A person operating a transient accommodation must secure an annual operating license through the Department of Health (DOH). Transient accommodation means any facility such as a hotel, motel, condominium, resort, or any other facility or place offering three or more lodging units to travelers and transient guests.
There are certain requirements in DOH rules regarding transient accommodations. A licensed transient accommodation must adequately supervise employees and transient accommodation premises to ensure the transient accommodation is:
Emergency response training must be conducted and documented annually or more often as needed.
DOH must conduct:
Legislative Findings and Intent. Legislative findings are provided regarding issue of human trafficking, its prevalence in hotels and motels, and that training can be effective in raising awareness about human trafficking. Legislative intent to rid Washington hotels and places of accommodation of human trafficking.
Required Annual Training. A transient accommodation must provide annual training regarding human trafficking to each of its employees no later than January 1, 2025, and to new employees no later than 90 days after they begin their employment. The training must include:
Required Signage and Procedures. By January 1, 2025, every operator of a transient accommodation must:
Contents of the training and copies of the signage must be made available for inspection, upon request by DOH.
Compliance Required for Licenses. DOH may not renew or issue a license to an applicant without first receiving written certification from the applicant that the human trafficking training requirements regarding training, signage, and procedures for reporting have been met.