Human trafficking bill advances in Senate

TALLAHASSEE – Human trafficking victims would be able to sue hotels and any other people or businesses that helped facilitate the trafficking under a bill that passed a Senate committee Monday.

If passed, the bill could lead to multimillion-dollar lawsuits against hotel chains whose employees turn a blind eye to trafficking at hotels.

But, under an amendment, as long as hotels provide human trafficking training to employees and have a plan to report suspected incidences, they would be protected from suits.

In 2016, the Florida Department of Children and Families received almost 2,000 human trafficking complaints, a 50 percent jump from the year before.

Members of Congress have called South Florida a “hotspot” for the trade.

“It’s not about sex. It’s about being raped 10, 20, 30, 40 times a day,” said Connie Rose, who told the committee she was prostituted by her abusive father from age 15 to 19 in the Tampa Bay area about 40 years ago.

“How it happens has changed a little bit — social media plays a tremendous part in this. Hotels play a tremendous part in this. … Is it really too much to ask of hotels and motels and the tourism industry?” The bill defines a trafficker as not only someone who participates in the crime, but anyone who “benefits financially by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture that has subjected a person to human trafficking,” and includes anyone who facilitates human trafficking in the category that can be sued.

The committee also unanimously approved a second bill creating a trust fund that would pay for safe houses for trafficking victims, educating the public and providing physical and mental health exams for victims. The fund is tied to the first bill in that, in any successful lawsuit, traffickers have to pay an additional $50,000 fine that the trust fund.

A House version of the bill was temporarily postponed in its final committee hearing. But amendments have been filed in the House Judiciary Committee to bar any lawsuits against hotels and restaurants over trafficking claims, unless the victim is a minor.

“This is a modern-day slave trade. When it comes to our children, I don’t care about the cause of action, I care about ways to stop it,” said Christina Spudeas, executive director of the Coral Springsbased Florida’s Children First, which advocates for minors’ rights. “If we remove the liability of hotels and motels, we’re creating would finance a safe haven [for traffickers].”

The bills still face one committee hearing in the Senate as well.

“This is a first start. As we talk about ending the root cause of trafficking, this will go a long way to do that,” said the bill sponsor, state Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation.

If passed, the law would go into effect in October. Victims from before that time period would be unable to take advantage of the law, giving hotels time to put in place education and training and to protect against frivolous lawsuits.

dsweeney@SunSentinel.com, 954-356-4605 or Twitter @Daniel_Sweeney