PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Pennsylvania House passed a bill this week aimed at raising awareness about human trafficking among employees and workers at places where it’s most prevalent.
Prime sponsor Philadelphia Democrat Regina Young said the bill would require training for hotel and motel employees who have frequent contact with guests, including those at the front desk and housekeepers, to recognize and report suspected trafficking, and would extend to online booking sites like Airbnb and VRBO.
“We can end human trafficking through education and encouraging people to speak up when they see something wrong. It takes all of us to stand up for victims and be vigilant in prevention,” Young said.
The mandatory training explains some signals of human trafficking, including signs of mental or physical abuse, a person who doesn’t know what city they are in or can’t give a good explanation of why they are there, or someone controlling another person’s identity and money.
The bill has bipartisan sponsors, with Republican State Rep. Eric Nelson calling on the Senate to take up the legislation as major events like the World Cup, MLB All-Star Game, and Semiquincentennial come to Pennsylvania.
“This is an excellent example of how when we work together with industry and respect, we can change the lives of Pennsylvanians,” Nelson said.
The bill has the backing of law enforcement and the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association. It heads to the state Senate after passing the House 203-0.
Between 2020 and 2024, there were 1,235 human trafficking offenses filed across 366 cases in Pennsylvania alone, according to Young.