Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Labor & Workplace Standards Committee
SSB 6056
Brief Description: Training requirements for human trafficking.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce (originally sponsored by Senators Torres, Wilson, C. and Wilson, L.).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Requires hotels, motels, and other transient accommodations to provide annual training to employees on identifying and reporting human trafficking.
Hearing Date: 2/14/24
Staff: Kelly Leonard (786-7147).
Background:

A "transient accommodation" refers to a hotel, motel, condominium, resort, or any other facility or place offering three or more lodging units to travelers and transient guests when the rental period is less than 30 days.  A business or person must obtain a license from the Department of Health (Department) before operating or advertising a transient accommodation.  The Department must conduct an on-site survey before issuing a license.  The license must be renewed annually.  Revenues from licensing fees support enforcement measures by the Department concerning health and safety. 
Summary of Bill:

A transient accommodation must provide annual training to its employees regarding human trafficking.  Training must be provided to all employees no later than February 1, 2025, and to new employees no later than 90 days after they begin their employment.  The training must include, at a minimum, the following:

  • the definition of human trafficking and commercial exploitation of children, and the difference between sex trafficking and labor trafficking;
  • guidance specific to the public lodging sector concerning how to identify individuals who may be victims of human trafficking based on behaviors and traits of trafficking regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or class;
  • guidance concerning the role of the employees in appropriately responding to suspected human trafficking; and
  • contact information of appropriate agencies, which must include at least one national human trafficking hotline telephone number and one telephone number of an appropriate local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over human trafficking.

 

By January 1, 2025, every operator of a transient accommodation must post in a location conspicuous to employees signage regarding human trafficking awareness, printed in an easily legible font in English and any other primary language spoken by at least 10 percent of the employees.  The operator must also implement procedures for the voluntary reporting of suspected human trafficking to the national human trafficking hotline or to a local law enforcement agency, and a policy to act as a guide for all employees on human trafficking prevention.


The Department may not renew or issue a transient accommodation license without first receiving written certification from the applicant attesting it has met the requirements of the bill. 
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.