2025 -- S 0549
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LC001712
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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 BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING
PREVENTION NOTICE ACT
Introduced By: Senators Dimitri, Ciccone, Burke, Thompson, Murray, LaMountain,
DiMario, and Urso
Date Introduced: February 26, 2025
Referred To: Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. The title of Chapter 5-14.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Human 1
Trafficking Prevention Notice Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
CHAPTER 5-14.1 3
The Human Trafficking Prevention Notice Act 4
CHAPTER 5-14.1 5
THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION NOTICE AND TRAINING ACT 6
SECTION 2. Section 5-14.1-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-14.1 entitled "The Human 7
Trafficking Prevention Notice Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 8
5-14.1-1. Definitions. 9
As used in this chapter: 10
(1) “Department” means the state department of business regulation. 11
(1)(2) “Hotel” shall mean any establishment defined in § 5-14-3. 12
(2)(3) “Human trafficking” means the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type 13
of labor or commercial sex act as defined in 22 U.S.C. § 7102 and the commission of an offense 14
created by §§ 11-67.1-3 through 11-67.1-7. 15
(4) “Human trafficking awareness training” means training established or approved by the 16
department that includes, but is not limited to, the following components: 17
(i) The definition of human trafficking and commercial exploitation of children; 18
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(ii) Guidance on how to identify individuals at risk for trafficking; 1
(iii) Guidance on how to identify the signs of trafficking and individuals potentially 2
engaged in the act of trafficking; 3
(iv) Differences between labor and sex trafficking, specific to the hotel sector; 4
(v) Guidance on the role of hospitality employees in reporting and responding to this issue; 5
and 6
(vi) The contact information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline tollfree number 7
and text line or contact information for the local law enforcement agency. 8
(5) “Short term rental property” shall mean a residential unit used or offered for tourist or 9
transient use through a hosting platform, as such terms are defined in § 42-63.1-2. 10
SECTION 3. Chapter 5-14.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Human Trafficking 11
Prevention Notice Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections: 12
5-14.1-3. Training; policies and procedures. 13
(a) Every employee of a hotel and every operator of a short-term rental property in this 14
state shall be required to receive human trafficking awareness training. It shall be completed within 15
one hundred eighty (180) days of employment or the first listing of a short-term rental property on 16
a hosting platform. After the first year of employment or listing, annual human traffic awareness 17
training shall be completed not later than December 31 of that year. 18
(b) Every operator of a hotel or short-term rental property in this state shall implement 19
procedures and adopt policies for the reporting of suspected human trafficking to the National 20
Human Trafficking Hotline or to a local law enforcement agency. 21
5-14.1-4. Record keeping. 22
Any person who operates a hotel or short-term rental property shall maintain records of 23
employee or operator training. Such records shall be kept on file by the operator of the hotel or 24
short-term rental property for the period during which the employee is employed by the 25
establishment or the operator manages the short-term rental property listing, and for one year after 26
such employment or operation ends. A hotel or short-term rental property operator shall provide 27
records to the department of business regulation within a reasonable amount of time, but no later 28
than ten (10) business days, after such request is made in writing. 29
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2026. 30
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- THE HUMAN TRAFFICK ING
PREVENTION NOTICE ACT
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This act would require hotel employees and short-term rental property operators to 1
annually receive human trafficking awareness training. The operator of the premises shall maintain 2
records of the completed training. 3
This act would take effect on January 1, 2026. 4
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LC001712
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