Senate Bill S4690

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4690
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to human trafficking
   awareness and training  for  public  transit  employees  and  mandated
   displayed  materials created by the state public transportation safety
   board and the department of transportation
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The transportation law is amended by adding a new section
 217-a to read as follows:
   § 217-A. HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS AND TRAINING. 1.  HUMAN TRAFFICK-
 ING RECOGNITION TRAINING PROGRAM.   (A) FOR PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SECTION,
 "PUBLIC  TRANSIT" SHALL MEAN ANY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION THAT IS PUBLICLY
 AVAILABLE IN THE STATE AND CAN ACCOMMODATE FOR MORE THAN  EIGHT  PASSEN-
 GERS OR IS FUNDED BY THE STATE OR ANY OTHER LOCAL MUNICIPALITY.
   (B)  EVERY  PUBLIC  TRANSIT SYSTEM SHALL REQUIRE ALL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE
 LIKELY TO INTERACT OR COME INTO CONTACT WITH GUESTS TO UNDERGO  A  HUMAN
 TRAFFICKING  RECOGNITION  TRAINING  PROGRAM  TO  PROVIDE TRAINING IN THE
 RECOGNITION OF A HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM AS  DEFINED  IN  SECTION  FOUR
 HUNDRED  EIGHTY-THREE-AA  OF  THE  SOCIAL  SERVICES  LAW.  SUCH TRAINING
 PROGRAM SHALL BE ESTABLISHED OR APPROVED BY  THE  DIVISION  OF  CRIMINAL
 JUSTICE  SERVICES  AND THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE
 IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK STATE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON  HUMAN
 TRAFFICKING.  THE TRAINING PROGRAM MAY BE DEVELOPED BY A FEDERAL, STATE,
 OR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, AND MAY  BE  INCORPORATED  AS  PART  OF  THE
 PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM'S EXISTING TRAINING PROGRAMS OR MAY BE PROVIDED BY
 ORGANIZATIONS  OR  PROVIDERS IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVI-
 SION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES OR THE COMMISSIONER OF THE  OFFICE  OF
 TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE, PROVIDED THAT THE TRAINING INCLUDES
 ALL  OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. ESTABLISHED OR APPROVED TRAIN-
 ING PROGRAMS MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH METHODS  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03334-01-5
              

 S. 4690                             2
 
 LIMITED  TO,  IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION, ELECTRONIC AND VIDEO COMMUNICATION,
 OR ONLINE PROGRAMS.
   (C)  ANY HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECOGNITION TRAINING PROGRAM ESTABLISHED OR
 APPROVED BY THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES AND THE OFFICE  OF
 TEMPORARY  AND  DISABILITY  ASSISTANCE IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK
 STATE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS  REQUIRED  IN  THIS
 SECTION SHALL ADDRESS NO LESS THAN THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:
   (I) THE NATURE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING;
   (II) HOW HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS DEFINED IN LAW;
   (III) HOW TO IDENTIFY VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING;
   (IV) RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPTIONS FOR SURVIVORS; AND
   (V) SOCIAL AND LEGAL SERVICES AVAILABLE TO VICTIMS.
   (D)  THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES AND
 THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY  AND  DISABILITY  ASSISTANCE
 SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE A LIST OF ESTABLISHED OR APPROVED HUMAN TRAFFICKING
 RECOGNITION PROGRAMS FOR USE BY A PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM.
   (E)  ALL  NEW EMPLOYEES REQUIRED TO RECEIVE HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECOGNI-
 TION TRAINING SHALL RECEIVE SUCH TRAINING WITHIN THEIR  FIRST  MONTH  OF
 EMPLOYMENT.
   (F)  THE  TRAINING  SHALL  TAKE  PLACE AT A LOCATION DETERMINED BY THE
 PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM AND SHALL BE CONSIDERED COMPENSABLE TIME.
   2. RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECOGNITION TRAIN-
 ING. EVERY KEEPER OF EACH PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM SHALL  MAINTAIN  RECORDS
 INDICATING  THAT  EACH  EMPLOYEE  REQUIRED  TO UNDERGO AN ESTABLISHED OR
 APPROVED HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECOGNITION TRAINING PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THIS
 SECTION HAS COMPLETED SUCH TRAINING.  SUCH RECORDS SHALL BE KEPT ON FILE
 BY THE PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM FOR THE PERIOD DURING WHICH THE EMPLOYEE IS
 EMPLOYED BY THE PUBLIC TRANSIT  SYSTEM  AND  FOR  ONE  YEAR  AFTER  SUCH
 EMPLOYMENT ENDS.
   3. HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION MATERIALS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT
 IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BOARD SHALL BE DISPLAYED IN ALL PUBLIC TRANSIT
 MODES  OF  TRANSPORTATION.  SUCH MATERIALS MAY INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE
 LIMITED TO, THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ASSISTANCE HOTLINE AND WHERE  TO  FIND
 ONLINE OR LOCAL RESOURCES.
   §  2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
 law; provided however that all applicable current employees of a  public
 transit  system  on  the  effective date of this act shall receive human
 trafficking recognition training within four  months  of  the  effective
 date of this act.