Bill > SB00116

This bill, effective October 1, 2026, aims to prevent human trafficking by enhancing oversight and enforcement within the lodging industry. It mandates that the Commissioner of Revenue Services will regularly share the names and addresses of hotel, lodging house, and bed and breakfast operators who have paid the use tax with the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, a state agency responsible for consumer protection and business regulation. The bill also imposes new requirements and penalties on operators of hotels, motels, inns, and similar lodgings, including stricter record-keeping of guest transactions, mandatory training for employees on recognizing potential victims of human trafficking and associated activities, and annual certification that this training has occurred. Furthermore, it prohibits offering financial discounts for rooms based on hourly rates or stays of twelve hours or less, as such practices can be associated with trafficking. Violations of these new requirements will result in significant civil penalties of five thousand dollars per violation, enforced by the Department of Consumer Protection, which will also be granted expanded powers to inspect records and premises to ensure compliance. Finally, the bill updates existing laws to include hotels, motels, inns, and similar lodgings in the list of establishments required to post a notice regarding human trafficking, with a substantial penalty for non-compliance.

Justice

General Law Committee (Joint)

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB00116&which_year=2026