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Wendy Culverwell/Tri-City Herald (TNS)
Hotels, motels, resorts and other venues in Washington would be required to train employees to identify and report suspected human trafficking under a bill sponsored by Pasco State Sen. Nikki Torres.
Senate Bill 6056 passed unanimously Wednesday. It’s in the House of Representatives now. If approved, restaurant employers would be required to train employees by February 1, 2025, and to train all new employees within 90 days of joining.
Failure to comply could result in the restaurant losing its operating license from the state health department.
Torres said she was inspired after hearing a speech from Shared Hope International, a nonprofit focused on human trafficking, which gave Washington an overall grade of “C” for its efforts in 2023 and its response. The victim’s abilities provide an “F” rating.
2026 World Cup
Torres said data shows growing challenges on the I-5 corridor, with traffic surges during major events that attract large numbers of visitors.
Notably, Seattle has been chosen to host six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The annual Tri-City Water Carnival is also known for attracting traffickers who offer sex to young women and girls in hotel rooms.
“We need to be prepared for this because when you have these types of events that bring in such large populations – that’s when there’s an influx of human trafficking,” Torres said.
The Washington Hospitality Association, which represents 6,000 members, has long supported training employees to combat human trafficking in hotels. It expressed support for existing legislation and argued that stopping trafficking was a top priority.
“Keeping people safe is a top priority for our industry. We welcome the opportunity to work with Senator Torres and thank her for highlighting the importance of preventing human trafficking in our industry,” said Montana Miranda, Senior Manager, Government Affairs Miranda) said. legislator.
Training is in progress
Tricia MacFarlan, executive director of Richland-based nonprofit Mirror Ministries, said the new rules will formalize the training that most major chains already offer. The organization tackles the problem by training hotel and other staff and running Esther House, which provides supportive housing for victims.
Most hoteliers are ardent allies who don’t want their properties exploited by human traffickers and work hard to protect their guests, she said. Mirror Ministries has provided training to local restaurants for about 12 years.
MacFarlane subscribes to the ethos of getting more people to take action when they suspect someone is being trafficked, often for sexual purposes. She said federal law already criminalizes the failure of certain professions to take reasonable steps to intervene in suspected trafficking cases.
Mirror Ministries encourages restaurants to use free and low-cost training provided by the Seattle-based nonprofit Ending Slavery and Human Trafficking Enterprises. She said her group has ramped up training by providing local hotel and other staff with information about what the group is seeing happening in the three cities.
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