HOUSE BILL 147

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Raymundo Lara

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO BUSINESS; REQUIRING THE POSTING OF A NOTICE REGARDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN A LODGING FACILITY; REQUIRING LODGING FACILITY HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS TRAINING; PROVIDING PENALTIES.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] HUMAN TRAFFICKING NOTICE AT A LODGING FACILITY.--

          A. A lodging facility shall display a poster that provides information about human trafficking that includes:

                (1) the definition of human trafficking;

                (2) conduct prohibited by the provisions of Chapter 30, Article 52 NMSA 1978;

                (3) the telephone number of a national human trafficking hotline; and

                (4) the telephone number of a statewide human trafficking reporting organization, if available.

          B. The poster shall be displayed in a conspicuous place, and information shall be presented in English, Spanish and any other language that is the primary language of a significant portion of the lodging facility's workforce or clientele.

          C. The workforce solutions department shall make available a model poster that satisfies the requirements of this section.

          D. As used in this section, "lodging facility" means a hotel, motel or motor hotel, a bed and breakfast facility, an inn, a resort or other facility offering rooms for payment of rent or other consideration and contains ten or more guest rooms.

     SECTION 2. [NEW MATERIAL] LODGING FACILITY HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS TRAINING.--

          A. The operator of a lodging facility shall require each of the operator's employees to complete human trafficking awareness training no later than ninety days after the employee's date of hire and at least once every twelve months thereafter.

          B. The training required pursuant to this section:

                (1) shall include:

                     (a) an overview of human trafficking, including labor trafficking and sex trafficking;

                     (b) common indicators and warning signs of human trafficking in a lodging facility setting;

                     (c) guidance on safe and appropriate responses when human trafficking is suspected;

                     (d) information on how to report suspected human trafficking to local law enforcement, the national human trafficking hotline and a statewide human trafficking reporting organization, if available; and

                     (e) information explaining that an employee who reports suspected human trafficking in good faith is protected from retaliation; and

                (2) may be satisfied by a training program provided or approved by the department of public safety or the attorney general or another substantially similar training program that meets the minimum standards of this section.

          C. An operator shall maintain records of employee training completion for a period of three years and shall make the records available upon request of an enforcing authority.

          D. A lodging facility that employs no more than twenty-five employees shall have a period of twelve months from the effective date of this section to comply with the requirements of this section.

          E. As used in this section:

                (1) "employee" means an individual employed directly by a lodging facility, including a full-time, part-time or temporary employee;

                (2) "lodging facility" means a hotel, motel or motor hotel, a bed and breakfast facility, an inn, a resort or other facility offering rooms for payment of rent or other consideration and contains ten or more guest rooms; and

                (3) "operator" means the owner, lessee or other person responsible for the management or operation of a lodging facility.

     SECTION 3. [NEW MATERIAL] ENFORCEMENT--CIVIL PENALTIES.--

          A. The provisions of Sections 1 and 2 of this 2026 act may be enforced by the attorney general or a district attorney for the judicial district in which the lodging facility is located.

          B. An operator who fails to comply with Sections 1 and 2 of this 2026 act is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for each violation.

     SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2026.

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