Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB490 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	25 LC 59 0128S
2		-	The House Committee on Economic Development and Tourism offers the following
3		-	substitute to HB 490:
	1	+	25 LC 48 1416
	2	+	House Bill 490
	3	+	By: Representatives Bazemore of the 69
	4	+	th
	5	+	, Hugley of the 141
	6	+	st
	7	+	, Park of the 107
	8	+	th
	9	+	, Miller of
	10	+	the 62
	11	+	nd
	12	+	, and Evans of the 57
	13	+	th
	14	+
4	15		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	16		AN ACT
6		-	To amend Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,1
	17	+	To amend Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
	18	+	1
7	19		relating to kidnapping, false imprisonment, and related offenses, so as to provide for a2
8	20		required human trafficking training program for hotels; to provide for definitions; to provide3
9	21		for retraining; to provide for penalties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting4
10	22		laws; and for other purposes.5
11	23		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6
12	24		SECTION 1.7
13	25		Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to8
14	26		kidnapping, false imprisonment, and related offenses, is amended by adding a new Code9
15	27		section to read as follows:10
16		-	"16-5-48.11
	28	+	"16-5-48.
	29	+	11
17	30		(a) As used in this Code section, the term:12
18	31		(1) 'Employee' means any person employed by a hotel who:13
19	32		(A) Has frequent or regular interactions with guests, such as front desk staff, porters,14
20	33		concierges, restaurant waiting and bartending staff, room service staff, and temporary15
21	34		employees;16
22		-	H. B. 490 ~~(SUB)~~
23		-	- 1 - 25 LC ~~59 0128S~~
	35	+	H. B. 490
	36	+	- 1 - 25 LC 48 1416
24	37		(B) Is in a management position; or17
25	38		(C) Has access to the guests' rooms, including housekeeping staff.18
26		-	(2) 'Hotel' shall have the same meaning as the term 'innkeeper' as set forth in Code19
27		-	Section 48-13-50.2.20
28		-	(b) The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council shall provide a training course on21
29		-	recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking at no cost to the22
30		-	proprietors, owners, operators, or employees of a hotel or an alternative online or in-person23
31		-	training course approved by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The Georgia Bureau of24
32		-	Investigation shall approve or deny the use of any alternative online or in-person training25
33		-	course within 60 days of the submission of such training course for approval.26
34		-	(c) Each proprietor, owner, operator, or employee of a hotel shall complete the training27
35		-	course described in subsection (b) of this Code section by October 1, 2025, for any28
36		-	proprietor, owner, operator, or employee of a hotel serving in such position on July 1,29
37		-	2025, or within five days of first becoming a proprietor, owner, operator, or employee of30
38		-	a hotel, and thereafter at least once during each consecutive period of two calendar years,31
39		-	commencing with the date on which he or she last completed the required training course,32
40		-	for as long as he or she is employed by a hotel.33
41		-	(d) Any proprietor, owner, operator, or employee of a hotel who knows or should34
42		-	reasonably know such premises is being utilized for the purposes of or in connection with35
43		-	trafficking of persons for labor or sexual servitude, as such terms are defined in Code36
44		-	Section 16-5-46, shall be required to report such to a law enforcement officer. Any person37
45		-	required by this subsection to report a suspected case of trafficking of persons who38
46		-	knowingly and willfully fails to do so shall commit the crime of failing to report trafficking39
47		-	of persons and upon conviction shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."40
48		-	SECTION 2.41
49		-	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.42
50		-	H. B. 490 (SUB)
	39	+	(2) 'Hotel' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 16-5-47.19
	40	+	(b) Every hotel proprietor shall require its employees to complete a training course on20
	41	+	recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking. Such training course21
	42	+	shall be an online course provided by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council at no cost22
	43	+	to the hotel proprietor nor employees or an alternative online or in-person training course23
	44	+	approved by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The Criminal Justice Coordinating24
	45	+	Council shall approve or deny the use of any alternative online or in-person training course25
	46	+	within 60 days of the submission of such training course for approval.26
	47	+	(c) Each employee shall complete the required training course described in subsection (b)27
	48	+	of this Code section within six months of being employed by a hotel and thereafter at least28
	49	+	once during each consecutive period of two calendar years, commencing with the date on29
	50	+	which he or she last completed the required training course, for as long as he or she is30
	51	+	employed by a hotel.31
	52	+	(d) Any proprietor, owner, operator, or employee of a hotel who knew or should have32
	53	+	reasonably known such premises is being utilized for the purposes of or in connection with33
	54	+	trafficking of persons for labor or sexual servitude in violation of Code Section 16-5-4634
	55	+	shall upon conviction be subject to punishment and imprisonment as provided therein."35
	56	+	SECTION 2.36
	57	+	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.37
	58	+	H. B. 490
51	59		- 2 -