SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 280

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 14, 2020

      The Senate Judiciary Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 280.

      This bill amends the “Human Trafficking Prevention, Protection, and Treatment Act,” P.L.2013, c.51 (C.52:17B-237 et al.), to direct the Commission on Human Trafficking to broaden its current mission of developing public awareness of human trafficking to also include awareness of victim remedies and services, and trafficking prevention, including the creation of a public awareness sign.  The commission would develop and determine the language for the public awareness sign, which would no smaller than eight and one-half inches by 11 inches in size, printed in 16-point font, in both English and Spanish, and would contains the national, 24-hour toll-free hotline telephone service on human trafficking operated pursuant to federal law.  The public awareness sign would be revised and modified by the commission from time to time as need may require.

      The bill would also require the sign to be posted, to the extent practicable, in places that are clearly conspicuous and visible to employees, as well as members of the public, in such establishments as strip clubs or sexually oriented businesses, places of business of employers of massage or bodywork therapists, bars, and hotels, motels, and similar places of public accommodation, and in airports, rail and bus stations, truck stops, and service and safety rest areas located along interstate highways in the State.  A business or establishment that did not comply with the bill’s requirement for posting signs would be liable for a civil penalty of $300 for a first offense and $1000 for each subsequent offense.

      The bill, as reported, is identical to the First Reprint of Assembly Bill No. 883, also reported by the committee today.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.