12-03-2025
Training bill aims to root out human trafficking in hotels
BOSTON (SHNS) – Lawmakers and advocates are hoping to write a new chapter this session in their years-long journey to reduce human trafficking in Massachusetts.
Partner bills filed by New Bedford Sen. Mark Montigny and Peabody Rep. Thomas Walsh (S 1729 / H 2726) would require human trafficking recognition training for employees at hotels, motels, lodging houses and bed and breakfasts. Employers would also be required to display in their lobbies and public restrooms a notice that includes the national human trafficking hotline.
'Hotels are often used by traffickers and employers who take advantage of the anonymity and untrained staff,' Delia Vega, senior survivor mentor and policy specialist at the nonprofit My Life My Choice said Wednesday.
The Massachusetts Lodging Association and the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) also endorsed the legislation and spoke at Wednesday's press conference.
The AHLA has a national initiative called 'No Room For Trafficking,' which provides training, resources and partnerships so hotels can better identify, prevent and respond to trafficking situations.
Montigny has spent about two decades filing human trafficking measures. He said the bill would help begin to uncover the many unseen trafficking cases in even the smallest of communities, but that he's getting 'less patient and more angry' about what he views as a lack of legislative action on, and awareness of, the issue.
'Unfortunately, most of the awareness is around high-profile Johns,' Montigny said. 'Why aren't we obsessed with people's lives being destroyed and not enough being done in Washington or Boston or other capitals?'
The bill revolves around recognizing the signs of human trafficking within the lodging industry and protecting women and children from exploitation, according to Walsh, who said he first got involved with the issue when learning from Peabody law enforcement about its prevalence in his hometown.
Many of the bills' regulatory details would be placed in the attorney general's hands. While many lodging establishments here already provide some human trafficking awareness training, Walsh said the requirements 'need uniformity.' The AG would create training requirements and employers would come up with plans that meet the requirements. They'd then submit them to the AG, who would have to sign off on them.
The bill requires that the AG's training regulations must include ways to train employees about the nature and legal definition of human trafficking, how to identify trafficking victims, and how to 'appropriately respond' to a known or suspected case of human trafficking. Lodging establishments would have to use a certified trainer.
Lawmakers said their focus on hotels comes from the 'front-line' nature of hotel workers who see individuals coming in and out of their doors.
'Think about it. The first person who sees that person that maybe shows up every week with a different woman — ' Montigny said.
'Or it's the amount of activity in a hotel room, how often the refuse has to be collected,' Walsh added. 'It's all little signs like that. If you're not trained, you may think, 'ah, that's something strange,' but you may not recognize why it feels like that.'
The legislation does not encompass Airbnb, VRBO or other singular owner-occupied lodging, but Walsh and Montigny said they plan to look at that aspect if this legislation becomes law.
'The singular owner-occupied Airbnb is a different regulatory scheme, but we plan to look at it, because right now they have to train people on the payment system, they have to train people on getting rid of rowdy parties. So there's no question they should be trained to look for trafficking,' Montigny said.
The duo said they think introducing these reforms piece-by-piece will extend the chances they're passed.
'If we don't start here, we'll never get to the next step. When I first looked at this, there were other areas where I thought, 'Gee, we should include them,' Walsh said.
'But the broader you make the bill, then you have people who might not be on board right away. So when we can prove this works, then others will say, 'Yeah, we should be doing it.' A lot of it is lodging, but then it's the travel industry. There are certain airports you go to, and they have that national hotline [posted]. Some don't, right? But we'll get there.'
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