in part, as knowingly (i)recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or
obtaining another person to engage in commercial
sexual activity or (ii) benefiting, financially or
by receiving anything of value, as a result of aviolation of the previous activities.242 Property used
to commit or facilitate human trafficking
is subject to forfeiture.243

Training Law
Massachusetts does not currently have a lawthat requires training employees of lodging
facilities concerning human trafficking. However,the Attorney General’s Office provides voluntary
presentations and awareness trainings tobusinesses and organizations.241

A business entity that commits trafficking of
persons for sexual servitude can be punishedby a fine of not more than $1,000,000.244

Civil Liability
Massachusetts law provides any business entitythat knowingly aids in the trafficking of persons
for sexual servitude shall be civilly liable.245 The
court may award actual damages, compensatory
damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief, or
any other appropriate relief. A prevailing plaintiff
shall also be awarded attorney's fees and costs.
Treble damages may be awarded on proof of
actual damages if the defendant's acts were
willful and malicious.246

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MICHIGAN
Signage Law
Michigan requires lodging establishments found to
be a public nuisance to display posters that meetthe following requirements:247(a) The posters must be placed in a location clearlyvisible to the public and employees, in eachfacility that is open to use by the public;(b) The posters must be no smaller than
8½ x 11 inches, with print no smaller than
14-point font, of durable construction;(c) The posters should be printed in English,
Spanish, and any other language deemed
appropriate by the Michigan Department ofLicensing and Regulatory Affairs in consultation
with the Attorney General.248(d) The posters must state as follows:249
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave,
whether the activity is commercial sex,
housework, farm work, or any other activity,
please contact the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or
text 233733 to access help and services.
The victims of human trafficking are protectedunder U.S. law and the laws of this state.
An entity covered by the statute which does
not comply with the signage requirement will
be notified and provided 48 hours to come into
compliance. An entity notified a second time within
one year of the first notification will be fined up
to $250. If the same entity is notified a third timewithin one year of the previous violations, it will
be fined up to $500.250

While lodging facilities that have not been foundto be a public nuisance are not required to display
human trafficking awareness posters, they may
do so voluntarily and the posters are available inmany languages on the Michigan Department ofLicensing and Regulatory Affairs website.251

Training Law
Michigan does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, theAttorney General’s website includes a numberof human trafficking resources and publications,
including some geared to the hospitality
industry.252 A training video entitled, “Making
the Invisible Visible” is on the Michigan Attorney
General’s YouTube channel, while a publication
entitled, “Human Trafficking Red Flags for
Hospitality Industry” was published by the
Attorney General.

Criminal Liability
Under Michigan criminal law, human trafficking
is defined, in part, as recruiting, harboring,transporting, providing, or obtaining anotherperson to engage in commercial sexual activity.253
In addition, a “person,” including a corporation,254
can be prosecuted for knowingly benefiting
financially or receiving anything of value fromparticipation in an enterprise that is engaging
in human trafficking.255

Civil Liability
Michigan allows victims of sex trafficking against
any person or entity that violates any of thecriminal human trafficking offenses detailed
above.256

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MINNESOTA
Signage Law
Minnesota requires all hotel and motel
establishments to display a poster that meetsthe following requirements:(a) The poster should be written or approvedby the Commissioner of Health and contains
information explaining what sex trafficking isin order to raise awareness; how to recognize
potential victims; how to identify activities
commonly associated with sex trafficking; andeffective responses to trafficking situations,
including how to report suspected sex
traffickers to the proper law enforcement
officials.
(b) The poster must be displayed in a placereadily accessible to all employees.
(c) The law does not specify the size or textof the poster.257
The law does not include any punishment for
failure to comply.

Training Law
Minnesota law requires every hotel and motelin the state to ensure that every employee whoworks on-site, including, but not limited to, any
owner, operator, or manager receives the sex
trafficking educational training approved by theCommission of Health within 90 days of hiring andannually thereafter. The operator of every hotel
and motel is required to certify annually that every
employee has received the required training. In
addition, lodging operators have an obligation
to conduct an ongoing awareness campaign for

employees addressing the required componentsof the training. Any operator who fails to comply
with the training requirement will, upon the first
violation, be given six months to comply withan order issued by the Health Commissioner.258
Furthermore, any costs associated with thetraining requirements are the responsibilityof the “licensee” to pay.259
The training requirements, however, do not apply
to employees who: (1) are under the age of 16
years unless they clean guest rooms; (2) work
exclusively in a restaurant, providing catering
services, or both; or (3) do not have directcontact with either guests or guest rooms.260

Criminal Liability
Under Minnesota law, a corporation or otherbusiness enterprise261 can be held criminallyliable for sex trafficking in the second degree
for receiving profit, knowing or having reason toknow that it is derived from the prostitution, or thepromotion of the prostitution, of an individual.262
The penalty for sex trafficking in the second
degree is a fine of not more than $40,000,263
as well as the potential order to dissolve thecorporation, suspension or revocation of any
license granted by the state, and/or the surrenderof its charger under Minnesota law.264

Civil Liability
Any hotel or motel operator or employee who
acts in good faith is immune from civil liability forreporting suspected sex trafficking activities.265

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ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTAMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

Training Ordinance

Civil Liability

Under Albert Lea law, each person, firm, or
corporation that operates a hotel, motel, or
extended-stay hotel shall ensure each employee
who works on-site, including but not limited
to, owner, operator, or manager, receives sex
trafficking prevention training.266

The city can deny, suspend, or revoke a hotel’s
license if hotels commit a prohibited act, including“knowingly allowing a room to be occupied for
purposes of sex trafficking.”268

For a first violation, the business has six months
to comply with a warning. A failure to comply withthis requirement can result in a denial, suspension,
revocation, or non-renewal of a business license.267

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MISSISSIPPISignage Law
Mississippi does not currently have a law
concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities.

Training Law
Mississippi does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking.

Criminal Liability
Under Mississippi criminal law, human trafficking
is defined, in part, as coercing, recruiting,harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining
another person to engage in commercial sexual
activity.269 In addition, a person or business entity
can be criminally liable for human trafficking for
benefitting, whether financially or by receiving
anything of value, from participating in anenterprise that he knows or reasonably shouldhave known has engaged in such acts.270
A business may be criminally liable if an agentof the enterprise knowingly engages in conductthat constitutes a human trafficking offense
while acting within the scope of employment andfor the benefit of the entity.271 A business may
also be criminally liable if an employee of theenterprise engages in conduct that constitutes
a human trafficking offense and an agent of theenterprise either knew or recklessly disregarded
the offense and the agent failed to take effective
action to stop the illegal activity.272 There is anaffirmative defense where the enterprise hadin place adequate procedures, including aneffective complaint procedure, designed to prevent
persons from engaging in unlawful conduct
and to promptly correct any violations of law.273
A business may be fined up to $1,000,000 for
violations and may also have to disgorge profitsand could be debarred from government contracts.
Additionally, a court may order forfeiture of assets
for a criminal sex trafficking violation.274
Any person who has reasonable cause to suspectthat a minor under the age of 18 is a traffickedperson shall immediately make a report ofthe suspected child abuse or neglect to the
Department of Child Protection Services and to
the Statewide Human Trafficking Coordinator.275

Civil Liability
Mississippi does not currently have a law
concerning the civil liability of lodging facilities
where human trafficking occurs.

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MISSOURI
Signage Law
Missouri requires hotels, motels, and otherestablishments that have been cited as a public
nuisance to display a human trafficking awarenessposter that meets the following requirements:(a) The poster should be designed by the
Department of Public Safety; 276(b) The poster shall be displayed in a conspicuous
place in or near the bathrooms or near theentrance;(c) The poster must be at least 8½ x 11 inches
in size;(d) The poster must be printed in English, Spanish,
and any other language required for voting
material under the federal Voting Rights Act;(e) The poster must contain a statement
substantially similar to the following:277
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave– whether it is commercial sex, housework,
farm work, or any other activity – call the
National Human Trafficking Resource Center
Hotline at 1-888-373- 7888 or text 233733(BEFREE) or visit the following website: www.
traffickingresourcecenter.org to access help
and services. Victims of human trafficking areprotected under U.S. and Missouri law.
The toll-free hotline is:• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Operated by a non-profit, non-governmentalorganization• Anonymous and confidential• Accessible in 170 languages• Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.

Additional information about other hotlines
providing assistance to human trafficking
victims may also be included. Any owner ofan establishment required to post the hotline
notice who fails to comply with the requirement
will receive a written warning for the first violation
and “may be guilty of an infraction for any
subsequent violation.”278

Training Law
Missouri does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. Training materials
prepared in conjunction with local businesses andnonprofits are available on the Attorney General’s
website.279

Criminal Liability
Under Missouri criminal law, human trafficking
is defined, in part, as coercing, recruiting,harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining
another person to engage in commercial sexual
activity.280 In addition, a person or business entity
can be criminally liable for human trafficking for
benefitting, whether financially or by receiving
anything of value, from participating in suchtrafficking activities.281

Civil Liability
Missouri does not currently have a law concerning
the civil liability of lodging facilities where humantrafficking occurs.

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MONTANA
Signage Law
Montana does not currently have a law requiring
lodging facilities to display human trafficking
awareness signage. However, the Montana
Department of Justice is statutorily required todesign a poster that must be 8½ x 11 inches andthat states the following:282“If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave –whether it is commercial sex, housework, farmwork, or any other activity – call the National
Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at
1-888-373-7888 to access help and services.
Victims of human trafficking are protected under
U.S. and Montana law. The toll-free hotline is:• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;• Toll-free;• Operated by a nonprofit, nongovernmentalorganization;• Anonymous and confidential;• Accessible in 170 languages; and• Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.”
The poster is available for print on the Departmentof Justice’s website.283 While the display ofthe poster is encouraged in a location that isaccessible to employees and members of the
public, it is not mandated.
Montana requires that the poster be displayed at
rest areas along interstate and state highways.284

Training Law
Montana does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, theMontana Department of Justice provides a
voluntary and free training video on its website.285
Beginning July 1, 2019, Montana also establisheda two-person trafficking enforcement team,whose duties include providing training, outreach,education, and coordination on human trafficking
at a state level.286

Criminal Liability
Under Montana criminal law, human trafficking
is defined, in part, as knowingly recruiting,transporting, transferring, harboring, receiving,
providing, obtaining, isolating, maintaining, or
enticing another person intending or knowingthat the person will be subjected to involuntary
servitude or sexual servitude.287 In addition, aperson or business entity288 can be criminallyliable for human trafficking for benefitting, whether
financially or by receiving anything of value,
from participating in such trafficking activities.289
Property knowingly used in human trafficking issubject to forfeiture.290
The penalty for trafficking offenses is a fine not toexceed $75,000, or, if the victim is a child, not toexceed $100,000.291

Civil Liability
Montana allows victims to bring civil action against
any person or business entities that violate thecriminal human trafficking laws detailed above.292
A court may award compensatory damages,
punitive damages, injunctive relief, attorneys fees,
and any other appropriate relief.293 The section
does not, however, preclude any other remedy
available to the victim under federal or statelaw.294

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NEBRASKA
Signage Law

Criminal Liability

Nebraska does not currently have a law requiring
lodging facilities to display human trafficking
awareness signage. Effective November 14, 2020,
Nebraska's human trafficking task force shallwork with local businesses and nonprofit entities
to voluntarily place human trafficking information
posters in hotels. The poster shall be in English,
Spanish, and any other language deemed
appropriate and shall include a toll-free telephone
number a person may call for assistance,
preferably the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center Hotline.295

Under Nebraska criminal law, human trafficking isdefined, in part, as knowingly recruiting, enticing,harboring, transporting, providing, soliciting, or
obtaining another person to engage in commercial
sexual activity without their consent.297 In addition,a “person,” including a corporation,298 can beprosecuted for knowingly benefiting financially or
receiving anything of value from participation in anenterprise that is engaging in human trafficking.299

Training Law
Nebraska does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, theAttorney General’s Office provides voluntarytraining resources on its website.296

Civil Liability
A trafficking victim who suffered personal ormental injury, death, or any other damages
proximately caused by human trafficking may
bring a civil action against any person who
knowingly (a) engaged in human trafficking ofsuch victim or (b) aided or assisted in the humantrafficking of such victim.300

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NEVADANEW HAMPSHIRE

Signage Law

Signage Law

Nevada does not currently have a law concerning
human trafficking awareness signage in lodging
facilities.

New Hampshire does not currently have a law
concerning human trafficking awareness signage
in lodging facilities.

Training Law

Training Law

Nevada does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, theNevada Attorney General’s Office provides
voluntary and free training resources on theirwebsite.301

New Hampshire does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, the New
Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task
Force offers voluntary training resources on its
website.308

Criminal Liability

Criminal Liability

Under Nevada criminal law, sex trafficking isdefined, in part, as inducing, causing, recruiting,harboring, transporting, providing, obtaining,or maintaining another knowing or in recklessdisregard of the fact that threats, violence, force,
intimidation, fraud, duress or coercion will be used
to cause the person to engage in prostitution.302
Trafficking also includes subjecting another person
to forced labor or services by threats of violenceor other coercion.303 In addition, a “person,”including a corporation,304 can be prosecuted forreceiving anything of value with the specific intent
of facilitating a violation of the human trafficking
law.305

Under New Hampshire law, it is a class A felony
to harbor a person, knowing or believing it likelythat the person will be subjected to trafficking.309
In addition to its ordinary meaning, the statutory
definition of “person” includes corporations andunincorporated associations.310

A violation of this human trafficking law constitutes
a felony and may be punished by a fine of not
more than $10,000, or if the victim is a child lessthan 14 years of age, not more than $20,000.306

Civil Liability
Nevada law allows a victim of human trafficking
to bring a civil action against any person who
caused, was responsible for, or profited fromthe human trafficking.307

The penalty for sex trafficking includes a fine notexceeding $4,000 for an individual, and $100,000
for a corporation or unincorporated association311
and the forfeiture of any real property involved in
the offense.312

Civil Liability
New Hampshire allows a victim to bring a civil
action against a person that commits an offense
under the criminal human trafficking law detailed
above for damages, injunctive relief, or otherappropriate relief.313

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NEW JERSEY
Signage Law

Training Law

The Department of Community Affairs enacted aregulation, as part of a mandated training program,that requires the posting of an information sheetthat meet the following requirements:(a) The information sheet should be available
in English and Spanish;(b) The sheet should provide information onreporting suspected human trafficking;(c) The sheet should be posted in conspicuousand visible locations in areas accessed by hotel
employees including, but not limited to, laundryrooms and employee break rooms.314

New Jersey law requires the Department ofCommunity Affairs and the Commission on Human
Trafficking to create and provide a one-timetraining course on “the handling and response
procedures of suspected human trafficking
activities for owners, operators, and staff ofhotels and motels.”318 Verified completion of thecourse by required staff “shall be a condition ofissuance, maintenance, or renewal” of any license,
certificate, or permit. The training course must be
reviewed at least every two years and modified as
required.319 Further, the Department of Community
Affairs must oversee and ensure that “all hotel
and motel owners, operators, and required staff
attend [a] one-time training course… within six
months of the first day of ownership, operation,or employment for all new owners, operatorsand required staff.”320

New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Prevention,
Protection and Treatment Act created a
Commission on Human Trafficking and gave theCommission the duty to “develop mechanisms topromote public awareness of human trafficking,including the promotion of the national, 24-hourtoll-free hotline telephone service on humantrafficking… and the promotion of training courses
and other educational materials for use by
persons… to undergo training on the handling ofand response procedures for suspected humantrafficking activities.”315 The Commission has
worked with the Office of the Attorney General’s
Department of Law and Safety to create humantrafficking awareness posters that may bedisplayed in lodging facilities, and the posters
are available on the Department’s website.316
A proposed bill currently pending the state senate
would require hotels to post a human trafficking
hotline notice and be liable for a civil penalty
of $300 for a first offense and $1,000 for eachsubsequent offense.317

The regulations adopted by the Departmentof Community Affairs pursuant to this mandate
specify that the employees to be trained are:hotel management, front desk and registration
employees, janitorial and housekeeping staff, andhotel security staff.321 As part of the training the
Department has provided a video on recognizing
and reporting suspected human trafficking
in English and Spanish, and all the specified
employees must view the video.322 The lodging
facility is required to maintain a list of the current
employees and the date on which they viewed
the video and a certificate must be filed with the
Department by the owner or manager stating thatthe employees have viewed the video and thatthe list of employees and the dates of viewing has
been maintained and is available for inspection.323

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NEW JERSEY, continued
Criminal Liability

Civil Liability

Under New Jersey law, a person can be held
criminally liable for human trafficking if he or she
knowingly harbors a victim of human trafficking.324
A person can be held criminally liable for humantrafficking in the second degree if he or she
provides services, resources, or assistance withthe knowledge that the services, resources, orassistance are intended to be used in furtheranceof the commission of the crime of humantrafficking.325 For purposes of this law, “services,
resources, or assistance” include businessservices, lodging, and the provision of facilities
or any other service or property with a pecuniary
value that exceeds $200, whether or not a person
is compensated for the services, resources, orassistance.326

Under New Jersey law, any person injured,
including injury due to loss of money or property
as a result of a human trafficking offense can bringa civil action against an actor and all those acting
in concert with that actor who committed a humantrafficking offense.328

A proposed bill currently pending in the state
assembly would expand criminal liability toinclude anyone who “benefits financially”
from a human trafficking scheme.327

A proposed bill currently pending in the state
senate would explicitly allow a victim of humantrafficking to bring a civil action against all those
who knowingly derived a pecuniary benefit fromthe offense, whether or not those parties wereacting in concert with the offender, as well as
those who knowingly maintained a victim of theoffense, whether or not those parties were acting
in concert with the offender.329

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NEW MEXICO
Signage Law

Training Law

New Mexico requires all employers who subject
to the Minimum Wage Act to display a trafficking
awareness poster that meets the following
requirements:330(a) The poster must be at least 8½ x 11 inches.
(b) The poster must be in English, Spanish, andany other written language where ten percent
or more of the workers or users of the facility
speak that language, with the portions in eachlanguage equal in size.
(c) The poster must be displayed in a conspicuous
location visible to both employees and the
public.
(d) The law mandates the inclusion of the following
text:331NOTICE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING: OBTAININGFORCED LABOR OR SERVICES IS A CRIMEUNDER NEW MEXICO AND FEDERAL LAW. IF
YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS A VICTIMOF THIS CRIME, CONTACT THE FOLLOWING:
IN NEW MEXICO, CALL OR TEXT 505- GETFREE (505- 438-3733); OR CALL THE NATIONALHUMAN TRAFFICKING RESOURCE CENTERHOTLINE TOLL-FREE AT 1-888-373- 7888 FOR
HELP.

New Mexico does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking.

YOU MAY ALSO SEND THE TEXT “HELP”
OR “INFO” TO BEFREE (“233733”). YOU MAY
REMAIN ANONYMOUS, AND YOUR CALL ORTEXT IS CONFIDENTIAL.
No penalties for failure to display the poster are
specified.

Criminal Liability
Under New Mexico criminal law, human trafficking
is defined, in part, as knowingly recruiting,soliciting, enticing, transporting, or obtaining
a person under 18 years of age with the intent
or knowledge that the person will be caused
to engage in commercial sexual activity,332 orwith the intent or knowledge that force, fraud or
coercion will be used to subject the person tolabor, services or commercial sexual activity.333
In addition, a “person,” including a corporation,334
can be prosecuted for benefitting, financially or byreceiving anything of value, from the commercial
sexual activity of another person with theknowledge that force, fraud, or coercion wasused to obtain the commercial sexual activity.335
A violation of these criminal provisions is athird-degree felony carrying a fine of $5,000
and punishable by between three and six years
imprisonment; a second-degree felony carrying
a fine of $12,500 and punishable by between
nine and 15 years imprisonment if the victim wasunder 16; or a first-degree felony carrying a fineof $15,000 and punishable by up to 18 years
imprisonment if the victim was under 13.336

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NEW MEXICO, continued

PUEBLO OF LAGUNA, NEW MEXICO

Civil Liability

Criminal Liability

In New Mexico, a human trafficking victim may
bring a civil action against an alleged humantrafficker, as defined by the criminal law provision
detailed above, for actual damages, compensatory
damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief, or
any other appropriate relief. If a court finds that adefendant’s actions are willful and malicious, thecourt may award treble damages to the plaintiff.
Prevailing plaintiffs are also entitled to recoverreasonable attorney fees and costs. The statuteof limitations for a civil action for human trafficking
is 10 years from either 1) the date on which thetrafficking actions occurred, or 2) the date on which
the victim attains 18 years of age if the victim wasa minor when the defendant’s actions occurred.337

Pueblo of Laguna’s criminal law defines sex
trafficking of children, in part, as harboring,transporting, or maintaining a person under 18
by any means for the purpose of commercial
sex acts.338 In addition, a corporation can beprosecuted for benefitting financially or forreceiving anything of value, from participation
in a venture engaged in the sex trafficking ofchildren.339
A violation of this criminal law carries the
maximum fine allowable under federal law.340

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NEW YORK
Signage Law

Criminal Liability

New York law provides that every keeper of alodging facility must display human trafficking
information cards that meet the following
requirements:(a) The cards should be available in public
restrooms, guestrooms, and near public
entrances and other conspicuous places;341(b) The cards must contain only information
concerning services for human trafficking
victims and must prominently include the
National Human Trafficking Center Hotline
telephone number.
(c) The law does not require any specific text, otherthan the hotline number, nor does it specify sizeor font.
(d) The content of the cards may be developed by
the Office of Temporary and Disability
Assistance (OTDA), in consultation with the New
York State Interagency Task Force on Human
Trafficking, the United States Department ofHomeland Security, or the lodging facility.

Under New York law, a person is guilty of sex
trafficking if he or she intentionally advances or
profits from prostitution by, among other activities,
illegally providing drugs to, making material false
statements to, withholding documents of, or using
force on a person patronized for prostitution.343
Sex trafficking is a Class B felony in the stateof New York.344

There are no specific penalties for failure to abideby the law. The law further provides that lodging
facilities may, on a voluntary basis, also display ahuman trafficking awareness notice. The OTDA, in
consultation with the New York State Interagency
Task Force on Human Trafficking, must provide thenotice.

Training Law
New York does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking.342

Under New York law, a person over 21 years ofage is guilty of sex trafficking of a child when
he or she intentionally advances or profits fromprostitution of another person and such person
is a child less than 18 years old.345 Knowledgeof the age of the victim is not an element of theoffense, and lack of knowledge of the age of thevictim is not a defense to this crime.346 “Advancing
prostitution” under this law is defined as engaging“in conduct that facilitates an act or enterpriseof prostitution,” and “profiting from prostitution”
under this law is defined as “accepting or receiving
money or other property pursuant to an agreement
or understanding with any person whereby he or
she participates in the proceeds of prostitution
activity.”347 Sex trafficking of a child is a Class B
felony in the state of New York.348
In a prosecution for sex trafficking, the prostituted
person will not be considered an accomplice totheir own sale or attempted sale.349 However, aperson is guilty of “permitting prostitution,” a Class
B misdemeanor in the state of New York, when“having possession or control of premises… which
he or she knows are being used for prostitution
purposes or for the purpose of advancing
prostitution, he or she fails to make reasonable
effort to halt or abate such use.”350

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NEW YORK, continued
Civil Liability
A victim of the conduct prohibited by the above
criminal provisions may bring a civil action against
the perpetrator or whoever knowingly advancesor profits from, or whoever should have known
he or she was advancing or profiting from, an act
in violation of the above provisions to recoverdamages and reasonable attorney’s fees.351

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NORTH CAROLINA
Signage Law
North Carolina requires holders of Alcoholic
Beverage Control permits, which includes hotels,
to display a human trafficking awareness sign thatmeets the following requirements:352(a) The sign should be created and provided by
the North Carolina Human Trafficking
Commission and should include the National
Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline
information.
(b) The sign must be displayed in a conspicuous
location visible to both employees and the
public.
Penalties may include suspension or revocationof the permit or fines up to $1,250 (maximum for
repeat violations).353

Training Law
North Carolina does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, the North
Carolina Human Trafficking Commission does offer
on-site training.354

Criminal Liability
Under North Carolina criminal law, humantrafficking is defined, in part, as knowingly or
recklessly disregarding the consequences of theaction recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting,providing, or obtaining by any means anotherperson with the intent that the other person beheld in involuntary servitude or sexual servitude.355
A violation of this law is a Class C felony if thevictim is an adult or a Class B2 felony if thevictim of the offense is a minor.356

A proposed bill currently pending in the statelegislature would also criminalize benefiting
financially or receiving anything of value from theservices of another person they know is being
subjected to or maintained in sexual servitude.
The bill further would prohibit the selling of“travel services,” including hotel or other lodging
accommodations that the person knows to include
travel for the purpose of engaging in conduct thatwould constitute a human trafficking statute.357

Civil Liability
An individual who is a victim of human trafficking
may, in North Carolina, bring a civil action against
any person or entity that violates the criminal
provision detailed above or against a person
who knowingly benefitted financially from a
venture which that person knew or should have
known violated the criminal human trafficking
provision.358 The victim may seek injunctive
relief, compensatory damages, damages fornoneconomic losses, and reasonable attorneys’
fees.359 The statute of limitations for bringing anaction under this law is either 1) 10 years after
the cause of action arose, or 2) 10 years after
the victim reaches 18 years of age if the victim
was a minor at the time of the alleged offense.360

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NORTH DAKOTA
Signage Law

Criminal Liability

North Dakota law provides that a proprietor may
post a notice provided by the human trafficking
commission including the contact information
for an organization that provides assistance andsupport services to human trafficking victims.361
Under the law, the poster may be visibly displayed
at the lodging establishment’s check-in area,
lobby, or transient guest services.362

Under North Dakota law, human trafficking
is defined, in part, as knowingly recruiting,transporting, transferring, harboring, receiving,
providing, isolating, or maintaining an individualin furtherance of sexual servitude.365 A business
entity may be prosecuted for a human trafficking
offense and may be penalized a fine of not morethan $1,000,000, disgorgement of profit from
activity in violation of North Dakota law, anddebarment from state and local government
contracts.366

Training Law
North Dakota does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, thestate human trafficking commission is statutorilytasked with establishing an educational training
program with a focus on the accurate andprompt identification of, reporting of, or response
to suspected human trafficking.363 A lodging
establishment's proprietor may provide each
onsite employee with the training established by
the human trafficking commission. A proprietor
may annually certify each employee has received
the training and may conduct an ongoingawareness campaign for their employees.364

Civil Liability
In North Dakota, a victim may bring a civil action
against a person that commits an offense against
the victim under the criminal provision discussed
above for compensatory damages, exemplary or
punitive damages, injunctive relief, and “any otherappropriate relief.”367 However, the law provides
that a proprietor or employee of a lodging
establishment who acts in good faith is immune
from liability in any civil action for reporting
suspected human trafficking activities.368

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OHIO
Signage Law
Ohio law encourages but does not requirelodging and other establishments to display thehuman trafficking awareness posters preparedby the Division of Criminal Justice Services inthe Department of Public Safety.369(d) In addition to the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center Hotline, the statement on
the poster may contain any additional hotline
regarding human trafficking for access to help
and services.

Training Law
If a lodging facility chooses to display such aposter, it must meet the following requirements:(a) The poster should be at least 8½ x 11 inches;(b) The poster should be printed in English,
Spanish, and any other language requiredfor voting material in a given county;(c) The poster should contain a statement with
substantially the following text:370
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave
whether it is commercial sex, housework, farmwork, or other activity call the National Human
Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888373-7888 to access help and services.
Victims of human trafficking are protectedunder U.S. and Ohio law.
The toll-free Hotline is:• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Operated by a non-profit, non-governmentalorganization• Anonymous & confidential• Accessible in 170 languages• Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.

Ohio does not currently have a law that requires
training employees of lodging facilities concerning
human trafficking. However, the state provides
voluntary human trafficking training resourceson its website.371

Criminal Liability
Ohio defines human trafficking, in part, asknowingly recruiting, isolating, harboring,or maintaining a person for the purposes ofcommercial sexual activity.372 A violation ofthis law constitutes a felony in the first degree.

Civil Liability
Ohio does not currently have a law concerning
the civil liability of lodging facilities where humantrafficking occurs. Victims can, however, pursue
civil damages against traffickers.373

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OKLAHOMA

OREGON

Signage Law

Signage Law

Oklahoma does not currently have a law
concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities.

Oregon does not currently have a law concerning
human trafficking awareness signage in lodging
facilities.

Training Law

Training Law

Oklahoma does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking.

Oregon does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, theOregon Department of Justice has a Trafficking
Intervention Program, which has a stated goal ofdeveloping a comprehensive statewide response
to human trafficking, including training andassistance for law enforcement and community
partners.381

Criminal Liability
Under Oklahoma criminal law, human trafficking isdefined, in part, as recruiting, enticing, harboring,
maintaining, transporting, providing, or obtaining
a minor374 or another person through deception,
force, fraud, threat or coercion for purposes ofengaging the person in a commercial sex act.375
In addition, a “person,” including a corporation,376
can be prosecuted for benefiting financially or byreceiving anything of value from participating in a
venture that has engaged in an act of trafficking
for commercial sex.377

Civil Liability
Any victim of human trafficking may bring acivil action against the person and persons who
committed the criminal violation against them.378
In addition, the state can bring an action against
any individual, including an employer, supervisor,or administrator, who knowingly and willfully fails
to report suspected trafficking in children or whointerferes with the prompt reporting of trafficking
in children.379 Any person who is licensed by astate entity may be subject to discipline, including
license revocation or suspension, if the person
knowingly and willfully fails to promptly reportsuspected trafficking in children or interferes withthe prompt reporting of trafficking in children.380

Criminal Liability
Under Oregon law, a person who knowingly (i)harbors, or attempt to harbor, another person andknows or recklessly disregards facts indicatingthat that the other person is a victim of humantrafficking, or (ii) benefits financially or receives
something of value from participation in a venturethat involves human trafficking can be held
criminally liable.382 The statutory definition of“person” includes public or private corporations,unincorporated associations, and partnerships,
in addition to natural persons.383

Civil Liability
Irrespective of any criminal prosecution or the
result of a criminal prosecution, a person injured
by a violation of the above criminal provisions may
bring a civil action for damages against the person
whose actions are unlawful.384 The plaintiff may
recover (a) both special and general damages,
including damages for emotional distress and(b) punitive damages.385

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PENNSYLVANIA
Signage Law

Criminal Liability

Pennsylvania requires any hotel found to be a
drug-related or common nuisance, to display
human trafficking awareness posters that meetthe following requirements:386(a) The posters must contain information about
the National Human Trafficking Resource
Center Hotline and state that victims ofhuman trafficking are protected understate and federal law;387(b) The posters must be at least 8½ x 11 inches;(c) The posters must be printed in English, Spanish,
and any other language mandated by the
Voting Rights Act in the relevant county.388

Under Pennsylvania law, human trafficking isdefined, in part, as recruiting, enticing, soliciting,harboring, transporting, or maintaining an
individual if the person knows or recklessly
disregards that the individual will be subject tosexual servitude.391 Human trafficking is a firstdegree felony.392 A person commits a felony of thefirst degree if the person engages in any sex act
or performance with another individual knowingthat the act or performance is the result of theindividual being a victim of human trafficking.393
Additionally, a person commits an offense if theperson engages in any sex act or performancewith another individual with reckless disregard forwhether the act or performance is the result of theindividual being a victim of human trafficking; thisoffense is a felony of the third degree if it is thefirst offense, and a felony of the first degree if it
is a second or subsequent offense.394

Administrative penalties assessed by the licensing
authority for failure to properly post such signs
begin with a warning and increase to monetaryfines of up to $500. Criminal penalties for failure
to properly post such signs begin with a fine of no
more than $100 and increase with any additional
violations, up to a misdemeanor and a fine of up
to $500.389

Training Law
Pennsylvania does not currently have a lawthat requires training employees of lodging
facilities concerning human trafficking. However,subject to availability of funds, grants are to bemade available to state and local government
and non-governmental agencies to develop or
expand programs geared toward prevention ofhuman trafficking, including increasing publicawareness.390

In addition, any business entity that knowingly aids
or financially benefits from human trafficking395
could be subject to any of the following penalties:(1) a fine of not more than $1,000,000; (2)revocation of the business entity’s (i) charter,
if it is organized under laws of Pennsylvania,or (ii) certificate of authority to do business in
Pennsylvania if the business entity is not organizedunder the laws of Pennsylvania; or (3) other relief
as the courts deems equitable, including forfeitureof assets or restitution.396

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PENNSYLVANIA, continued
Civil Liability
Pennsylvania law provides that a victim of humantrafficking may bring a civil action against anyone
who participated in trafficking the victim. It further
provides that “a victim of the sex trade” maysue any person that: “(i) recruits, profits fromor maintains the victim in any sex trade act; (ii)abuses or causes bodily harm to the victim inany sex trade act; and (iii) knowingly advertises
or publishes advertisements for purposes ofrecruitment into sex trade activity.”397

It is possible that a lodging facility could be
identified as an entity that “profits from” sextrafficking, albeit indirectly, by collecting the fee of
letting a room to traffickers, but the availability ofcivil liability is restricted. Lodging facilities would
appear to fall under the explicit exception for“any person who provides goods and services to
the general public,” contained in the statute. As abusiness providing services to the general public,
a lodging facility could only be held civilly liable
to a victim trafficked at the facility if it “knowingly
markets or provides” services to traffickers,
knowingly receives a higher level of compensationfrom a trafficker, or supervises or exercises control
over a trafficker.398

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RHODE ISLAND
Signage Law
Rhode Island requires lodging facilities previously
cited as a nuisance to display human trafficking
awareness posters.399 Any such business must
display the sign in a location that is clearlyconspicuous and visible to employees and the
public.400 The law does not specify the size orexact text of the posters.
The penalty for knowingly failing to comply withthe law is $300 per violation.401

Training Law
Rhode Island does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, thecouncil on human trafficking is statutorily tasked
with bringing together governmental and nongovernmental actors to, among other things,
coordinate training on prevention for stateand local employees.402

Under Rhode Island law, a business entity
may be prosecuted for human trafficking if: (1)the entity knowingly engaged in conduct that
constitutes human trafficking or (2) an employee
or nonemployee agent of the entity engages in
conduct that constitutes human trafficking and the
conduct is part of a pattern of activity in violationof the statute governing human trafficking for the
benefit of the entity, which the entity knew was
occurring and failed to take effective action to
stop.404
If a business entity is found criminally liable forhuman trafficking, the court may consider theseverity of the entity’s conduct and order penalties
in addition to those otherwise provided for theoffense, including: (1) a fine of not more than
$50,000 per offense; (2) disgorgement of profit
from the activity; and (3) debarment from stateand local government contracts.405

Civil Liability
Criminal Liability
A person commits the offense of human trafficking
if the person knowingly recruits, transports,
transfers, harbors, receives, provides, obtains,
isolates, maintains, or entices an individual infurtherance of forced labor or sexual servitude.403

An individual who is a victim of human trafficking
may bring a civil action against any personthat participated in the human trafficking of theindividual for compensatory damages, punitive
damages, injunctive relief, and any otherappropriate relief.406

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SOUTH CAROLINA
Signage Law
South Carolina requires all lodging facilities todisplay human trafficking awareness posters
that meet the following requirements:(a) The posters must be no smaller than
8½ x 11 inches;(b) The posters must be printed in both English
and Spanish on the same poster;(c) The notices must be posted in each public
restroom of the business or establishment andin a prominent location conspicuous to the
public at the entrance of the establishment
where posters and notices are customarily
posted.407(d) The posters must state as follows:408
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave,
whether it is commercial sex, housework, farmwork, or any other activity, call the National
Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at
1-888-373-7888 to access help and services.
Victims of human trafficking are protected underfederal law and the laws of South Carolina.
The hotline is:
1. available twenty-four hours a day,seven days a week;
2. operated by a nonprofit, non-governmentalorganization;
3. anonymous and confidential;
4. accessible in one hundred seventy
languages;
5. able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.

(e) The law mandates several state agencies toprovide the required posters by making themavailable for download from their websites.
Lodging facilities are required to download theposters and post them in not less than 16-point
font.
The penalty for failure to properly post such notice
is a written warning for the first violation and a $50
fine for each subsequent violation.409

Training Law
South Carolina does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, theAttorney General’s Office provides voluntaryand free training materials and resources.410

Criminal Liability
Under South Carolina law, a person who(i) knowingly harbors or transports a victim ofsex trafficking or (ii) benefits, financially or byreceiving anything of value, from participation ina venture which has engaged in sex trafficking,may be held criminally liable.411 The principal
owners of a business that knowingly aids orparticipates in a violation of the above provisions
will be subject to a fine or loss of business license
in the State, or both.412

Civil Liability
A victim of trafficking in persons may bring a civil
action against anyone who violates the criminal
provisions detailed above. The court can award
actual damages, compensatory damages, punitive
damages, injunctive relief, and other appropriate
relief, including treble damages.413

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SOUTH DAKOTA
Signage Law
South Dakota does not currently have a law
concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities.

Training Law
South Dakota does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, the South
Dakota West River Human Trafficking Task Forceoffers free and voluntary training resources.414

or benefits financially or by receiving anythingof value from facilitating human trafficking canbe held criminally liable.415 If the victim is under
18 years of age, the crime of human trafficking
need not be purposeful or knowing.416 The
statutory definition of an actor for purposesof the criminal law includes limited liability
companies, corporations, firms, organizations,and partnerships, and thus can cover lodging
facilities.417

Civil Liability
Criminal Liability
Under South Dakota law, a person who purposely
or knowingly harbors a victim of human trafficking

South Dakota provides that a victim of humantrafficking under the criminal provision detailed
above may bring a civil cause of action.418

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TENNESSEE
Signage Law
Tennessee strongly encourages any governmental
entity or private business or establishment thatprovides or offers a place of lodging that islicensed by the state or engaged in commerce inthis state to post a sign that meets the following
requirements:(a) The sign should be no smaller than
8½ x 11 inches indicating certain information
regarding the Tennessee human trafficking
center hotline, a state-run hotline maintainedby the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
(b) The title of the sign and the Tennessee humantrafficking center hotline should be in boldface
and underlined and no smaller than 28 point
font size.
(c) The sign should be posted in a location visible
to employees and the general public.419(d) The sign must be in English, Spanish, and anyother language mandated by the Voting Rights
Act of 1965, in the county where the sign will
be posted.
(e) The sign should state the following:420
Tennessee Human Trafficking Resource
Center Hotline at 1-855-558-6484. If you orsomeone you know is being forced to engage
in any activity and cannot leave – whether it
is commercial sex, housework, farm work, or
any other activity – call the Tennessee Human
Trafficking Hotline to access help and services.

Victims of human trafficking are protectedunder United States and Tennessee law.
The hotline is:• Anonymous and confidential• Available 24/7
• Toll free
• Available to Non-English speaking callers
through assistance of Interpreters.
The law provides that the Department of Laborand Workforce shall make the sign available on its
website and shall periodically send an electronic
notification to any business or establishment thatis licensed by the state or any subdivision thereof
that encourages the posting of the sign.421

Training Law
Tennessee does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking.

Criminal Liability
A person commits an offense of human trafficking
if the person knowingly (1) harbors anotherperson, intending or knowing that the person will
be subjected to involuntary servitude or for the
purpose of providing a commercial sex act or (2)benefits financially from participation in a venturethat has engaged in human trafficking.422

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TENNESSEE, continued
Tennessee law provides that a corporation may beprosecuted for a violation of the human trafficking
laws for an “act or omission constituting a crime
under [human trafficking laws] only if an agentof the corporation performs the conduct that is
an element of the crime while acting within thescope of the agent’s office or employment andon behalf of the corporation and the commissionof the crime was either authorized, requested,commanded, performed or within the scope of theagent’s employment on behalf of the corporationor constituted a pattern of illegal activity that an
agent of the company knew or should have known
was occurring.”423 Applicable fines range from$250,000 to $350,000.424

Civil Liability
Tennessee law provides that the victim of a humantrafficking offense may bring a civil action for
actual damages, compensatory damages, punitive
damages, injunctive relief, any combination of
those, or any other appropriate relief, and will beawarded attorney’s fees and costs if successful.425

75

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TEXAS
Signage Law

Criminal Liability

Texas does not currently have a law mandatingthat lodging facilities post human trafficking
awareness notices.

Under Texas law, a person who knowingly harbors
a victim of human trafficking or benefits financiallyor by receiving anything of value from facilitating
human trafficking can be held criminally liable.430
The definition of “person” in the criminal law
includes corporations, associations, limited liability
companies and other entities and, consequently,
could include businesses such as lodging
facilities.431

However, Texas law requires the holder of a permit
or license to sell alcoholic beverages (which could
include certain lodging facilities) on or off of thepremises to display a sign that meets the following
requirements:(a) The sign must be at 8½ x 11 inches;(b) The sign must be in English (covering
approximately 2/3 of the sign) and Spanish(covering approximately 1/3 of the sign);426(c) The sign should be displayed in a conspicuous
manner clearly visible to the public andemployees of the permit or license holder;(d) The sign should state the following:427
WARNING: Obtaining forced labor or services
is a crime under Texas Law. Call the National
Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888.
You may remain anonymous.

Training Law
Although training is not mandatory, the Office of
the Attorney General of Texas has developed a
training video on preventing human trafficking.428
In addition, the Hotel and Lodging Association ofGreater Houston provides complimentary humantrafficking training specific to the hotel and lodging
industry.429

Civil Liability
Texas law provides that a “defendant who engages
in the trafficking of persons or who intentionallyor knowingly benefits from participating in a
venture that traffics another person is liable tothe person trafficked . . . for damages arising fromthe trafficking of that person by the defendant or
venture.”432
Furthermore, if a legal entity is liable, ashareholder or member of such legal entity
is “jointly and severally liable with the entity
to the person trafficked for damages arisingfrom the trafficking of that person if the person
demonstrates that the shareholder or member
caused the entity to be used for the purpose of
trafficking that person and did traffic that person
for the direct personal benefit of the shareholder
or member.”433

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HOUSTON, TEXAS
Signage Law
The City of Houston requires that hotels display
signs that include a statement that employees
must receive annual human trafficking training
and information on recognizing and reporting
human trafficking and the signs should be in
English, Spanish, and any other language
spoken by 10% of hotel employees.434

Training Law
Houston law requires a hotel operator to provide
at least 20 minutes of annual training to each hotel
employee on how to identify human trafficking
activities and victims and how to report humantrafficking.435 The training must be approved by
the mayor’s office and must include, but not belimited to, the following:(1) An overview of human trafficking, including theexperience of its victims, how and why humantrafficking takes place in the hospitality industry,and how it is defined under federal law;(2) Guidance on how to identify individuals who aremost at risk for human trafficking;(3) An explanation of the difference between laborand sex trafficking specific to the hotel sector;(4) Guidance on the role of hospitality employees
in reporting and responding to this issue;(5) The contact information of appropriate
agencies, including, but not limited to, theNational Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free
telephone number and text line, and thetelephone numbers of the appropriate local
law enforcement agencies; and(6) If online, the training shall contain a pacing
mechanism that requires the trainee to read all
course material, view all videos, and complete
all coursework before generating a certificate.
Each trainee's completion of the training shallbe documented with an attendance sheet or acertificate. The hotel must provide the training
to any new employee within 30 days after theemployee’s hire and must certify each trainee’s
completion of the program no later than Mar. 31
each year, beginning Mar. 31, 2021.436 A failure tocomply with this ordinance is subject to a fine of$100, with subsequent violations punishable by afine up to $500.437

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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

UTAHSignage Law

Signage Law

The City of San Antonio does not currently have an
ordinance concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities.

Utah does not currently have a law concerning
human trafficking awareness signage in lodging
facilities.

Training Law

Training Law

The City of San Antonio does not currently have an
ordinance that requires training employees of
lodging facilities concerning human trafficking.
However, on the City of San Antonio’s website,
there are videos in several languages (French,Arabic, Tagalong-Filipino, Spanish, Russian,and German) describing the dangers of humantrafficking.438 The website provides an e-mailaddress and two telephone numbers for the
San Antonio Police Department to reporthuman trafficking.

Utah does not currently have a law that requires
training employees of lodging facilities concerning
human trafficking.

Criminal Liability
San Antonio does not currently have an ordinanceconcerning the criminal liability of lodging facilities
where human trafficking occurs. However, there
is a special Human Trafficking Task Force in theDistrict Attorney’s Office, tasked with fighting
human trafficking. 439

Civil Liability
San Antonio does not currently have an ordinanceconcerning the civil liability of lodging facilities
where human trafficking occurs.

Criminal Liability
Under Utah law, an actor who harbors a victim ofhuman trafficking through the use of force, fraud,or coercion can be held criminally liable.440
A violation of this criminal provision is a felony
and carries a $20,000 fine for corporations.441
The definition of an actor for the purpose of
the application of this statute includes public
and private corporations, partnerships andunincorporated associations and thus may
apply to businesses such as lodging facilities.442

Civil Liability
Utah civil law provides that a victim of humantrafficking may bring a civil action against theirtrafficker, and the court may award actual
damages, compensatory damages, punitive
damages, injunctive relief, or any other appropriate
relief, including treble damages on proof of actual
damages if the court finds that the trafficker’s acts
were willful and malicious.443 A civil cause of action
can also arise against a person who benefitted
from human trafficking.444 As this law applies tothe broadly defined “persons,” in the event thata business such as a lodging facility is foundcriminally liable, the business could be held
civilly liable the same as a natural person.445

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VERMONT
Signage Law
Vermont Department of Labor must makeavailable a notice offering help to victims ofhuman trafficking on its website and the notice
may be posted in workplaces in accordancewith the following:446(a) The notice can be posted in a prominent andaccessible location;(b) The notice shall be made available in English,
Spanish, and, if requested by an employer,
another language;447(c) The notice will provide contact information for
at least one local law enforcement agency
and include the following text:448
If you or someone you know is being forced
to engage in any activity and cannot leave –whether it is commercial sex, housework, farmwork, or any other activity – call the toll-free
National Human Trafficking Resource Center
Hotline at 1-888-373- 7888 to access help
and services. The toll-free hotline is:• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Operated by a nonprofit, non-governmentalorganization• Anonymous and confidential• Accessible in 170 languages• Able to provide help, referral to services,training, and general information.

awareness among Vermont employers about the
problem of human trafficking, the related hotline
and resources available to employers, employees,
and potential victims of human trafficking.449

Criminal Liability
Vermont law states that human trafficking includes
knowingly harboring, transporting, or obtaining aperson under the age of 18,450 or a person over 18
through force, fraud or coercion, for the purposeof having the person engage in a commercial sex
act.451 It also includes knowingly “benefit[ting]financially or by receiving anything of value fromparticipation in a venture, knowing that a person
will be subject to labor servitude as part of theventure.”452 A violation of this criminal provision
may result in a fine of not more than $500,000.453
In addition, an individual or corporation can beprosecuted for knowingly permitting a place,structure, or building owned or controlled by it to
be used for the purpose of human trafficking.454
A violation of this law may result in a fine of
not more than $100,000.455 If a corporation isconvicted of human trafficking, the Attorney
General can commence a proceeding todissolve the entity.456

Civil Liability
Training Law
Vermont does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, Vermont
law requires the Vermont Department of Labor todevelop and implement an education plan to raise

Vermont criminal law provides that a “victim ofhuman trafficking may bring an action against theoffender in the Civil Division of the Superior Court
for damages, injunctive relief, punitive damages
in the case of a willful violation, and reasonable
costs and attorney’s fees.”457

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VIRGINIA
Signage Law

Criminal Liability

Virginia does not currently have a law concerning
human trafficking awareness signage in lodging
facilities.

A person is guilty of commercial sex trafficking if
the person solicits, invites, recruits, encourages, orotherwise causes or attempts to cause a person
to engage in prostitution with the intent to receive
money or to assist another in receiving moneyfrom prostitution.459

Training Law
Virginia does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, Virginia
requires a Sex Trafficking Response Coordinatorin the Department of Criminal Justice Services topromote strategies for the education, training, andawareness of sex trafficking.458

Civil Liability
Any person injured by the above violation may
bring a civil action to recover compensatory
damages, punitive damages, and reasonable
attorney fees and cost.460

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81

WASHINGTON
Signage Law
Washington does not currently have a law
concerning human trafficking awareness signage
in lodging facilities. However, Washington law
provides that establishments offering public
restrooms (which may include certain lodging
facilities) may voluntarily post a sign in restrooms
used by the public and employees.461 The notice
may be in multiple languages and include toll-free
telephone numbers of organizations providing
assistance to victims of human trafficking,including the National Human Trafficking Resource
Center and the Washington state office of crime
victim advocacy.462
In addition, a proposed bill currently pending
in the state legislature would require every
operator of a transient accommodation to postin a location conspicuous to employees signage
regarding human trafficking awareness, printed
in an easily legible font in English and any otherlanguage spoken by at least ten percent of theemployees.463

Training Law
Washington does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking.
However, a proposed bill currently pending inthe state legislature would require transient
accommodation to provide training regarding
human trafficking to each of its employees.464
The training required under this proposed billmust include, at a minimum, the following:• The definition of human trafficking, commercial
exploitation of children, and the difference
between sex trafficking and labor trafficking;• Content that is culturally responsive and includes
information about implicit cultural bias;• Guidance specific to the public lodging sector
concerning how to identify individuals who may
be victims of human trafficking including how
implicit bias may interfere with the accurate
identification of suspected victims of humantrafficking;• Guidance concerning the role of the employees
in appropriately responding to suspected humantrafficking, and the potential harms of involving
law enforcement without the consent of thesuspected victims; and• The contact information of appropriate agencies,
including a national human trafficking hotline
telephone number and the telephone numbers ofappropriate local law enforcement agencies.465
Moreover, the Washington Hospitality Association
is partnering with Businesses Ending Slavery
and Trafficking (BEST), a nonprofit organizationin the United States dedicated to working withbusinesses to disrupt human trafficking, to provide
free human trafficking training for Washington
Hospitality Association members and staff.466

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WASHINGTON, continued
Criminal Liability
Washington law provides that a person is guiltyof trafficking (a class A felony) when such person
harbors another person knowing, or in recklessdisregard of the fact, that force, fraud, or coercion
will be used to cause the person to engage inforced labor, involuntary servitude, a sexually
explicit act, or a commercial sex act, or benefits
financially from participation in a venture that has
engaged in such acts.467 In addition, a “person,”including a corporation,468 can be prosecutedfor financially benefitting or receiving anythingof value from participation in a venture that has
engaged in human trafficking.469

Civil Liability
Washington does not currently have a law
concerning the civil liability of lodging facilities
where human trafficking occurs.

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WEST VIRGINIA
Signage Law

Training Law

West Virginia requires hotels to post a notice toassist victims of human trafficking to obtain help
and services, in accordance with the following
requirements:470(a) The notice must be printed in English,
Spanish, and any other language determinedby legislative rule by the Director of the Divisionof Administrative Services;(b) The notice must be posted in public restrooms
and either near the entrance or another clearlyvisible location where public notices areposted;471(c) The Director is required to provide hyperlinks on
the Division’s website to downloadable notices
that are 8½ x 11 inches in size and provide
information regarding the National Human
Trafficking Resource Center and display the
telephone number for the National Human
Trafficking Center hotline.472

West Virginia does not currently have a law that
requires training employees concerning humantrafficking in lodging facilities.

The law further provides that any law enforcement
officer, representative for the Bureau for Public
Health or of a county health department
representative of the State Alcohol BeverageControl Commissioner, representative of theDivision of Labor, or other state representative
inspecting a hotel or otherwise acting understate authority may notify any hotel in writingthat it failed to comply with this statute. Failing tocorrect the violation within 30 days of receipt of
the written notice constitutes a misdemeanor. First
convictions carry a fine of $250, and subsequentconvictions carry fines between $250 and $500.473

Criminal Liability
West Virginia makes it a felony for any person(defined to include a business) to knowingly andwillingly traffic (defined to include harboring) (i)an adult, resulting in imprisonment for 3-15 years
and/or a fine of up to $200,000, or (ii) a minor,
resulting in imprisonment of 5–20 years and/ ora fine of up to $300,000.474 Additionally, West
Virginia declares all property which is directly or
indirectly used or intended for use in any manner
to facilitate a violation of Article 14 (Human
Trafficking) to be contraband, subject to forfeiture,
to which no person shall have a property interest,
and any business entity convicted of such violation
shall be debarred from state or local government
contracts.475

Civil Liability
West Virginia does not currently have a law
concerning the civil liability of lodging facilities
where human trafficking occurs.

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WISCONSIN
Signage Law

Criminal Liability

Wisconsin requires its Department of Justice todesign a poster, or obtain a predesigned poster,that provides information regarding a humantrafficking resource center hotline. The poster
shall be in English and Spanish and any otherlanguage required under federal law for voting
materials in a particular county. The law statesthat the Department of Justice shall makethe poster available to others to print from its
website and encourage hotels, among otherestablishments, to display the poster.476

Wisconsin law defines human trafficking, in part, as
harboring or transporting, or attempting to harboror transport, an individual.479 In addition, a “person”
including a corporation, can be prosecuted forbenefitting from the human trafficking of anindividual if they knew or reasonably shouldhave known that the benefits came from a humantrafficking scheme.480 Violation of human trafficking
law is a ground for the administrative dissolution ofa corporation.481

Civil Liability
Compliance with this law is not mandatory andthere are no penalties for failing to display theposter.477

Training Law
Wisconsin does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. However, theWisconsin Department of Justice provides
free and voluntary training material.478

Any person who incurs an injury or death by virtueof a violation of the human trafficking criminal
law may bring a civil action against the person
who committed the violation, including actual
damages, punitive damages, and reasonable
attorney fees. Wisconsin law defines “person”
to include all partnerships, associations, andbodies politic or corporate. Thus, liability could
extend to businesses such as lodging facilities.482

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WYOMING
Signage Law
Wyoming does not currently have a law
concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities.

Training Law
Wyoming does not currently have a lawthat requires training employees of lodging
facilities concerning human trafficking.

Criminal Liability
Wyoming law makes it a felony for a person(defined to include a partnership, corporation orother association or entity) to harbor an individual
for the purpose of forced labor or sexual servitude,
punishable by various terms of imprisonment andfines depending on which provision is violated.483
Additionally, Wyoming law makes subject toforfeiture all buildings knowingly used or intended
to be used to further human trafficking if the ownerhas knowledge of or gives consent to the act ofviolation.484

Civil Liability
Wyoming does not currently have a law
concerning the civil liability of lodging facilities
where human trafficking occurs.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.
Signage Law

Civil Liability

The District of Columbia does not currently havea law concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities.

The District of Columbia does not currently have a
law addressing the issue of civil liability concerning
human trafficking in lodging facilities. However, anindividual who is a victim of human trafficking may
bring a civil action for damages (including actual,compensatory, and punitive damages), injunctive
relief, and any other appropriate relief.490

Training Law
The District of Columbia does not currently havea law that requires training employees of lodging
facilities concerning human trafficking.

Criminal Liability
YesThe District of Columbia makes it unlawful for abusiness to harbor a person knowing, or in recklessdisregard of the fact, that the coercion will be, or isbeing, used to cause the person to provide laboror services or engage in a commercial sex act.485
Similarly, it is unlawful for a business to knowingly
or recklessly harbor a person under eighteen
years old who will engage in a commercial sex.486
The District of Columbia also makes it unlawful fora business knowingly to benefit, financially, or toparticipate, knowingly or recklessly in a venturethat violates the human trafficking laws.487 The
penalties for such violations are fines calculated
under various formulas set forth in the statute and/or imprisonment for not more than twenty years.488
In addition to any sentence imposed, the businessmust forfeit to the District of Columbia any
property that was used or intended to be used tocommit or facilitate the commission of the violation
and any property constituting or derived from any
proceeds that the business obtained as a result of
the violation.489

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PUERTO RICO

GUAM

Signage Law

Signage Law

Puerto Rico does not currently have a law
concerning human trafficking awarenesssignage in lodging facilities.

The government of Guam is statutorily tasked withcreating a public awareness program, including
posters containing information for victims, that
corporations can access and utilize voluntarily.495
The law does not specify the specifications of thepostings.

Training Law
Puerto Rico does not currently have a law that
requires training employees of lodging facilities
concerning human trafficking. The Department of
Education and the Department of the Family are
empowered and designated as the government
entities in charge of joining efforts to educate,
inform, and raise awareness of human trafficking
prevention and the effects thereof in Puerto Ricothrough fairs, workshops, seminars, presentations,and prevention programs.491

Training Law
As explained above, the government of Guamis tasked with creating a public awarenesscampaign, including methods for reporting
suspected recruitment activities.496 These
resources are available for individuals andcorporations to access on a voluntary basis.

Criminal Liability
Criminal Liability
Puerto Rico criminalizes the promotion or enablingof entry or exit from the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico of another person, even with the consent ofsaid, person, for the practice of prostitution.492
The statutory definition of “person” includes“natural and juridical person,” therefore, it would
be theoretically possible for a business to be held
liable under the statute.493 However, the phrasingof the criminal provision suggests that active
participation in the trafficking by a principal of thebusiness, would likely have to be established toassign criminal responsibility.494

Civil Liability
Puerto Rico does not currently have a law
addressing the issue of civil liability concerning
human trafficking in lodging facilities.

Guam criminal law defines trafficking in persons
as including, in part, harboring or transporting
another person knowing that the person will be
subject to sexual servitude.497 In addition, a person
or corporation can be prosecuted for trafficking inpersons by benefiting financially or by receiving
anything of value from participation in a trafficking
venture.498
The Guam Human Trafficking provision explicitly
provides that a business entity can be held
criminally liable for aiding or participating a
trafficking venture.499 As a penalty, the court canorder the business’s dissolution or reorganization,
the suspension or revocation of any license or
permit, or the suspension of the charter.500

Civil Liability
An individual who is a victim of trafficking may
bring a civil action against those who engaged in
the scheme for actual damages, compensatory
damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief,
and any other appropriate relief.501

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Endnotes
Businesses can be declared a nuisance for “advancing” prostitution, defined in part as “knowingly
causes or aids a person to commit or engage in prostitution,” or for “profiting from” prostitution, definedin part as “receiv[ing] or accept[ing] money or other thing of value pursuant to a prior agreement withany person whereby he or she participates or is to participate in the proceeds of prostitution activity.”
ALA. CODE § 13-A-12-110—22.
2
Id. § 13A-6-170(a).
3
ALA. CODE § 13A-6-170(a).
4
Id. Posters are available here: https://labor.alabama.gov/docs/doc_type.aspx?id=2
5
Id.
6
ALA. CODE § 13A-6-170(f). In March 2020, a Bill was introduced into the Alabama House ofRepresentatives to increase the penalty for a subsequent violation to $250. This amendment wasreferred to the House Judiciary Committee on March 10, 2020. See 2020 AL H.B. 422.
7
“Person” means “a human being, and where appropriate, a public or private corporation, an
unincorporated association, a partnership, a government, or a governmental instrumentality.”
ALA. CODE § 13A-1-2(11).
8Id. § 13A-6-152.
9Id. § 13A-6-153.
10
Id. § 13A-5-11.
11
Id. § 13A-6-156.
12
Id. § 13A-6-157.1.
13
Id. § 13A-6-157.1. In March 2020, a Bill was introduced into the Alabama House of Representatives
that would allow a court to appoint a master or receiver to seize the assets of a legal entity pending
the outcome of a civil action brought by the Attorney General under certain specific conditions. This
amendment was referred to the House Judiciary Committee on March 10, 2020. See 2020 AL H.B. 422.
14
ALA. CODE § 13A-6-157
15
See E.H. v. Overlook Mountain Lodge, 638 So. 2d 781, 784 (Ala. 1994).
16“Person” includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust,or society, as well as a natural person. ALASKA STAT. § 01.10.060(8).
17Id. § 11.41.365. A person commits the crime of human trafficking in the first degree if the person compels
or induces another person to engage in sexual conduct, adult entertainment, or labor in the state byforce or threat of force against any person, or by deception. Id. § 11.41.360.
18
Id. § 12.55.035.
19
ALASKA STAT. § 11.66.130.
20
See 2019 AK S.B. 165. / 2019 AK H.B. 225. The Proposed legislation was submitted to both theHouse and the Senate at the Request of the Governor. The bill was referred to the Senate State
Affairs Committee on January 27, 2020 and was held in committee on March 3, 2020; the housebill was referred to the State Affairs Committee and held in committee on February 2, 2020.
21
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA CODE OF ORDINANCES § 16.90.050 (Posting anti-human trafficking
information).
22
Id. §14.60.030.
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89

Endnotes“Person” means a human being and, as the context requires, an enterprise, a public or private
corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a firm, a society, a government, agovernmental authority or an individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interestin property. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-105(30).
24
Id. §§ 13-1306 (unlawfully obtaining labor or services); 13-1307 (sex trafficking); 13-1308 (traffickingof persons for forced labor or services); 13-3212 (child sex trafficking).
25
Id. § 13-803 (fines against enterprises).
26
Id. § 13-823 (dangerous and repeat enterprise offenders).
27
Id. § 13-822(A) (effective programs to prevent and detect violations of law)28
Id. § 13-822(B) (effective programs to prevent and detect violations of law).
29
Stop Human Trafficking: Human Trafficking Is Happening Here in Arizona,
https://www.phoenix.gov/district2site/Documents/d2finalhtflyerforposting.pdf.
30
About Us, SAFE ACTION PROJECT, https://safeactionproject.org/about/.
31
https://www.sacasa.org/resources/human-trafficking/32
ARK. CODE ANN. § 20-27-401.
33
Id. § 12-19-102(a).
34
Id. § 12-19-102(b)(2).
35
Id. § 12-19-102(b)(1).
36
Id. § 12-19-102(c-d).
37
Id. § 12-19-102(e-f).
38
Id. § 5-1-102(13) (defining “person” as including an “organization,” when appropriate); id. § 5-2-501(defining an “organization” as a “corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, or joint-stockcompany” or “[a]ny other group of persons organized for any purpose.”)39
Id. § 5-18-103.
40
Id. § 5-18-103(a). This list is non-exhaustive; please see the statute for a comprehensive list of theways by which a person or organization might engage in human trafficking.
41
Id. § 5-18-103(c)(1); id. § 5-4-201(a)(1).
42
Id. § 5-18-103(c)(2); id. § 5-4-201(a)(3).
43
Id. § 5-18-105.
44
As defined in § 24045.12(b) of the Business and Professional Code, not including personal residences.
45
Id. § 52.6(c).
46
CAL. CIV. CODE § 52.6.
47
Id. § 52.6(b).
48
Id.
49
Id. § 52.6(e).
50Id. § 52.6(f).
51
CAL. PENAL CODE §§ 236.3; 11225(b).
52
Id. § 236.7.
53
Designated authorities include the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Lancaster Station,and the Lancaster Public Safety Department.
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LANCASTER, CA. ORDINANCES § 9.50.040. The ordinance provides that indicators of humantrafficking may include (i) attempting to rent a room for less than twelve (12) hours, or leaving after only
a few hours; (ii) paying with cash to avoid a paper trail; (iii) attempting to rent a room without presenting
valid identification; (iv) reserving multiple rooms at once; (v) reserving a room for extended periods oftime, but bringing few or no possessions; (vi) a guest who appears malnourished or physically abused;(vii) a guest who is dressed inappropriately for his/her age; and (viii); frequent guests coming and going.
55
Id. § 9.50.030.
56
Id. § 9.50.050.
57
Id. § 9.50.060.
58
Id. §§ 1.12.020; 9.50.070; 9.50.030.
59
LONG BEACH, CA. ORDINANCES §5.57.30.
60
Id. § 5.57.30.
61https://hotelassociationla.com/human-trafficking-training/
62
https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/human-relations/pdf/humantrafficking/sb1193.pdf
63
Id.
64
COLO. REV. STAT. §§ 18-3-505(1)(a), (4)(e).
65
Id. § 18-3-505(6).
66
Id.
67
Id. § 2-4-401(8).
68
Id. § 18-3-504(1)(a).
69
Id. §§ 18-3-504(1)(b), (2)(b); id. § 18-1.3-401 (detailing penalties for felonies).
70
Id. § 13-21-127(a).
71
Id. § 13-21-127(b).
72
CONN. GEN. STAT. §§ 54-222; 54-234(a).
73
Id. § 54-222(a).
74
Id.
75
Id. § 54-234a(c).
76
Id. §44-5.
77
Id. § 17a-106g.
78
Id. § 44-5.
79
Id.
80
Id. § 53a-192a. A bill proposed in 2020 would repeal this section of the statute and replace it with a
new statute that adds “knowingly” to the definition of sex trafficking. See 2020 CT H.B. 5502.
81
Id. § 53a-192a(b).
82
Id. § 53a-41 (Fines for felonies).
83
Id. § 52-571i
84
These locations include: adult entertainment facilities, entities found to be maintaining a criminal
nuisance involving prostitution, job recruitment centers, hospitals, and emergency care providers.
For the statutory definition of a criminal nuisance, see id. § 7104.
85
11 DEL. LAWS § 787(k). The downloadable poster and other resources are available athttps://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/admin/humantrafinteragcouncil.html.
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Id.§ 787(l)(3).
Id. § 787(b). This list is non-exhaustive; please see the statute for a comprehensive list of the waysby which a person or organization might engage in human trafficking.
88
Id. § 281 (Criminal liability of organizations).
89
Id. § 787(c) .
90
Id. § 787(i).
91
Id. §§ 787(c)(1), 281. The statute specifies that a victim may bring civil action against a “person.”
Delaware Code, however, defines “person” to include (among other things) corporations, companies,
and partnerships, where “appropriate.”1 Id. § 222.
92
Id. § 787(i)(1).
93
Id. § 787(i)(2).
94
Id. § 787(i)(3).
95
FLA. STAT. § 509.096(1)(c).
96
Id.
97
Id. § 509.096(3).
98
Id. § 509.096(1)(a).
99
Id.
100
Id.
101
Id. § 509.096(1)(b).
102
Id. § 509.096(2).
103
Id. § 509.096(3).
104
Id. § 787.06(2)(d).
105
Id. § 787.06(3). Though this statute states that a “person” may be liable for this conduct, Florida’s
definition of “person” includes firms, associations, corporations, and “all other groups or combinations.”
Id. §1.01(3).
106
Id. § 787.06(3).
107
Id. § 775.083(1)(b).
108
Id. § 787.06(7).
109
FLA. STAT. §772.104 (requiring proof by clear and convincing evidence).
110
JACKSONVILLE, FL. ORDINANCES tit. VI, ch. 250, § 250.125.
111
Id.
112
Id.
113
§ 509.096.Id.
114
Id.
115
Id.
116
Defined as a hotel, motel, non-transient apartment, transient apartment, bed and breakfast inn,timeshare project, or vacation rental. MIAMI BEACH, FL. ORDINANCES § 18-3(1)(b).
117
Id.
118
Id. § 18-3(1).
119
Id. § 18-3(3).
86
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Endnotes
Defined as a hotel, motel, non-transient apartment, transient apartment, bed and breakfast inn,timeshare project, or vacation rental. MIAMI LAKES, FL. ORDINANCES § 13-799.8(1).
121
Id.
122
Id. § 13-799.8(2).
123
Id. § 13-799.8(4).
124
GA. CODE ANN. § 16-5-47.
125
GA. CODE ANN. § 16-5-47(b).
126
GA. CODE ANN. § 16-5-47(c).
127
GA. CODE ANN. § 16-5-47(c).
128This model notice is available on the Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ website at https://gbi.georgia.
gov/press-releases/2018-07-02/gbi-announces-2018-human-trafficking-notice-website-posting.
129
GA. CODE ANN. § 16-5-47(d)(1).
130This Commission was created to specifically combat the threat of human trafficking in Georgia.
The training materials are available at https://gov.georgia.gov/first-lady/grace-commission.
131
GA. CODE ANN. § 16-5-46(c)(2).
132
GA. CODE ANN. § 1-3-3(14).
133
GA. CODE ANN. § 16-5-46(c)(3).
134
GA. CODE ANN. § 16-5-46(j).
135
GA. CODE ANN. § 16-5-46(f).
136
FULTON COUNTY, GA. ORDINANCES § 46-32.
137
Id.
138
Id.
139
HAPEVILLE, GEORGIA ORDINANCES § 26-2-41.
140
HAW. REV. STAT. §§ 371-20(b); 281-31 (defining employers that need a liquor or cabaret license)
141
HAW. REV. STAT. § 371-20(e)142
H.R. 2429, 30th Leg. (Haw. 2020). The bill was introduced to Hawaii’s House of Representatives
in January 2020 and was referred to the Committee on Tourism and International Affairs and theCommittee on Labor and Public Employment. In February 2020, the Committees recommendeddeferring the measure. For more information on the text and status of the bill, please see www.
capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2429&year=2020.
143
H.R. 2429, 30th Leg. (Haw. 2020).
144
H.R. 2429, 30th Leg. (Haw. 2020).
145
HAW. REV. STAT. § 712-1202(1)(b).
146
HAW. REV. STAT. § 712-1201(1) (defining “advances prostitution”).
147
HAW. REV. STAT. § 712-1202(2).
148
HAW. REV. STAT. § 701-118 (defining “person” as including a corporation); HAW. REV. STAT. § 706-640(authorizing fines for class A felonies).
149
IDAHO CODE § 18-8602(1)(a)(ii).
150
IDAHO CODE § 18-101(7) (defining “person” as including corporations); IDAHO CODE § 18-112A(outlining authorized fines for felonies).
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775 ILL. COMP. STAT. 50/5(c).
775 ILL. COMP. STAT. 50/10.
153775 ILL. COMP. STAT. 50/10.
154775 ILL. COMP. STAT. 50/15. Model notices are accessible at https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.
aspx?item=82023.
155
775 ILL. COMP. STAT. 50/20(a).
156
820 ILL. COMP. STAT. 95/10.
157
820 ILL. COMP. STAT. 95/10.
158
820 ILL. COMP. STAT. 95/10.
159820 ILL. COMP. STAT. 95/15(a).
160
820 ILL. COMP. STAT. 95/15(b). For Illinois’ Department of Human Services training program, pleaserefer to its website at https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=124138.
161
820 ILL. COMP. STAT. 95/15(b).
162
720 ILL. COMP. STAT. 5/11-14.3 (establishing penalties for promoting prostitution or trafficking); 820 ILL.
COMP. STAT. 5/11-0.1 (defining “advance prostitution”).
163
720 ILL. COMP. STAT. 5/11-0.1.
164
740 ILL. COMP. STAT. 128/15.
165
740 ILL. COMP. STAT. 128/15(c).
166https://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/task-force-outreach-materials
167
https://www.chicagocac.org/what-we-do/outreach-education/training/human-trafficking-identify-workvictims-survivors/
168
IOWA CODE § 710A.6.
169
Id. § 80.45A(2).
170
H.F. 2259 § 80.45A.3.
171
Id. § 80.45A(4).
172
Id. § 80.45A(5)(c).
173
Id. § 703.5(1) (defining “person” as including a corporation).
174
Id. § 710A.1(4)(a).
175
Id. § 710A.2(1).
176
Id. § 710A.2(7).
177
Id. § 902.9(1)(e).
178
Id. § 902.9(1)(d).
179
See KAN. STAT. ANN. §75-759 (mandating the notices be posted in sexually oriented businesses,
massage parlors, health care facilities, convenience stores and truck stops, and rest areas and visitors
centers under state supervision or control). The sign is accessible at https://ag.ks.gov/docs/defaultsource/publications/human-trafficking-poster.pdf?sfvrsn=5161c61a_6.
180
Id. § 75-759(d). The training is accessible at https://www.dol.ks.gov/home/stop-human-trafficking/human-trafficking-publications. Kansas does require training in human trafficking identification andprevention for commercial driver’s license holders.
181
Id. § 21-5111(t) (defining “person” for statutory purposes as including corporations).
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EndnotesId. § 21-5426(a)(2).
Id. § 21-5426(b)(4).
184
Id. §21-5426(c)(1-4); 21-6611(a)(2)(authorizing fines for felonies).
185
Id. § 21-6422(a)(2).
186
Id. § 60-5003(a).
187
The trainings are available at “See Something – Say Something – Save a Life!”
188
KY. REV. STAT. ANN. § 500.080(12) (defining “person” as including corporations).
189
Id. § 529.110(1)(a).
190
Id. § 502.050(1) (Corporate liability).
191
Id. § 534.050 (Fines against Corporations).
192
Id. § 431.082(1)-(4).
193“Hotel” is defined in the statute as “any establishment, both public and private, engaged in thebusiness of furnishing or providing rooms and overnight camping facilities intended or designed for
dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes to transient guess and does not encompass any hospital,
convalescent or nursing home or sanitarium, or any hotel-like facility operated by or in connection
with a hospital or medical clinic providing rooms exclusively for patients and their family.” The term
“hotel” does not include bed and breakfasts or camp and retreat facilities owned and operated by
nonprofit organizations. LA. STAT. ANN. § 15:541.1(A)(5).
194
Id. § 15:541.1(B)(1)-(2).
195
Id. § 15:541.1(B)(1)(a)196
Id. § 15:541.1(D)(1-3).
197
Id. § 26.96(A).
198
Id. § 46:2161(A)(4).
199
Id. § 14:46.2.A.(1)(a).
200
Id. § 14:46.2.A.(2)-(3).
201
Id. § 14:2(A)(7).
202
Id. § 15:539.1(A).
203
Id. §14:46.2(B)(4)(a).
204
Id. § 46:2163.
205
http://www.nolatrafficking.org/research and http://www.nolatrafficking.org/training
206
The law is only applicable to lodging places that are licensed under title 22, section 562 of the Maine
Revised Statutes. ME. STAT. tit. 26 § 879 (3)(D).
207
ME. STAT. tit. 26 § 879.
208
Id. § 879 3(D).
209
ME. STAT. tit. 17-A §§ 851; 853.
210
Id. § 60.
211
ME. STAT. tit. 5 § 4701(2).
212
Id. § 4701(4).
213
ME. STAT. tit. 15 § 5821.
214
MD. CODE BUS. REG. § 15-207.
215
Id. § 15-201.
182
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Id.
Id. §15-207.
218
MD. CODE TRANSP. § 16-807.2.
219
MD. CODE CRIM. LAW § 1-101(h)(defining “person” in criminal statutes as including corporations).
220
Id. § 3-1102(a)(1)(ii).
221
Id. § 3-1102(e).
222
Id. § 11-307.
223
MD. CODE CRIM. PROC. § 13-502(3).
224
Id. § 3-1102(c)(1)-(2).
225
Id. § 3-1102(e)(1)-(2).
226
Id. § 42-2(b)(2)227
BALTIMORE, BALTIMORE CITY CODE art. 15, § 42-2.
228
Id. § 42-2(d)229
Id. § 42-8.
230
Id. § 10-6(a).
231
Id. § 10-6(c). Training for the hospitality industry is available at https://health.baltimorecity.gov/
prevent-human-trafficking-hospitality-industry .
232
Id. § 10-9.
233
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD. ORDINANCES § 5-171.01.
234
Id. § 5-171.01(d).
235
Id. § 5-172(a).
236
Id. § 14-191(a)(5).
237
Id. §14-193(b).
238
Id.
239
Human Trafficking Division Resources available at https://www.mass.gov/service-details/humantrafficking-division-resources. A proposed bill currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee
would require businesses, including hotels, determined to be a public nuisances to post the notice.
See 2019 Mass. S.B. 992.
240
H.B. 215, 191st Sess. (Mass. 2020).
241
Id.
242
MASS. GEN. LAWS ch. 265 § 50.
243
Id. § 56(a)(iv).
244
Id. § 50(c).
245
Id. §50(d).
246
MASS. GEN. LAWS ch. 260 § 4D(a).
247
MICH. COMP. LAWS § 752.1033(4)(a).
248
Id. § 752.1035.
249
Id.
250
Id. § 752.1039.
251
www.michigan.gov/lara
252
www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-359-82917_81399---,00.html
216
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EndnotesId. §§ 750.462b; 750.462e (sexual trafficking of minors)
Id. § 750.159f (defining “person” has including corporations).
255
Id. § 750.462d(b).
256
Id. § 752.983.
257
MINN. STAT. § 157.177(2)(d).
258
Id. § 157.177(5). Request for the training materials can be made here:
https://www.health.state.mn.us/hoteltrafficking.
259
Id. § 157.177 (e).
260
Id. at Subd. 4.
261
Id. § 609.284 (stating that corporations can be held liable for labor or sex trafficking crimes).
262
Id. § 609.322(1)(a)(3).
263
Id.
264
Id. § 609.284(3) (outlining potential remedies in the event of corporate liability).
265
Id. § 157.177(4).
266
ALBERT LEA, MINN. ORDINANCES art. 3 § 22-69 (Dec. 19, 2019).
267
Id. § 22-70.
268
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. ORDINANCES tit. 13, ch. 297, §§ 297.100; -110.
269
MISS. CODE ANN. § 97-3-54.1(1)(a)-(c).
270
Id.
271
Id. § 97-3-54.1(3).
272
Id.
273
Id.
274
Id.
275
Id. § 97-3-54.1(4).
276
MO. REV. STAT. § 595.120. A copy of the poster can be found at http://dps.mo.gov/human-trafficking/
pdf/stop-human-trafficking-poster.pdf
277
Id.
278
Id.
279
Resources available at https://ago.mo.gov/home/human-trafficking/resources/anti-traffickingorganizations-and-resources
280
Id. §§ 566.209(1) (Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation); 566.210(1)(Sexual trafficking of a child).
281
Id.
282
MONT. CODE ANN. § 44-4-1501.
283
Id. § 44-4-1501(2)(b).
284
Id. § 60-2-244.
285
The training resources are available at https://dojmt.gov/agooffice/humantrafficking/#:~:text=Attorney%20General%20Tim%20Fox%2C%20in,targets%20the%20customers%
20of%20child286
H.B. 749, 66th Sess. (Mo. 2019). See also https://dojmt.gov/montana-doj-hires-human-traffickingenforcement-team/
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MONT. CODE ANN. § 45-5-702(1)(a).
Id. § 1-1-201(1)(b) (defining “person” as including corporations and other business entities).
289
Id. § 45-5-702(1)(b).
290
Id. § 45-5-707.
291
Id. § 45-5-702(2)(a).
292
Id. § 27-1-755.
293
Id.
294
Id.
295
Id. § 81-1430.
296
The training resources are available at https://ago.nebraska.gov/identifying-trafficking-0
297
NEB. REV. STAT. §§ 28-830(11); 28-830(12) (Human Trafficking of a Minor).
298
Id. § 28-807(12) (defining “person” as including, in part, a corporation, partnership, limited liability
company, association, or any other legal entity.)299
Id. § 28-831(3).
300
Id. §25-21299.
301
Resources are available at http://ag.nv.gov/Human_Trafficking/HT_Home/302
NEV. REV. STAT. §§ 201.300(1)(Pandering and Sex Trafficking of a Child); 201.300(2)(Pandering and Sex Trafficking).
303
Id. §§ 49.25425; 200.463.
304
Id. § 193.0205.
305
Id. § 201.300(a)(5).
306
Id. § 201.300(b).
307
Id. § 41.1399.
308
Training resources are available at https://www.nhhumantraffickingtaskforce.com/training
309
N.H. REV. STAT. ANN. § 633.7.
310
Id. § 625:11.
311
Id. § 651:2(IV)(a), (b).
312
Id. § 633:8.
313
Id. § 633:11.
314
N.J. STAT. ANN § 5:10-29.1. A copy of the poster is available at https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/
resources/humantrafficking.html
315
N.J. STAT. ANN. § 52:17B-237(f)(4).
316
https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/humantrafficking/awareness-posters.html
3172020 NJ S.B. 280 (NS). A PDF version of this bill may be found here: https://www.njleg.state.
nj.us/2020/Bills/S0500/280_I1.PDF.
318
N.J. STAT. ANN § 2C:13-12.
319
Id.
320
Id. § 5:10-29.1.
321
http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/resources/humantrafficking.html.
322
The video is available in English and Spanish at http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/resources/
humantrafficking.html
287

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Endnotes
Id.
N.J. STAT. ANN § 2C:13-8(a)(1).
325
Id. § 2C:13-9(a)(1).
326
Id.
327
2020 N.J. A.B. 3778. The bill was referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee in February 2020.
A PDF version of this bill may be found here: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A4000/3778_I1.PDF.
328
N.J. STAT. ANN § 2C:13-8.1.
329
2020 N.J. S.B. 982. The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 30, 2020. A
PDF version of this bill may be found here: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/S1000/982_I1.PDF.
330
N.M. STAT. ANN. § 30-52-2.1. Lodging facilities appear to generally be covered by the Minimum Wage
Act. See id. § 50-4-21 (defining “employer” as “any individual, partnership, association, corporation,business trust, legal representative or any organized group of persons employing one or more
employees are any one time, acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation
to an employee…”).
331
Id. Versions in English, Spanish, and Navajo are available at https://www.dws.state.nm.us/Business/
Publications/State-and-Federal-Posters.
332
Id. § 30-52-1(A)(2).
333
Id. § 30-52-1(A)(1).
334
Id. § 30-1-12(E) (defining “person” as including a legal entity, whether incorporated or unincorporated.)335
Id. § 30-52-1(A)(3).
336
Id. § 31-18-15 (Sentencing for Felonies). A proposed bill currently pending in the state legislature would
increase the penalties for human trafficking to a second degree felony or, if the victim is under 18, to afirst degree felony; see N.M. House Bill 237 at https://legiscan.com/NM/text/HB237/id/2110322.
337
Id. § 30-52-1.1.
338
PUEBLO OF LAGUANA, N.M. ORDINANCES § 15-7-11(A)(1). (2011)339
Id. § 15-7-11(A)(2).
340
Id. § 15-7-11(B)(1)-(2).
341
N.Y. GEN. BUS. LAW § 206-f. The statute defines a lodging facility as “any inn, hotel, motel, motor
court or other establishment that provides lodging to transient guests” but excludes bed andbreakfasts. Information cards and notices provided by the OTDA are available at http://otda.ny.gov/
programs/bria/trafficking.asp.
342
However, there have been efforts in the New York state legislature to require training programs inhotels with five or more rooms; see, e.g. https://apnews.com/84db6eabd4184917a5091dcd3cf15238.
343
N.Y. PENAL LAW § 230.34.
344
Id.
345
Id. § 230.34-A(1).
346
Id.
347
Id. at (2)(b).
348
Id.
349
Id. § 230.36.
323
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EndnotesId. § 230.40.
N.Y. SOC. SERV. LAW § 483-bb(c).
352
N.C. GEN. STAT. § 18B-1003. A copy of the poster is available at https://www.nccourts.gov/
commissions/human-trafficking-commission
353
Id. § 18B-104.
354
Training resources available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/otip/north_carolina_profile_efforts_to_combat_human_trafficking.pdf. There is also a partnership between the North Carolina
Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) and a nonprofit, Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking(BEST) that provides free human trafficking traiing for NCRLA hotel members and employees: https://www.ncrla.org/2019/free-human-trafficking-prevention-training-for-nc-hotels/.
355
N.C. GEN. STAT. § 14-43.11(a).
356
Id. § 14-43.11(b).
3572019 N.C. H.B. 342 (NS). The bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary in March 2019.
358
N.C. GEN. STAT. § 14-43.18(a).
359
Id. § 14-43.18(b).
360
Id.
361
N.D. CENT. CODE § 54-12-33.1(4).
362
Id.
363
Id. § 54-12-33.1(2).
364
Id. § 54-12-33.1(3).
365
Id. § 12.1-41-02(1).
366
Id. § 12.1-41-07.
367
Id. § 12.1-41-15.
368
Id. § 54-12-33.1(5).
369OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 5502.63. Posters in English, Spanish, Arabic, French, and Mandarin areavailable at https://humantrafficking.ohio.gov/campaign.html; Id. § 5502.63(B)(2) suggests a list of
establishments; a detailed definition of “hotel” is set forth in ORC Ann. § 3731.01.
370
Id. § 5502.63(B)(1)371
Training resources are available at https://humantrafficking.ohio.gov/
372
OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.32.
373
Id. § 2307.51.
374
OKLA. STAT. tit. 21, § 748(6)(b) (Human Trafficking of a Minor).
375
Id. § 748(6)(a).
376
Id. § 105 (defining “person” as including corporation).
377
Id. § 748(6)(c).
378
Id. § 748.2(b).
379
Id. § 870(A)(2).
380
Id. § 870(B).
381
Resources are available at https://www.doj.state.or.us/crime-victims/victims-resources/other-resources/
exploitation-and-sex-trafficking/382
OR. REV. STAT.. § 163.266.
350
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EndnotesId. § 161.015(5) (defining “persons” as “a human being and, where appropriate, a public or private
corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a government or a governmental
instrumentality.”)384
Id. § 30.867.
385
Id.
386
43 PA. CONS. STAT. §§ 1492, 1493.
387
Id. § 1493.
388
Id.
389
Id. § 1498.
390
18 PA. CONS. STAT. § 3031.
391
Id. § 3011(a)(1).
392
Id. § 3013.
393
Id.
394
Id.
395
Id. § 3011(a)(4)396
Id. § 3017.
397
Id. § 3051(a).
398
Id. § 3051(b)(1)-(3).
399
R.I GEN. LAWS § 11-67.1-20.
400
Id.
401
Id.
402
Id. § 11-67.1-19.
403
Id. § 11-67-1-3.
404
Id. § 11-67.1-8.
405
Id.
406
Id. § 3051.
407
Id.
408
S.C. CODE ANN. § 16-3-2100.
409
Id.
410
Resources are available at http://humantrafficking.scag.gov/resources/411
Id. § 16-3-2020(A)(1)-(3).
412
Id. § 16-3-2030(A)-(B).
413
Id. § 16-3-2060.
414
Resources available at http://rallyforthechallenge.com/
415
S.D. CODIFIED LAWS § 22-49-1.
416
Id.
417
Id. § 22-1-2(31) (defining “person” as “any natural person, unborn child, association, limited liability
company, corporation, firm, organization, partnership, or society.”)418
Id. § 20-9-46.
419
TENN. CODE ANN. § 39-13-313.
420
Id.
383

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Endnotes
Id.
Id. §§ 39-13-307; 308; 309.
423
Id. § 39-13-311.
424
Id. § 40-35-111(c)(1).
425
Id. § 39-13-314(b).
426
Id.
427
TEX. ALCO. BEV. CODE ANN. § 104.07.
428
https://gov.texas.gov/organization/women/preventing-human-trafficking429
https://www.houstonhotels.org/human-trafficking-prevention
430
TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 20A.02.
431
Id. § 1.07(a)(38).
432
TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. § 98.002(a).
433
Id. § 98.0025.
434
HOUSTON, TX. ORDINANCES Ch. 28, art. VI, § 28-213 (2020).
435
Id. § 28-212.
436
Id.
437
Id. § 28-215(b).
438
See https://www.sanantonio.gov/SAPD/Human-Trafficking
439
See https://www.bexar.org/3130/Special-Initiatives
440
UTAH CODE ANN. § 76-5-308.
441
Id. §§ 76-3-302, 76-5-309.
442
Id. §§ 76-1-601(2) (defining “actor” as “a person whose criminal responsibility is in issue in a criminal
action”), 76-1-601(11).
443
Id. § 77-38-15.
444
Id.
445
Id.
446
VT. STAT. ANN. tit. 13, § 2661.
447
Id.
448
Id.
449
Id. § 2661(d).
450
Id. § 2652(a)(1).
451
Id. § 2652(a)(2).
452
Id. § 2652(a)(7).
453
Id. § 2652(b).
454
Id. § 2654.
455
Id.
456
Id. § 2656.
457
Id. § 2662.
458
VA. CODE ANN. § 9.1-116.5.
459
Id. § 18.2-357.1.
460
Id. § 8.01-42.4.
421

422

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Endnotes
WASH. REV. CODE § 43.280.110.
Id.
463
Substitute H.B. 2320, 66th Leg., Reg. Sess. (Wash. 2020). Transient accommodation is defined as “anyfacility such as a hotel, motel, condominium, resort, or any other facility or place offering three ormore lodging units to travelers and transient guests.” Rev. Code Wash. § 70.62.210(1).
464Substitute H.B. 2320, 66th Leg., Reg. Sess. (Wash. 2020).
465
Id.
466
See Human Trafficking Prevention Partners, AM. HOTELS & LODGING ASS’N, https://www.ahla.com/
human-trafficking-prevention-partners; see also BUSS. ENDING SLAVERY & TRAFFICKING, https://www.bestalliance.org.
467
WASH. REV. CODE § 9A.40.100.
468
Id. § 7.96.020.
469
Id. § 9A.40.100(1)(a)(ii).
470
W. VA. CODE § 15A-2-5.
471
Id. § 15A-2-5(b).
472
Id. § 15A-2-5(c).
473
Id. § 15A-2-5(d).
474
Id. §§ 61-14-1(6), (11); 61-14-2.
475
Id. § 61-14-7(f).
476
WIS. STAT. § 165.71.
477
Id.
478
Human Trafficking, WIS. DEP’T. OF JUSTICE, https://www.doj.state.wi.us/ocvs/humantrafficking#htlaws.
479
WIS. STAT. § 940.302(1)(d).
480
Id. § 940.302(2)(b).
481
Id. § 181.1420.
482
Id. §§ 948.051(3); 990.01(26).
483
WYO. STAT. ANN. §§ 6-2-701(a)(xi), 703.
484
Id. § 6-2-711.
485
D.C. CODE § 22-1833.
486
Id. § 22-1834.
487
Id. § 22-1836.
488
Id. §§22-1837; 22-3571.01; 22-3571.02(a).
489
Id. §§ 22-1837, 22-1838.
490
Id. § 22-1840.
491
P.R. LAW ANN. tit.1, § 5279(d).
492
P.R. LAW ANN. tit.33, § 4780(c).
493
Id. § 4642(aa).
494
Id. §§ 4780(c); 4642(a).
495GUAM CODE ANN. tit. 9, § 26.23.
496
Id.
461

462

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EndnotesId. §§ 26.02(a)(1)(Trafficking in Persons); 26.02(b)(1)(Sexual Servitude of a Minor).
Id. §§ 26.02(a)(2); 26.02(b)(2).
499
Id. § 26.05.
500
Id.
501
Id. § 26.31.
497

498

103

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human right to grow up freefrom the threat of sexual
exploitation and trafficking.

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