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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1764 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2726
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Thomas P. Walsh and Joan B. Lovely
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act requiring human trafficking recognition training for certain hospitality workers.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Thomas P. Walsh12th Essex1/15/2025Sally P. Kerans13th Essex3/12/2025Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable3/12/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1764 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2726
By Representative Walsh of Peabody and Senator Lovely, a joint petition (accompanied by bill,
House, No. 2726) of Thomas P. Walsh relative to requiring human trafficking recognition
training for certain hospitality workers. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act requiring human trafficking recognition training for certain hospitality workers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 140 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby
2amended by inserting after section 6B the following section:-
3 Section 6C.
4 (a) For the purposes of this section, “qualified accommodation” shall mean a hotel, motel,
5lodging house or bed and breakfast establishment, as defined in section 1 of chapter 64G, except
6for accommodations exempt from the room occupancy excise pursuant to section 2 of said
7chapter 64G.
8 (b) Every licensed innholder operating a qualified accommodation shall establish a
9human trafficking recognition training program, and shall require every employee of such
10accommodation to participate in the training program. The training program shall be approved by
11the attorney general, and may be provided by organizations or providers approved by the
12attorney general pursuant to subsection (d). The training program may be developed by a federal, 2 of 2
13state or nonprofit organization, and may be incorporated as part of the innholder’s existing
14training programs. Human trafficking recognition training programs required pursuant to this
15section shall include, but shall not be limited to training relative to:
16 (i) the nature of human trafficking;
17 (ii) how human trafficking is defined pursuant to the federal Victims of Trafficking and
18Violence Protection Act of 2000;
19 (iii) how to identify victims of human trafficking, as defined pursuant to the federal
20Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000;
21 (c) Every licensed innholder operating a qualified accommodation shall post in plain
22view, in the lobby and in any public restroom of such qualified accommodation, a written notice
23developed by the attorney general, which shall include the national human trafficking hotline
24telephone number.
25 (d) The attorney general shall:
26 (i) make available a list of approved human trafficking recognition training programs for
27use by a licensed innholder operating a qualified accommodation pursuant to this section;
28 (ii) develop a standard written notice to be posted in every qualified accommodation
29pursuant to subsection (c).
30 (e) The attorney general shall promulgate regulations necessary to implement this section.