Rep. Debra Bazemore Applauds Committee Passage of Legislation to Require Hotel Employees to Complete Annual Human Trafficking Training Course

ATLANTA - State Representative Debra Bazemore (D-South Fulton) applauds the recent committee passage of House Bill 490 by the House Committee on Economic Development and Tourism. Sponsored by Rep. Bazemore, the legislation would require hotel employees to complete an annual training course on how to identify and report suspected human trafficking.

"This legislation would take a strong step to combat human trafficking by ensuring that hospitality employees are trained to recognize the signs of trafficking and know how to respond," said Rep. Bazemore. "Hotels can often be used as methods and targets of trafficking, and it is paramount that we equip staff with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify and intervene in these situations. I am grateful for the support of this bill from my colleagues and am grateful for the House's continued work to fight human trafficking in our state."

HB 490, also known as the Georgia Human Trafficking Prevention Training Act, would require certain hotel and hospitality staff to receive human trafficking awareness training. The training would be developed by the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Owners, operators or managers of these establishments would also be required to implement procedures and policies for reporting suspected human trafficking.

The full text of HB 490 may be found here.

Representative Debra Bazemore represents the citizens of District 69, which includes portions of Fayette and Fulton counties. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Economic Development & Tourism, Governmental Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Natural Resources & Environment and Small Business Development committees.

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