Bill Text: NY S00498 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: 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.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-08 - REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES [S00498 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S00498-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           498

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed 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:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01864-01-5
        S. 498                              2

     1    (a) The nature of human trafficking;
     2    (b) How human trafficking is defined in law;
     3    (c) How to identify victims of human trafficking;
     4    (d) Relief and recovery options for survivors; and
     5    (e) Social and legal services available to victims.
     6    The  commissioner of the division of criminal justice services and the
     7  commissioner of the office of temporary and disability assistance  shall
     8  complete  the human-trafficking recognition training program and make it
     9  available for use no more than six months after the  effective  date  of
    10  this act.
    11    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.