OLYMPIA… The Washington State Senate Wednesday voted unanimously to advance a measure from Sen. Nikki Torres that would require places of accommodation to provide annual training in identifying and dealing with cases of human trafficking.
“We have a lot of big events and tourism that come into our region, including the 2026 World Cup,” said Torres, R-Pasco. “We need to be prepared for this, because when you have those type of events – that bring in that magnitude of people – that is when you see a large influx of human trafficking. Unfortunately, we are seeing that a lot already in our state.
“This bill is about helping prepare hotel employees, who are usually the first to see human trafficking first-hand but may not recognize the signs.”
Senate Bill 6056 would require hotels, motels and resorts to provide annual training regarding human trafficking to each of their employees by February 1, 2025. Training for new employees would have to happen no later than 90 days after beginning employment.
It would also require that every accommodation post signs regarding human-trafficking awareness and implement procedures for the voluntary reporting of suspected human trafficking, along with establishing an employee policy guide on human-trafficking prevention.
“Shared Hope International, a Vancouver-based non-profit organization working to prevent sex trafficking and bring justice to victims, gave Washington an overall grade of ‘C’ in 2023 for its efforts to address trafficking, but an ‘F’ in identifying and responding to human-trafficking victims,” Torres pointed out. “We know that traffickers rely on legitimate businesses, like hotels and motels, to continue committing these heinous crimes. We must work with these businesses to identify trafficking when it occurs, get victims to safety and get traffickers off our streets.”
Torres says she has been actively working with the state’s hospitality industry, which has been an ally and strategic partner in combatting trafficking.
The Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation in partnering with the nonprofit Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST) was an industry leader in working to increase access to human trafficking awareness training for the state’s hotel employees prior to the pandemic.
Despite these efforts, human trafficking remains prevalent within hotels and motels across the country and in Washington. In 2018, 81% of the active sex-trafficking cases in the United States involved victims who were compelled to provide a commercial sexual act at a hotel.
There is evidence to suggest that training can be an effective way of raising awareness about human trafficking. Hoteliers who received human trafficking-awareness training reported a significant increase in the likelihood that they would call law enforcement if they suspected trafficking.
“Washington has been a leader in taking on the issue of human trafficking, but cannot rest on its laurels,” said Torres. “We must continue our efforts to end these crimes, prosecute traffickers and aid victims. This bill takes a significant step toward addressing this issue on the ground, at the hotels and motels where it is often found.”
SB 6056 now moves to the House of Representatives for its consideration.
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