Establishes the standardized human-trafficking recognition training program for private transportation services employees; requires private transportation services to require all employees to undergo a human-trafficking recognition training program established by the division of criminal justice services and the office of temporary and disability assistance in consultation with the department of transportation and the New York state interagency task force on human trafficking.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8376
SPONSOR: Dinowitz TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to employee human
trafficking recognition training; and relating to authorizing the estab-
lishment of a standardized human trafficking recognition training
program for private transportation services
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would necessitate that all public facing employees of private
transportation services would be required to complete a human-traffick-
ing recognition training program.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends the social services law to include that any private
transportation service must require all public facing employees to
undergo a human-trafficking recognition training program established by
the division of criminal justice services and the office of temporary
and disability assistance in consultation with the department of labor
and the New York State interagency task force on human trafficking.
Section 2: Provides that the commissioner of labor, the commissioner of
the division of criminal justice services and the commissioner of the
office of temporary and disability assistance shall together establish a
standardized human-trafficking recognition training program for employ-
ees of private transportation services in consultation with New York
Interagency Task Force on Human Trafficking. Provides issues that the
training will include.
Section 3: Establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Human trafficking is a hidden crime, and the first step to combating it
is to identify victims so they can be rescued and then help bring their
perpetrators to justice. Many human traffickers are reliant on mass
transportation to move their victims throughout the United States. The
U.S. Department of Transportation has recognized this issue and now
trains Amtrak employees in recognizing the indications that an individ-
ual is being trafficked.
Many traffickers use coercion to ensure their victims do not seek help,
necessitating the need for transportation employee training to look for
subtle indicators to determine if someone is a trafficking victim. Once
a potential victim has been identified, training will equip employees
with the knowledge to ask the right questions and understand the coer-
cive circumstances that may limit a victim's communication.
To further combat human trafficking, this bill expands the scope of
training received by employees of private sector transportation services
to include tools to recognize when a person might be a victim of traf-
ficking. Expanding this training to private sector transportation compa-
nies will raise awareness of human trafficking and subsequently save
lives.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024:S4375
2021-2022:S736
2019-2020:S5524/A7747
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8376
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 13, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, SEAWRIGHT -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to employee human
trafficking recognition training; and relating to authorizing the
establishment of a standardized human trafficking recognition training
program for private transportation services
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new section
2 483-gg to read as follows:
3 § 483-gg. Human-trafficking recognition training; private transporta-
4 tion services. Any private transportation service, including, but not
5 limited to, rail passenger service, motorbus regular route service,
6 paratransit service, motorbus charter service, and ferry passenger
7 service, shall require all customer-facing employees to undergo a
8 human-trafficking recognition training program established by the divi-
9 sion of criminal justice services and the office of temporary and disa-
10 bility assistance in consultation with the department of labor and the
11 New York state interagency task force on human trafficking. For the
12 purposes of this section the term "customer-facing employee" shall mean
13 any employee whose job involves interacting or communicating directly
14 with customers.
15 § 2. In consultation with the New York Interagency Task Force on Human
16 Trafficking and the commissioner of labor, the commissioner of the divi-
17 sion of criminal justice services and the commissioner of the office of
18 temporary and disability assistance shall together establish a standard-
19 ized human-trafficking recognition training program for employees of
20 private transportation services. The commissioners may use federal,
21 state, and non-profit organization sources provided that such training
22 program shall address no less than the following issues:
23 (a) The nature of human trafficking;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01864-01-5
A. 8376 2
1 (b) How human trafficking is defined in law;
2 (c) How to identify victims of human trafficking;
3 (d) Relief and recovery options for survivors; and
4 (e) Social and legal services available to victims.
5 The commissioner of the division of criminal justice services and the
6 commissioner of the office of temporary and disability assistance shall
7 complete the human-trafficking recognition training program and make it
8 available for use no more than six months after the effective date of
9 this act.
10 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
