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Calling on the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to take swift and decisive action to pass House Bill 1286 as an effective measure to combat human trafficking in Pennsylvania.
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WHEREAS, Human trafficking remains a pervasive crime that exploits vulnerable people, especially women and children, through force, fraud, and coercion; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has an ongoing responsibility to strengthen points of detection, intervention, and reporting anywhere victims may be encountered; and
WHEREAS, Representative Young introduced House Bill 1286 on April 22, 2025, to amend the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline Notification Act (Act 197 of 2012) to expand its reach and modernize its enforcement mechanisms; and
WHEREAS, HB 1286 would require public lodging establishments, including hotels, motels, inns, and similar entities with more than 10 rooms, to ensure that employees and contract workers who interact with guests or have access to guest rooms complete human trafficking awareness training within 90 days, and to maintain records of that training for inspection by law enforcement or licensing authorities; and
WHEREAS, HB 1286 also recognizes that trafficking can occur in short-term rental settings and therefore directs third-party listing platforms to ensure that rental operators using their platforms complete the same type of trafficking awareness training, with clear timelines, documentation, and record-retention requirements; and
WHEREAS, HB 1286 pairs these new training requirements with an enforcement structure that begins with a warning and a 90-day cure period, and only then escalates to administrative penalties and, for ongoing noncompliance, potential license suspension-thereby balancing the Commonwealth's interest in protecting trafficking victims with fair and predictable compliance pathways for businesses; and
WHEREAS, The House Tourism, Recreation and Economic Development Commi...
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