By Bob Katzen

Massachusetts state legislators, hospitality industry leaders and survivor advocates gathered at the Statehouse to highlight the urgent need to implement human trafficking recognition training across the hotel industry in the Bay State. They urged approval of legislation that would mandate human trafficking training for all hotel employees in the Bay State, from the front desk to housekeeping and food service, in order to equip them to recognize and respond to trafficking situations.

“Prevention training is already a standard practice at many hotels in Massachusetts, and we remain committed to partnering with law enforcement and survivor advocacy organizations to strengthen these efforts,” said Kevin Carey, President and CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

“Human trafficking remains a vicious crime and modern-day version of slavery that exists in almost every community across the commonwealth and the United States,” said Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), the lead author of the first anti-human trafficking law approved in Massachusetts and the sponsor of this new legislation (S 1729) which would mandate human trafficking training for all hotel employees. “This is not simply some awful problem occurring in some far away land. Many victims are vulnerable women or children from our own communities, and hotels and motels are often exploited by traffickers to perpetuate this heinous crime. We must break through the inertia on Beacon Hill and mandate training for hospitality workers who can play a lifesaving role in combatting trafficking.”