25 LC 59 0128S
The House Committee on Economic Development and Tourism offers the following
substitute to HB 490:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,1
relating to kidnapping, false imprisonment, and related offenses, so as to provide for a2
required human trafficking training program for hotels; to provide for definitions; to provide3
for retraining; to provide for penalties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting4
laws; and for other purposes.5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6
SECTION 1.7
Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to8
kidnapping, false imprisonment, and related offenses, is amended by adding a new Code9
section to read as follows:10
"16-5-48.11
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:12
(1) 'Employee' means any person employed by a hotel who:13
(A) Has frequent or regular interactions with guests, such as front desk staff, porters,14
concierges, restaurant waiting and bartending staff, room service staff, and temporary15
employees;16
H. B. 490 (SUB)
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(B) Is in a management position; or17
(C) Has access to the guests' rooms, including housekeeping staff.18
(2) 'Hotel' shall have the same meaning as the term 'innkeeper' as set forth in Code19
Section 48-13-50.2.20
(b) The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council shall provide a training course on21
recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking at no cost to the22
proprietors, owners, operators, or employees of a hotel or an alternative online or in-person23
training course approved by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The Georgia Bureau of24
Investigation shall approve or deny the use of any alternative online or in-person training25
course within 60 days of the submission of such training course for approval.26
(c) Each proprietor, owner, operator, or employee of a hotel shall complete the training27
course described in subsection (b) of this Code section by October 1, 2025, for any28
proprietor, owner, operator, or employee of a hotel serving in such position on July 1,29
2025, or within five days of first becoming a proprietor, owner, operator, or employee of30
a hotel, and thereafter at least once during each consecutive period of two calendar years,31
commencing with the date on which he or she last completed the required training course,32
for as long as he or she is employed by a hotel.33
(d) Any proprietor, owner, operator, or employee of a hotel who knows or should34
reasonably know such premises is being utilized for the purposes of or in connection with35
trafficking of persons for labor or sexual servitude, as such terms are defined in Code36
Section 16-5-46, shall be required to report such to a law enforcement officer. Any person37
required by this subsection to report a suspected case of trafficking of persons who38
knowingly and willfully fails to do so shall commit the crime of failing to report trafficking39
of persons and upon conviction shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."40
SECTION 2.41
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.42
H. B. 490 (SUB)
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