The House Committee on Economic Development and Tourism offers the following
substitute to HB 490:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 21 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to rights, duties, and liabilities of innkeepers, so as to provide for a required human
trafficking training program for inns and short-term rental properties; to provide for
definitions; to provide for training policies and procedures; to provide for the retention of
certain records; to provide for limitations; to provide for penalties; to provide for exemptions;
to provide a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Human Trafficking Prevention
Training Act."
SECTION 2.
Article 1 of Chapter 21 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
rights, duties, and liabilities of innkeepers, is amended by adding a new Code section to read
as follows:
<ins>"43-21-16.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Hosting platform' means an electronic platform used to advertise or facilitate the
rental of a short-term rental property.
(2) 'Human trafficking' means an offense provided for in Code Section 16-5-46. Such
term shall include the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or
commercial sex act as defined in 22 U.S.C. Section 7102.
(3) 'Human trafficking awareness training' means a course developed or approved by the
office, in consultation with the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association, the Criminal
Justice Coordinating Council, and hosting platforms.
(4) 'Office' means the office of the Attorney General.
(5) 'Short-term rental property' means a residential unit used or offered for tourist or
transient use through a hosting platform and managed by a third-party property manager.
(6) 'Third-party property manager' means a property management company, rental
management service, or any other entity or an individual that provides services for a
short-term rental property, such as marketing, guest communications, check-in
procedures, cleaning, or maintenance on behalf of the property owner of such short-term
rental property for compensation. This term shall not include a hosting platform.
(b)(1) All on-site employees of an inn and every third-party property manager of a
short-term rental property in this state shall be required to receive annual human
trafficking awareness training within 60 days of employment and on an annual basis
thereafter, with the training being completed by December 31 during the first full year
of employment.
(2) The training requirements contained in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not
apply to an inn employee or a third-party property manager of a short-term rental
property who has completed human trafficking awareness training that meets the criteria
set forth in this Code section within the 12 month period prior to July 1, 2026, and
</ins>
<ins>provides a record of completion to the owner, operator, or manager of the inn or
short-term rental property.
(c) The office shall, in consultation with the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association, the
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and hosting platforms, develop human trafficking
awareness training or identify existing training courses that include, but are not limited to,
the following:
(1) The definition of human trafficking and commercial exploitation of children;
(2) Guidance on how to identify individuals at risk for human trafficking;
(3) Guidance on how to identify the signs of human trafficking and individuals
potentially engaged in the act of human trafficking;
(4) The differences between labor and sex trafficking as such terms relate to the inn
industry;
(5) Guidance on the role of hospitality employees in reporting and responding to this
issue; and
(6) The contact information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline or local law
enforcement agency.
(d) Every owner, operator, or manager of an inn or short-term rental property in this state
shall implement procedures and adopt policies for the reporting of suspected human
trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline or local law enforcement agency.
(e) Every owner, operator, or manager of an inn or a short-term rental property in this state
shall comply with the posting requirements in Code Section 16-5-47, and the sheriff of the
county or the local law enforcement agency where such inn or short-term rental property
is located or the municipal police department having jurisdiction over such location shall
assist in enforcement of such posting requirements.
(f) Any person who operates an inn or short-term rental property in this state shall
maintain records of employee training acknowledgments. Such records shall be retained
by the inn or short-term rental property for the period during which the employee is
</ins>
<ins>employed by such inn or short-term rental property and for one year after such employment
ends. An inn or short-term rental property shall provide records to the office no later than
ten business days after such request is made in writing by such office.
(g) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed as creating a private cause of action
against an inn, or its employees, for any act or omission arising out of the requirements of
this Code section or in any way limiting or impairing the rights or remedies which are
otherwise available to a victim of human trafficking under any other law.
(h)(1) The office may impose against any owner, operator, or manager of an inn or a
short-term rental property who willfully and knowingly violates the requirements of this
Code section an administrative penalty of:
(A) For a first violation, $500.00;
(B) For a second violation, $1,000.00; and
(C) For a third or subsequent violation, $2,000.00.
(2) The clear proceeds of administrative penalties assessed pursuant to this subsection
shall be remitted to the office.
(i) This Code section shall not apply to short-term rental properties:
(1) That are managed directly and exclusively by the individual property owner or
owners; provided, however, that this exemption shall apply regardless of whether such
property owner or owners use or does not use a hosting platform for such rental property;
or
(2) That are offered for rent for less than a total of 15 days per calendar year."
</ins> SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.