Training Programs:

As THLA previously reported, Texas’s new human trafficking prevention training requirement for hotel employees formally took effect on January 1^st.  The new law is administered by the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG), and it requires all commercial lodging establishments with more than 10 rooms annually train employees on recognizing human trafficking activity. 

The training course can be an online or in-person training course, and the training program must be approved by the OAG.  THLA is currently working with the OAG, ECPAT-USA, BEST, and other major training providers on the training program approval process.  Additionally, the OAG created its own commercial lodging establishment human trafficking prevention training video available here. 

Incumbent hotel employees hired before January 1, 2022 have until December 31, 2022 to be trained by an OAG-approved program.  Employees hired on or after January 1, 2022 will have to be trained by an OAG-approved program within 90 days of hiring. 

At this time, hotels can either wait for the OAG to approve the more commonly used training programs (ECPAT-USA, BEST, etc.) as supplemented for Texas by the various providers, or have newly hired employees watch the OAG’s free training video at the above link.  THLA will email members with updates as training programs are approved by the OAG.

Signage:

The new human trafficking training law requires hotels to post signage, in English and Spanish, produced by the OAG in a back-of-house area.  .  The signage required by the new human trafficking prevention law is available at this OAG website for download here. This signage should be posted on 11×17 paper in English and Spanish, and the signage should be posted now.

THLA has human trafficking prevention signage printed and available for THLA members at no charge. 

If you are interested in getting some of our free signs, just let us know by email at news@texaslodging.com we can mail them out to you.