S 498: Establishes the standardized human-trafficking recognition training program for private transportation services employees; requires private transportation services to require all employees to undergo a human-trafficking recognition training program established by the division of criminal justice services and the office of temporary and disability assistance in consultation with the department of transportation and the New York state interagency task force on human trafficking.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 498 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to employee human trafficking recognition training; and relating to authorizing the establishment of a standardized human trafficking recognition training program for private transportation services The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 2 483-gg to read as follows: 3 § 483-gg. Human-trafficking recognition training; private transporta- 4 tion services. Any private transportation service, including, but not 5 limited to, rail passenger service, motorbus regular route service, 6 paratransit service, motorbus charter service, and ferry passenger 7 service, shall require all customer-facing employees to undergo a 8 human-trafficking recognition training program established by the divi- 9 sion of criminal justice services and the office of temporary and disa- 10 bility assistance in consultation with the department of labor and the 11 New York state interagency task force on human trafficking. For the 12 purposes of this section the term "customer-facing employee" shall mean 13 any employee whose job involves interacting or communicating directly 14 with customers. 15 § 2. In consultation with the New York Interagency Task Force on Human 16 Trafficking and the commissioner of labor, the commissioner of the divi- 17 sion of criminal justice services and the commissioner of the office of 18 temporary and disability assistance shall together establish a standard- 19 ized human-trafficking recognition training program for employees of 20 private transportation services. The commissioners may use federal, 21 state, and non-profit organization sources provided that such training 22 program shall address no less than the following issues: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01864-01-5 
 S. 498 2 1 (a) The nature of human trafficking; 2 (b) How human trafficking is defined in law; 3 (c) How to identify victims of human trafficking; 4 (d) Relief and recovery options for survivors; and 5 (e) Social and legal services available to victims. 6 The commissioner of the division of criminal justice services and the 7 commissioner of the office of temporary and disability assistance shall 8 complete the human-trafficking recognition training program and make it 9 available for use no more than six months after the effective date of 10 this act. 11 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.