EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0203*
SENATE BILL 203
R2 3lr1461
CF 3lr1460
By: Senator Jackson
Introduced and read first time: January 20, 2023
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Department of Transportation – Child Exploitation and Human 2
Trafficking Awareness, Training, and Response 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Transportation to develop and 4
implement a certain training program for certain transportation–sector employees 5
on the identification and reporting of suspected child exploitation and human 6
trafficking victims; requiring certain transportation–sector employers to certify that 7
certain employees have completed the training program; requiring certain 8
transportation–sector employers to establish procedures for reporting suspected 9
child exploitation and human trafficking to certain entities and to implement a 10
certain child exploitation and human trafficking prevention policy; prohibiting 11
certain employers or employees from being held civilly or criminally liable for 12
reporting or responding to in good faith a suspected incident of child exploitation or 13
human trafficking; requiring the Department to develop a sign dis playing 14
information and resources for child exploitation and human trafficking victims and 15
requiring the sign to be displayed at certain locations; requiring the Department to 16
require frequent public service announcements with safety information for child 17
exploitation and human trafficking victims at certain locations; and generally 18
relating to child exploitation and human trafficking awareness, training, and 19
response for transportation–sector employees. 20
BY adding to 21
Article – Transportation 22
Section 2–113 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 25
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 26
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 27
Article – Transportation 28 2 SENATE BILL 203
2–113. 1
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “TRANSIT SERVICE” AND “TRANSIT STATION ” HAVE 2
THE MEANINGS STATED IN § 7–101 OF THIS ARTICLE. 3
(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO: 4
(1) AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS : 5
(I) A STATE EMPLOYEE WHO WO RKS AT A TRANSIT STA TION, 6
AIRPORT, PORT FACILITY, OR HIGHWAY REST STOP ; 7
(II) EMPLOYED UNDER A CONT RACT WITH THE STATE, 8
INCLUDING HOSPITALIT Y EMPLOYEES , WHO WORKS AT A TRANS IT STATION, 9
AIRPORT, PORT FACILITY, OR HIGHWAY REST STOP ; 10
(III) A STATE EMPLOYEE WHO PR OVIDES TRANSIT SERVI CE; OR 11
(IV) EMPLOYED UNDER A CONT RACT WITH THE STATE TO 12
PROVIDE TRANSIT SERV ICE; AND 13
(2) AN EMPLOYER OF AN EMP LOYEE DESCRIBED IN I TEM (1) OF THIS 14
SUBSECTION. 15
(C) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 16
(I) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A TRAINING PROGRAM , 17
INCLUDING A CURRICUL UM, ON THE IDENTIFICATIO N AND REPORTING OF 18
SUSPECTED CHILD EXPL OITATION AND HUMAN T RAFFICKING; AND 19
(II) ADMINISTER THE TRAINI NG PROGRAM TO ALL EM PLOYEES 20
OF THE DEPARTMENT . 21
(2) THE TRAINING PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE A VIDE O 22
PRESENTATION THAT : 23
(I) DEFINES CHILD EXPLOIT ATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING ; 24
AND 25
(II) OFFERS GUIDANCE TO EM PLOYEES ON THE 26
IDENTIFICATION OF PO TENTIAL VICTIMS OF C HILD EXPLOITATION AN D HUMAN 27 SENATE BILL 203 3
TRAFFICKING AND PROT OCOLS FOR REPORTING SUSPECTED CHILD EXPL OITATION 1
AND HUMAN TRAFFICKIN G. 2
(D) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 3
ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2024, AND EACH OCTOBER 1 THEREAFTER , EACH 4
EMPLOYER SHALL CERTI FY TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT ALL T HEIR EMPLOYEES 5
HAVE COMPLETED THE T RAINING PROGRAM . 6
(2) AN EMPLOYER SHALL PRO VIDE A NEW EMPLOYEE WI TH THE 7
TRAINING REQUIRED UN DER THIS SECTION WIT HIN 90 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF 8
HIRE. 9
(E) EACH EMPLOYER , IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT , SHALL: 10
(1) ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE FOR REPORTING SUSPEC TED 11
INCIDENTS OF CHILD E XPLOITATION O R HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO APPROPRIATE 12
SECURITY STAFF , LAW ENFORCEMENT , OR THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING 13
RESOURCE CENTER HOTLINE ; AND 14
(2) IMPLEMENT A CHILD EXP LOITATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING 15
PREVENTION POLICY FO R EMPLOYEES BY PROVI DING INFORMATION ON HOW TO: 16
(I) RECOGNIZE POTENTIAL V ICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAF FICKING; 17
(II) RESPOND TO AN INDIVID UAL WHO MAY BE OR IS A VICTIM 18
OF CHILD EXPLOITATIO N OR HUMAN TRAFFICKI NG; AND 19
(III) CONNECT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO MAY BE OR IS A V ICTIM OF 20
CHILD EXPLOITATION O R HUMAN TRAFFICKING WITH AVAILABLE RESOU RCES. 21
(F) AN EMPLOYER OR EMPLOY EE MAY NOT BE HELD C IVILLY OR 22
CRIMINALLY LIABLE FO R REPORTING OR RESPO NDING IN GOOD FAITH TO A 23
SUSPECTED INCIDE NT OF CHILD EXPLOITA TION OR HUMAN TRAFFI CKING. 24
(G) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVE LOP A SIGN DISPLAYIN G INFORMATION 25
AND RESOURCES FOR CH ILD EXPLOITATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING VI CTIMS 26
AND REQUIRE THE SIGN TO BE DISPLAYED AT T RANSIT STATIONS , AIRPORTS, PORT 27
FACILITIES, AND HIGHWAY REST STO PS. 28
(H) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REQU IRE FREQUENT PUBLIC SERVICE 29
ANNOUNCEMENTS WITH S AFETY INFORMATION FO R CHILD EXPLOITATION AND 30
HUMAN TRAFFICKING VI CTIMS TO BE MADE , IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AT 31
TRANSIT STATIONS , AIRPORTS, PORT FACILITIES, AND HIGHWAY REST STO PS. 32 4 SENATE BILL 203
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2023. 2