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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9681 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9681

   To amend title 5, United States Code, to establish a priority for 
accommodation in places with policies relating to severe forms of human 
                  trafficking, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 19, 2024

Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Krishnamoorthi) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 
                           and Accountability

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To amend title 5, United States Code, to establish a priority for 
accommodation in places with policies relating to severe forms of human 
                  trafficking, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Halting Of Trafficking and 
Exploitation in Lodging Act of 2024'' or the ``HOTEL Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. PRIORITY FOR ACCOMMODATION IN PLACES WITH ANTI-TRAFFICKING 
              POLICIES.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 5712. Priority for accommodation in places with anti-trafficking 
              policies
    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
            ``(1) the term `place of accommodation' means a hotel, 
        motel, or other place of public accommodation that is listed by 
        the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency as 
        meeting the requirements of the fire prevention and control 
        guidelines described in section 29 of the Federal Fire 
        Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2225); and
            ``(2) the term `severe forms of trafficking in persons' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 103 of the Trafficking 
        Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).
    ``(b) Requirement.--For the purpose of making payments under this 
subchapter for lodging expenses, each agency shall ensure that, to the 
greatest extent practicable, commercial-lodging room nights in the 
United States for employees of that agency are booked in a preferred 
place of accommodation.
    ``(c) Eligibility as a Preferred Place of Accommodation.--To be 
considered a preferred place of accommodation for the purposes of this 
section, a place of accommodation shall--
            ``(1) enforce the zero-tolerance policy regarding severe 
        forms of trafficking in persons made available by the 
        Administrator of General Services under subsection (d)(1), or a 
        similar zero-tolerance policy developed by the place of 
        accommodation, which shall be demonstrated by--
                    ``(A) posting that policy in a nonpublic space 
                within the place of accommodation that is accessible by 
                all employees of the place of accommodation; or
                    ``(B) including that policy in the employee 
                handbook for the place of accommodation;
            ``(2) have procedures in place, not later than 180 days 
        after the effective date of this section, for employees of the 
        place of accommodation to--
                    ``(A) identify any severe form of trafficking in 
                persons according to protocol identified in the 
                employee training based on training materials developed 
                under subsection (d)(3); and
                    ``(B) with respect to any severe form of 
                trafficking in persons identified under subparagraph 
                (A)--
                            ``(i) report that activity to--
                                    ``(I) the appropriate law 
                                enforcement authorities;
                                    ``(II) management of the place of 
                                accommodation; or
                                    ``(III) the national human 
                                trafficking hotline described in 
                                section 107(b)(1)(B)(ii) of the 
                                Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
                                2000 (22 U.S.C. 7105(b)(1)(B)(ii)); or
                            ``(ii) provide information and resources to 
                        the potential victims of that activity, 
                        including--
                                    ``(I) contact information for the 
                                appropriate law enforcement 
                                authorities;
                                    ``(II) information regarding the 
                                hotline described in clause (i)(III); 
                                or
                                    ``(III) information regarding 
                                appropriate local organizations;
            ``(3) post the informational materials made available under 
        subsection (d)(3) in an appropriate nonpublic space within the 
        place of accommodation that is accessible by all employees of 
        the place of accommodation;
            ``(4) require each employee of the place of accommodation 
        who is physically located at the place of accommodation and who 
        is likely to interact with guests (including, but not limited 
        to security, front desk, housekeeping, room service, and bell 
        staff), or who is responsible for hiring, to complete the 
        training developed under subsection (d)(2), or a training 
        developed pursuant to subsection (e), which shall--
                    ``(A) take place not later than 90 days after the 
                starting date of the employee, or, in the case of an 
                employee hired before the effective date of this 
                section, not later than 90 days after the effective 
                date of this section; and
                    ``(B) include training on the identification of all 
                possible cases of severe forms of trafficking in 
                persons;
            ``(5) ensure that the place of accommodation does not 
        retaliate against an employee of the place of accommodation for 
        reporting suspected cases of severe forms of trafficking in 
        persons if reported according to protocol identified in the 
        training for the employee; and
            ``(6) maintain a current record of every employee who has 
        completed the training program in subsection (e)--
                    ``(A) if the training is updated in accordance with 
                subsection (e)(3), the place of accommodation must 
                update the records of the employees who retake the 
                training; and
                    ``(B) records for past employees only need to be 
                maintained for two years past the end of employment or 
                longer at the discretion of the place of accommodation.
    ``(d) GSA Requirements.--The Administrator of General Services 
shall--
            ``(1) make available on the website of the General Services 
        Administration a model zero-tolerance policy for places of 
        accommodation regarding severe forms of trafficking in persons, 
        including informational materials regarding that policy to be 
        posted within nonpublic spaces;
            ``(2) make available on the website of the General Services 
        Administration a list of Department of Homeland Security, 
        Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, 
        Department of State, and privately produced training programs 
        that address the identification of severe forms of trafficking 
        in persons and submit reports to appropriate law enforcement 
        authorities or the National Human Trafficking Hotline;
            ``(3) in coordination with the Blue Campaign of the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security, make available on the website 
        of the General Services Administration and the Department of 
        Health and Human Services training and outreach materials on 
        preventing severe forms of trafficking in persons, 
        informational materials to be posted in nonpublic spaces in 
        places of accommodation on identifying the signs of severe 
        forms of trafficking in persons and reporting possible 
        incidences of such exploitation, and informational materials to 
        be posted in public or nonpublic spaces in places of 
        accommodation on self-identifying as a potential victim of 
        severe forms of trafficking in persons and how to access 
        services and support as such a victim, except that the 
        Administrator shall permit the use of substantially similar 
        training materials or informational materials required by State 
        or local law on identifying the signs of severe forms of 
        trafficking in persons and reporting possible incidences of 
        severe forms of trafficking in persons in lieu of materials 
        developed under this paragraph; and
            ``(4) maintain a list of each preferred place of 
        accommodation that--
                    ``(A) meets the requirements of subsection (c); and
                    ``(B) is--
                            ``(i) participating in governmental lodging 
                        programs, such as FedRooms (or any successor 
                        system);
                            ``(ii) included on the list maintained by 
                        the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
                        Management Agency pursuant to section 28 of the 
                        Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 
                        (15 U.S.C. 2224); or
                            ``(iii) otherwise known to have received 
                        governmental travel business during the 2-year 
                        period preceding the effective date of this 
                        section.
    ``(e) Training Programs.--
            ``(1) In general.--A place of accommodation may use a 
        training program developed or acquired by that place of 
        accommodation or company to satisfy the requirements of 
        subsection (c)(4) if that training program--
                    ``(A) focuses on identifying and reporting 
                suspected cases of severe forms of trafficking in 
                persons; and
                    ``(B) was developed in consultation with--
                            ``(i) a State government;
                            ``(ii) survivors or lived experience 
                        experts of human trafficking;
                            ``(iii) survivor-led anti-trafficking 
                        organization; or
                            ``(iv) any organization nationally 
                        recognized for its expertise in anti-
                        trafficking initiatives and which actively 
                        involves survivor-leaders in consultations.
            ``(2) Review.--Training program materials described in 
        paragraph (1) shall be--
                    ``(A) not less frequently than once every 2 years, 
                reviewed by the applicable place of accommodation and, 
                if necessary, updated based on that review; and
                    ``(B) delivered to employees of the place of 
                accommodation after any update under subparagraph (A).
    ``(f) Previously Trained Employees.--
            ``(1) Training prior to effective date.--Any employee of a 
        place of accommodation who has been trained to identify and 
        report potential cases of severe forms of trafficking in 
        persons before the effective date of this section shall be 
        considered to have satisfied the training requirement under 
        subsection (c)(4) with respect to any employment at that place 
        of accommodation or at any another place of accommodation 
        managed by the same entity.
            ``(2) Training prior to a transfer of employment.--Any 
        employee of a place of accommodation who has met the training 
        requirements under subsection (c)(4) shall be considered to 
        have satisfied those requirements with respect to any 
        employment at a place of accommodation managed by the same 
        entity.
    ``(g) Property-by-Property Implementation.--
            ``(1) Self-certification.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                effective date of this section, and biennially 
                thereafter, each preferred place of accommodation shall 
                submit to the Administrator of General Services a 
                written self-certification that the place of 
                accommodation is in compliance with the requirements of 
                this section.
                    ``(B) Notice; reporting.--The Administrator of 
                General Services shall--
                            ``(i) provide notice to each place of 
                        accommodation regarding any self-certification 
                        that the place of accommodation is required to 
                        submit under this subsection not later than the 
                        date that is 60 days before the date on which 
                        that such self-certification is required; and
                            ``(ii) not later than 1 year after the 
                        effective date of this section, and biennially 
                        thereafter, submit to the Committee on Homeland 
                        Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 
                        and the Committee on Oversight and Reform of 
                        the House of Representatives a report regarding 
                        each preferred places of accommodation that, 
                        for the period covered by the report, submitted 
                        and did not submit the self-certifications 
                        required under this subsection.
            ``(2) Group certification.--A person or entity that manages 
        or franchises multiple places of accommodation may provide a 
        single notice with respect to self-certification under 
        paragraph (1) that each such place of accommodation is in 
        compliance with the requirements of this section. The notice 
        must list all the places of accommodation that are in 
        compliance with the requirements in subsection (c).
    ``(h) Statutory Construction.--No provision in this section that 
applies to an employee of a place of accommodation may be construed to 
apply to an individual who is an independent contractor of, or is 
otherwise not directly employed by, that place of accommodation, unless 
the applicable contract is for housekeeping, catering, concierge, or 
security services, in which case the applicable service provider shall 
ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.
    ``(i) Regulations Required.--The Administrator of General Services 
shall issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out this 
section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``5712. Priority for accommodation in places with anti-trafficking 
                            policies.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
                                 <all>
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