Bills to prevent human trafficking signed into law

Paulin has been a leader in authoring and passing laws against sex trafficking since 2006 with the passage of the landmark Anti-Human Trafficking Act of 2006. The legislation made human trafficking a crime in New York State — the first state in the nation to do so.

Paulin’s extensive history of anti-trafficking legislation also includes the Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act, which she authored and passed in 2015, and which increased the accountability of buyers and traffickers, provided law enforcement with additional tools to identify traffickers, and provided victims recourse to recover damages from their traffickers. She also authored and passed the End Child Sex Trafficking Act in 2018, which eliminated the requirement for proof of force, fraud, or coercion in order to prosecute an individual for the Class B violent felony of sex trafficking of a minor.

Following are Paulin’s six anti-trafficking bills which passed in the state Legislature during the 2021-22 legislative session and have now been signed into law. These bills were carried in the state Senate by Sens. Shelley Mayer, Anna Kaplan, Cordell Cleare and Samra Brouk.

A887C/S244B (Mayer) requires all hotel employees to undergo human trafficking awareness training within their first 60 days of employment.

The $32 billion human trafficking industry often takes advantage of legitimate businesses such as hotels, inns and motels. Traffickers operating out of these lodgings frequently go undetected because staff are unaware of the signs of human trafficking or do not believe that it can occur in their establishment. The training required under this new law will empower lodging employees to recognize, report and halt instances of human trafficking.

“This legislation puts New York State’s lodging facilities at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking, to help prevent this modern-day form of enslavement,” said Paulin.

A9169/S8262 (Kaplan) requires New York State airports, including John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia, to have informational cards or signs available in public restrooms with details on support services for human trafficking victims as well as the national human trafficking hotline number. A9406/S8710 (Brouk) requires all other (non-Port Authority) airports to do the same.

“Since trafficking networks often rely on air travel to transport victims, airports are essential in our efforts to help these victims,” said Paulin. “For some victims, the information they will see in an airport restroom may be the only opportunity to learn about services available to them. Ideally a victim will take a card or a photo of a sign and call the hotline for help either on the spot or at a later time.”

Airports are known hubs used to traffic victims, and as a result they are an ideal location to provide information about victim services. Many victims are heavily supervised and controlled while in transit, preventing them from safely seeking help or finding resources for fear of retaliation. By having the victim services informational signs or cards posted in all restrooms, victims will have easy access to the information.

“Through this legislation, airports can assume a more prominent role in responding to and preventing human trafficking,” said Paulin. “It will also afford victims a resource to help escape their capture.”

A9410/S8573 (Kaplan) requires bus terminals operated by the Port Authority to provide informational signs or cards about human trafficking support services in restrooms, including the human trafficking hotline number. A9814/S8678 (Brouk) requires the same for truck stops, and A9883A/S8711A (Cleare) requires the same for New York State Thruway Authority rest stops.

Bus terminals, truck stops and highway rest stops are all common places where human trafficking victims pass through, making publicly displayed human trafficking support services information especially important to have at restrooms in these locations.

“Restrooms are often the only place where victims are alone for a period of time,” said Paulin. “Informing victims and travelers in these key locations will provide a resource that may help victims escape, and is another important step in battling human trafficking in New York.”

Many legislators and advocates who helped fight for these bills are applauding their enactment into law.

State Sen. Mayer said, “I was proud to sponsor [the bill] to require hotel, motel and other lodging facility employees who interact with the public to be trained on how to identify human trafficking, with Assembly Member Amy Paulin. With the proper training, these employees can play a critical role in spotting and stopping human trafficking in New York State.”

Anita S. Teekah, Esq., senior director, Anti-Trafficking Program, Safe Horizon said, “Safe Horizon’s Anti-Trafficking Program is deeply grateful for Assembly Member Amy Paulin’s sustained and dedicated commitment to raising awareness of all forms of human trafficking. These bills are aimed at reaching potential victims of human trafficking in some of the most common intersections with society, where they can be more easily identified and connected to services. The bills’ purpose of raising awareness of human trafficking and providing information on critical support services is especially crucial to combating the pervasiveness of labor trafficking, which is often conducted in plain sight but not readily identified.”

Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, executive director of Sanctuary for Families, said “Like other transnational criminal industries, human trafficking typically depends on lodging and transportation systems to operate. The measures proposed by Assembly Member Amy Paulin represent a lifeline for survivors — they guarantee access to reliable information about human trafficking services in transit hubs across the state and empower hotel employees to recognize and help combat sexual exploitation. We applaud Assembly Member Paulin’s innovative approach and commitment to ending human trafficking and Governor Hochul for signing these bills into law.”

Sonia Ossorio, president, National Organization for Women NY, said “Assemblywoman Paulin has been at the forefront of creating New York’s infrastructure and response to tackle human trafficking. From needed laws to address the illegal industry that profits from exploiting vulnerable people to creating services, public awareness campaigns and training for the medical and business communities, her steadfast advocacy to address this modern form of slavery is a legacy that has literally saved lives.”

Jayne Bigelsen, Covenant House New York, said “While there are resources available in New York for trafficking survivors, these resources are useless if people being trafficked don’t know how to find them, and traffickers make every effort to prevent their victims from knowing how to access help. We applaud Assembly Member Amy Paulin for ensuring that trafficking victims in New York State will now see information on how to get help whenever they are in an airport, truck stop, or Port Authority operated bus station. This is a huge win for survivors, making it much more likely they will be able to access the help needed to free themselves from a life of exploitation and danger.”

— Submitted