| Chapter 176 |
| 2025 -- S 0549 AS AMENDED Enacted 06/24/2025 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION NOTICE ACT |
Introduced By: Senators Dimitri, Ciccone, Burke, Thompson, Murray, LaMountain, DiMario, and Urso |
| Date Introduced: February 26, 2025 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. The title of Chapter 5-14.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Human |
| Trafficking Prevention Notice Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| CHAPTER 5-14.1 |
| The Human Trafficking Prevention Notice Act |
| CHAPTER 5-14.1 |
| THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION NOTICE AND TRAINING ACT |
| SECTION 2. Section 5-14.1-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-14.1 entitled "The Human |
| Trafficking Prevention Notice Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 5-14.1-1. Definitions. |
| As used in this chapter: |
| (1) “Department” means the department of business regulation. |
| (1)(2) “Hotel” shall mean any establishment defined in § 5-14-3. |
| (2)(3) “Human trafficking” means the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type |
| of labor or commercial sex act as defined in 22 U.S.C. § 7102 and the commission of an offense |
| created by §§ 11-67.1-3 through 11-67.1-7. |
| (4) “Human trafficking awareness training” means training established or approved by the |
| department that includes, but is not limited to, the following components: |
| (i) The definition of human trafficking and commercial exploitation of children; |
| (ii) Guidance on how to identify individuals at risk for trafficking; |
| (iii) Guidance on how to identify the signs of trafficking and individuals potentially |
| engaged in the act of trafficking; |
| (iv) Differences between labor and sex trafficking, specific to the hotel sector; |
| (v) Guidance on the role of hospitality employees in reporting and responding to this issue; |
| and |
| (vi) The contact information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free number |
| and text line or contact information for the local law enforcement agency. |
| (5) “Short term rental property” means a residential unit used or offered for tourist or |
| transient use through a hosting platform, as such terms are defined in § 42-63.1-2. |
| SECTION 3. Chapter 5-14.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Human Trafficking |
| Prevention Notice Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections: |
| 5-14.1-3. Training; policies and procedures. |
| (a) Every employee of a hotel and every operator of a short-term rental property in this |
| state shall be required to receive human trafficking awareness training within one hundred eighty |
| (180) days of employment or the first listing of a short-term rental property on a hosting platform, |
| and after the first year of employment or listing, annual human trafficking awareness training not |
| later than December 31. |
| (b) Every operator of a hotel or short-term rental property in this state shall implement |
| procedures and adopt policies for the reporting of suspected human trafficking to the National |
| Human Trafficking Hotline or to a local law enforcement agency. |
| 5-14.1-34. Record keeping. |
| Any person who operates a hotel or short-term rental property shall maintain records of |
| employee or operator training. Such records shall be kept on file by the operator of the hotel or |
| short-term rental property for the period during which the employee is employed by the |
| establishment or the operator manages the short-term rental property listing, and for one year after |
| such employment or operation ends. A hotel or short-term rental property operator shall provide |
| records to the department within a reasonable amount of time, but no later than ten (10) business |
| days, after such request is made in writing. |
| SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2026. |
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| LC001712 |
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