Enhancing Human Trafficking Training in the Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry ranks among human trafficking’s top venues, making personnel in this field uniquely positioned to identify and assist victims. In partnership with hospitality industry leaders, Reps. Regina Young and Rob Leadbeter introduced House Bill 1286 to strengthen Pennsylvania’s anti-human trafficking framework by requiring public lodging establishment human trafficking trainings.

This Legislation Will:

• Mandate a standardized awareness training for hotels, motels, inns, and short-term rental properties and related third-party listing platforms, such as Airbnb and VRBO.[1]

  • All employees, contractors, and rental operators interacting with guests or accessing their rooms must complete approved training within 90 days and every two years.

  • Trainings must include human trafficking definitions, guidance on identifying risks and signs, and reporting protocols.

  • The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency shall approve free or existing online training programs and publish a list of approved programs.

• Require employers and third-party platforms to maintain training records and provide digital or paper records to law enforcement, the licensing authority, and the Department of Labor and Industry upon request.

• Enforce penalties for noncompliance to include a $250-$500 fine and possible 1-year license suspension for continued failure to comply within a 90 day warning period. At least 50 percent of collected fines will fund grants addressing human trafficking.

Why this Reform is Needed:

• Expand frontline human trafficking detection in a known high-risk industry. Traffickers frequently use lodging establishments to recruit or house victims, to directly sell their services, and to exploit them for labor as staff.

• In 2024, hotels were the third leading known venue of sex trafficking both nationally and in Pennsylvania. Roughly 8 percent of Pennsylvania sex trafficking cases reported to the national hotline occurred in hotels/motels, reflecting national trends.[2]

• However, survivor experiences indicate this is an underreporting. One survey found 75 percent of victims intersected with hotels at some point. This includes over one-third of victims living in hotels full-time and 80 percent of commercial sex trafficking occurring at these locations.

• With the right training, resources, and support, hospitality staff and operators can recognize warning signs and know the appropriate steps for reporting trafficking and referring potential victims to services.

• Strengthen industry accountability and coordination with law enforcement. The vast majority of survivors report never receiving help from hospitality staff. Luckily, the industry has begun course correcting—with promising results.

• PACT provides hospitality industry trainings that “strengthen safety, protect individuals at risk, and reinforce the industry’s commitment to being part of the solution.”

• Trained hotel managers are more aware of human trafficking and likely to report cases. Further, 84 percent of managers reported increased awareness of child trafficking among their trained hotel associates.

• By addressing the rise in third-party listings, the act equips law enforcement and regulatory bodies to more effectively counter trafficking amidst industry changes.

• By moving this reform, policy makers and industry leaders are signaling a commitment to transform a place of known exploitation into an onramp for victim assistance.

The hospitality industry is a proven intersection to human trafficking. With the right training, resources, and support, hospitality staff and operators can recognize warning signs and know the appropriate steps for reporting trafficking and referring potential victims to services. Track this reform’s progress here as Pennsylvania moves to transform a location of exploitation into an onramp for restoration.