SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1870        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1353

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Richard J. Ross

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to human trafficking prevention.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1870        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1353

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act relative to human trafficking prevention.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. (a) The executive office of public safety and security, in conjunction with the executive office of health and human services shall design a poster, or obtain a predesigned poster, that provides information regarding a human trafficking resource center hotline. The poster shall (i) be of sufficient size to be legible; (ii) inform individuals what human trafficking is; and (iii) provide a phone number that a victim or someone who knows a victim can call or text for help and services. The poster shall be available in English and Spanish, and, for each county, in any other language required for voting materials in that county under federal law.

(b) The executive office of public safety and security shall make the poster available to others to print from its website and shall encourage its display at each of the following places:

(i) gas stations with signs visible from an interstate or state highway that offer amenities to commercial vehicles;

(ii) hotels;

(iii) adult entertainment establishments;

(iv) salons at which hair or nail services are provided;

(v) places at which employers engage some employees to perform agricultural labor;

(vi) hospitals or other medical centers;

(vii) places at which athletic or sporting events occur;

(viii) expositions conducted by a county or agricultural society;

(ix) courthouses;

(x) rest areas maintained by the department of transportation; and

(xi) public and private transit stations.

SECTION 2. Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following new section:-

Section 219. (a) For purposes of this section, “partnership” shall mean the Human Trafficking Prevention Business Partnership.

(b) There shall be a human trafficking prevention business partnership. The partnership shall engage participating corporations and other private entities in voluntary efforts to prevent and combat human trafficking. The governor, or his designee, shall serve as chair of the partnership.

(c) Participating corporations in the partnership shall:

(i) adopt a zero tolerance policy toward human trafficking;

(ii) ensure that the corporation’s or entity’s employees comply with the policy adopted under paragraph (i);

(iii) participate in public awareness and education campaigns;

(iv) enhance awareness of and encourage participation in the partnership; and

(v) exchange information about effective practices for combatting human trafficking, including, but not limited to, identifying private and nonprofit resources that may be available to support the work of the partnership and promote efforts to abolish human trafficking.

(d) The governor, or his designee, shall work collaboratively to promote the partnership with other state agencies, including but not limited to the executive office of labor and workforce development, the executive office of health and human services, and the executive office of public safety and security.

(e) The chair of the partnership shall present a certificate of recognition to participating corporations and private entities to recognize the corporation’s or entity’s contributions and commitment to abolish human trafficking.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting any laws currently in effect related to human trafficking.