Hotel Employees in Virginia May Be Required to Receive Training in Order to Detect Human Trafficking

Virginia lawmakers have passed legislation requiring hotels in the state to give personnel training on how to spot and report human trafficking.

House Bill 258, sponsored by Del. Shelly Simonds, a Democrat from Newport News, would direct the state’s Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop a mandatory online training course that would be provided free of charge to hotel personnel. The law has been delivered to Governor Glenn Youngkin for his signature by April 11 at 11:59 p.m.

According to studies, including one published in 2018 by the Polaris Project, a large majority of human trafficking survivors have slept at a hotel at least once throughout their ordeal.

The industry has been attempting to control the problem on a national scale, and several major businesses have already implemented training programs.

The Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association assisted in hastening the process by which established plans for larger hotel chains can be submitted to the Department of Criminal Justice Services for approval.

Anyone hired at a hotel on July 1, 2022, would have until December 31, 2022, to finish the training, according to the measure.

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