EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0001*
HOUSE BILL 1
R2 5lr0871
HB 148/24 – ENT (PRE–FILED) CF SB 7
By: Delegates Ebersole, Bagnall, Boyce, Cardin, Crosby, Fair, Feldmark , Forbes,
Hill, Lehman, Pasteur, Pruski, Ruth, Stein, Stewart, Terrasa, Toles, Wims,
Wu, and Ziegler Ziegler, Allen, Behler, Foley, Healey, and R. Lewis
Requested: September 18, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Department of Transportation – Human Trafficking Awareness, Training, and 2
Response 3
(See Someone, Save Someone Act) 4
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Transportation to develop or 5
identify and implement a certain training program for certain transportation–sector 6
employees on the identification and reporting of suspected human trafficking 7
victims; requiring certain transportation sector employers to certify that certain 8
employees have completed the training program; requiring certain transportation 9
sector employers to establish procedures for reporting suspected human trafficking 10
to certain entities and to implement a certain human trafficking prevention policy; 11
prohibiting certain employers or employees from being held civilly or criminally 12
liable for reporting or responding to in good faith a suspected incident of human 13
trafficking; requiring the Department to require frequent public service 14
announcements with safety information for trafficking victims at certain locations; 15
and generally relating to human trafficking awareness, training, and response. 16
BY adding to 17
Article – Transportation 18
Section 2–114 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21 2 HOUSE BILL 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Transportation 3
2–114. 4
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “TRANSIT SERVICE ” AND “TRANSIT STATION ” HAVE 5
THE MEANINGS STATED IN § 7–101 OF THIS ARTICLE. 6
(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO: 7
(1) AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS : 8
(I) A STATE EMPLOYEE WHO WO RKS AT A TRANSIT STA TION, 9
AIRPORT, PORT FACILITY, OR HIGHWAY REST STOP ; 10
(II) A STATE EMPLOYEE WHO PR OVIDES TRANSIT SERVI CE; OR 11
(III) EMPLOYED UNDER A CONT RACT WITH THE STATE TO 12
PROVIDE TRANSIT SERV ICE; OR 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) IN CONSULTATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS , DEVELOP OR 17
IDENTIFY AND IMPLEME NT A TRAINING PROGRA M THAT INCLUDES A CU RRICULUM 18
ON THE IDENTIFICATIO N AND REPORTING OF S USPECTED HUMAN TRAFF ICKING; 19
AND 20
(II) ADMINISTER THE TRAINI NG PROGRAM TO: 21
1. TO ALL EMPLOYEES AND CO NTRACT EMPLOYEES OF 22
THE DEPARTMENT ; AND 23
2. TO THE EXTENT FEASIBL E, DURING REGULAR 24
WORKING HOURS . 25
(2) THE TRAINING PROGRAM SHALL: 26
(I) INCLUDE A DEFINITION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ; AND 27
HOUSE BILL 1 3
(II) OFFER GUIDANCE TO EMPLOYEE S AND CONTRACT 1
EMPLOYEES ON THE IDE NTIFICATION OF POTEN TIAL VICTIMS OF HUMA N 2
TRAFFICKING AND PROT OCOLS FOR REPORTING SUSPECTED HUMAN TRAF FICKING. 3
(D) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 4
ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2026 2027, AND EACH JANUARY 1 THEREAFTER , EACH 5
EMPLOYER SHALL CERTI FY TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT ALL T HE EMPLOYER ’S 6
EMPLOYEES HAVE COMPL ETED THE TRAINING PR OGRAM. 7
(2) AN EMPLOYER SHALL PROVIDE: 8
(I) PROVIDE A NEW EMPLOYEE WITH THE TRAINING REQUIRED 9
UNDER THIS SECTION W ITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF HIRE; AND 10
(II) TO THE EXTENT FEASIBL E, ADMINISTER THE TRAIN ING 11
PROGRAM DURING REGUL AR WORKING HOURS . 12
(E) EACH EMPLOYER , IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT , SHALL: 13
(1) ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE FOR EMPLOY EES AND CONTRACT 14
EMPLOYEES TO REPORT SUSPECTED INCIDENTS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO THE 15
APPROPRIATE LOCAL AG ENCIES, INCLUDING THE DESIGN ATED REGIONAL 16
NAVIGATOR; AND 17
(2) IMPLEMENT A HUMAN TRA FFICKING PREVENTION POLICY FOR 18
EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACT EMPLOYEES B Y PROVIDING INFORMAT ION ON HOW TO: 19
(I) RECOGNIZE POTENTIAL V ICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAF FICKING; 20
(II) RESPOND TO AN INDIVID UAL WHO MAY BE OR IS A VICTIM 21
OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ; AND 22
(III) CONNECT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO MAY BE OR IS A V ICTIM OF 23
HUMAN TRAFFICKING WI TH AVAILABLE RESOURC ES. 24
(F) AN EMPLOYER, AN EMPLOYEE , OR A CONTRACT EMPLOYEE MAY NOT BE 25
HELD CIVILLY OR CRIM INALLY LIABLE FOR RE PORTING OR RESPONDIN G IN GOOD 26
FAITH TO A SUSPECTED INCIDENT OF HUMAN TR AFFICKING. 27
(G) TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REQU IRE 28
FREQUENT PUBLIC SERV ICE ANNOUNCEMENTS WI TH SAFETY INFORMATIO N FOR 29
HUMAN TRAFFICKING VI CTIMS TO BE MADE , IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AT 30
TRANSIT STATIONS , AIRPORTS, PORT FACILITIES, AND HIGHWAY REST STO PS. 31
4 HOUSE BILL 1
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2025. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.