LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A group of Michigan senators introduced legislation that would require hotels and other places of lodging to display signs that include the human trafficking hotline.
Senate Bill 481, introduced Thursday by Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Detroit), would amend the Human Trafficking Notification Act by broadening its scope. Under the Act, places that would now have to display a human trafficking notice include:
- Properties found by a court to constitute a public nuisance due to acts of prostitution or human trafficking being conducted on it or arising out of the ownership or use of it.
- An adult entertainment establishment.
- A public airport.
- A hotel.
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“Human trafficking is a public health issue that impacts individuals, families, and communities,” the website for Michigan’s Health and Human Services Department said. “Traffickers disproportionately target at-risk populations including individuals who have experienced or been exposed to other forms of violence (child abuse and neglect, interpersonal violence, sexual assault, community violence, and gang violence) and individuals disconnected from stable support networks (youth who have runaway or are experiencing homelessness, unaccompanied minors, persons displaced during natural disasters).”
During the Senate session, the bill was referred to the Committee on Housing and Human Services for further consideration.
The national human trafficking hotline is: 1-888-373-7888.