Wisconsin Legislative Council
AMENDMENT MEMO
One Ea st Ma in Stre e t, Suite 401 • Ma dison, W I 53703 • (608) 266-1304 • le g.council@le gis.wisconsin.gov • http://www.le gis.wisconsin.gov/lc
Memo published: February 9, 2024 Contact: Tom Koss, Staff Attorney
2023 Assembly Bill 973 Assembly Amendment 1
2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 973
2023 Assembly Bill 973 requires training related to human trafficking for two groups of employees: any
employee of a community-based residential facility (CBRF) who has regular, direct contact with facility
residents; and any employee who is likely to interact with the public and vulnerable individuals, as
determined by the Division of Workforce Development (DWD), including certain specified occupations,
such as the managers and owners of hotels and motels.
The training for each group of employees must include specified topics. As relevant to Assembly
Amendment 1, the training for DWD-designated employees must include the contact information of
appropriate agencies, including the toll-free telephone number of the National Human Trafficking
Hotline and the telephone numbers of the appropriate local law enforcement agencies.
Also as relevant to the amendment, the bill requires that the training be undergone or provided within
60 days of an individual becoming an owner of a hotel or motel. The bill also provides that except for
individuals who are required by law to report suspected human trafficking to a law enforcement agency,
the failure to report a human trafficking case by an owner or employee who is trained as required under
the bill does not, by itself, result in the civil liability of any owner or employee to the human trafficking
victim in the case in question or to any other party.
ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT 1
Assembly Amendment 1 requires that the training for CBRF employees be provided to those employees
that have regular, direct contact with facility residents who are on probation, extended supervision, or
parole, rather than employees that have regular, direct contact with any facility residents.
The amendment also provides that the site principal of a lodging establishment, rather than the owner
and manager of a motel, must undergo the training. The amendment defines a lodging establishment as
a bed and breakfast establishment, a hotel or motel, a tourist rooming house, a short-term rental, or a
campground. A site principal means the person designated to oversee the day-to-day operations of a
lodging establishment by the entity principal, which is either the owner of a lodging establishment or
the main contact designated by the owner or organization to represent the owner. The entity principal
must undergo the same training at the same intervals as the site principal.
Similarly, the amendment provides that the training must be provided within 60 days of an individual
becoming an entity principal or site principal, and that there is no civil liability of any entity principal or
site principal for the failure to report a human trafficking case by a person who is trained as required,
except for individuals required by law to report suspected human trafficking to law enforcement
agencies.
The amendment also modifies the required contents of the training for DWD-designated employees in
two ways. First, the amendment requires the training to include the toll-free telephone number of the - 2 -
National Human Trafficking Hotline or the telephone numbers of the appropriate local law
enforcement agencies, rather than both. Second, the amendment also requires that the training include
guidance on how to identify the signs of human trafficking and how to identify individuals potentially
engaged in the act of trafficking.
Finally, the amendment requires DWD to produce a video regarding the training requirements and
make the video available to the public for free on its website.
BILL HISTORY
Representative Gundrum offered Assembly Amendment 1 on February 5, 2024. On February 7, 2024,
the Assembly Committee on Workforce Development and Economic Opportunities voted to recommend
adoption of the amendment and passage of the bill, as amended, on votes of Ayes, 14; Noes, 0.
For a full history of the bill, visit the Legislature’s bill history page.
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