2025 -- H 5881
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LC001441
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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A N A C T
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- UNIFORM ACT ON PREVENTION OF AND
REMEDIES FOR HUMAN T RAFFICKING -- TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS AND
INVOLUNTARY SERVITUD E
Introduced By: Representatives Roberts, Santucci, Quattrocchi, Paplauskas, Hopkins,
and J. Brien
Date Introduced: February 28, 2025
Referred To: House State Government & Elections
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 11-67.1-20 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-67.1 entitled "Uniform 1
Act on Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
11-67.1-20. Display of public-awareness sign — Penalty for failure to display. 3
(a)(1) The department of transportation Any public or quasi-public transportation agency 4
shall display a public-awareness sign that contains the state and national human trafficking resource 5
center hotline information in every transportation station, rest area, and welcome center in the state 6
that is open to the public. 7
(2) The required public awareness sign must be at least eight and one-half inches by eleven 8
inches (8 ½" x 11") in size, shall be printed in at least sixteen (16) point type, and shall state 9
substantially the following in English and Spanish: 10
"If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in an activity and cannot leave, 11
whether it is prostitution, housework, farm work, factory work, retail work, restaurant work, or 12
other activity, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or text 13
INFO or HELP to 233-733 to access help and services. Victims of slavery and human trafficking 14
are protected under United States and Rhode Island law. 15
Posted pursuant to chapter 67.1 of title 11." 16
(b) An employer shall display the public-awareness sign described in subsection (a) of this 17
section in a place that is clearly conspicuous and visible to employees and the public at each of the 18
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following locations in this state at which the employer has employees: 1
(1) A strip club or other sexually-oriented business; 2
(2) A business entity previously found to be a nuisance for prostitution; 3
(3) A job-recruitment center; 4
(4) A hospital; or 5
(5) An emergency-care provider. 6
(c) The department of labor and training shall impose a fine of three hundred dollars ($300) 7
per violation on an employer that knowingly fails to comply with subsection (b) of this section. 8
The fine shall be the exclusive remedy for failure to comply. 9
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 10
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- UNIFORM ACT ON PREVENTION OF AND
REMEDIES FOR HUMAN T RAFFICKING -- TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS AND
INVOLUNTARY SERVITUD E
***
This act would provide specific language for signs to be posted at certain establishments 1
notifying people of contact information to the national human trafficking resource center and delete 2
the provisions enabling the department of labor and training to impose fines for failure to post 3
signage. 4
This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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