Training for Hotel and Motel Staff

Minnesota law now requires sex trafficking prevention training for all hotels and motels in the state. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), in partnership with the Minnesota Lodging Association, created the Sex Trafficking Prevention and Response Training for the Minnesota Lodging Industry (The Minnesota Hotel Training Package) for hotels and motels to use to satisfy this law.

Hotels and motel operators are required to: 

• Ensure all owners, managers, and employees who work on site receive training to identify sex trafficking in their establishments and know how to respond;
  • Initial training for existing owners, managers, and staff is required by November 28, 2018 and then on a yearly basis after that;
  • New employees must receive this training within 90 days of hire;
  • See the statute for some exceptions. 
• Post and maintain the approved poster with information on sex trafficking in hotels. The poster must be placed in a location visible to all staff.
• Conduct an ongoing awareness campaign for employees.

Section 1.

[157.177] SEX TRAFFICKING PREVENTION TRAINING.

Subdivision 1.

Definition.

"Sex trafficking" has the meaning given in section 609.321, 
subdivision 7a.

Subd. 2.

Prevention training required.

(a) Following initial approval of a training 
program pursuant to paragraph (c), every person, firm, or corporation that operates a hotel 
or motel in Minnesota shall ensure that each employee who works on site, including but 
not limited to any owner, operator, or manager, receive the training described in paragraph 
(c) within the later of 90 days of the time of hire or 120 days of the effective date of this 
section, and annually thereafter. The operator of each hotel or motel shall annually certify, 
in an employee roster or in each employee's personnel file, that each employee has received 
the training approved by the commissioner.

(b) In addition to the training required under paragraph (a), the operator of each hotel 
and motel shall conduct an ongoing awareness campaign for employees that address the 
components described in paragraph (c).

(c) No later than November 1, 2018, the commissioner shall, in consultation with the 
state hotel and lodging association, approve an educational training program that focuses 
on the accurate and prompt identification and reporting of, or response to, suspected sex 
trafficking. The commissioner shall allow the use of existing training modules and materials, 
to the extent possible. Training must include, at a minimum, instruction on:

(1) what sex trafficking is in order to raise awareness of it;

(2) how to recognize potential victims of sex trafficking;

(3) how to identify activities commonly associated with sex trafficking; and

(4) effective responses to trafficking situations including, but not limited to, how to 
report suspected sex trafficking to proper law enforcement officials.

(d) Each operator must post and maintain a poster, written or approved by the 
commissioner and containing information described in paragraph (c), in a place readily 
accessible to each employee who works on site.

(e) Any cost incurred for the training program shall be the responsibility of the licensee.

Subd. 3.

Exemptions.

The training requirements in subdivision 2 do not apply to 
employees who:

(1) are under the age of 16 years unless they clean guest rooms;

(2) work exclusively in a restaurant, providing catering services, or both; or

(3) do not have direct contact with either guests or guest rooms.

Subd. 4.

Immunity.

An operator or employee of a hotel or motel who acts in good faith 
is immune from liability in any civil action for reporting suspected sex trafficking activities.

Subd. 5.

Enforcement.

A hotel or motel operator who fails to provide the prevention 
training required by subdivision 2 shall be given six months to comply with an order issued 
pursuant to section 157.20, subdivision 3, for a first violation.

 

 More information can be found here:  http://www.health.state.mn.us/injury/topic/safeharbor/hoteltrafficking.html

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