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Substitute Senate Bill No. 116
Public Act No. 26-98
AN ACT CONCERNING THE PREVENTION OF HUMAN
TRAFFICKING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section:
(1) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Consumer
Protection;
(2) "Department" means the Department of Consumer Protection;
(3) "Hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging" means any commercial
establishment in this state where sleeping accommodations are offered
to transient guests for compensation;
(4) "Operator" means any person doing business in this state who
owns or operates a hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging; and
(5) "Person" means any individual, association, corporation, limited
liability company, partnership, trust or other legal entity.
(b) (1) On and after January 1, 2027, each operator shall register with
the Department of Consumer Protection in a form and manner
prescribed by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection. Each operator
seeking an initial registration under this subdivision shall submit to the
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department, in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, (A)
an initial registration form that includes (i) the operator's name, business
address, telephone number and electronic mail address, (ii) the name,
business address, telephone number and e lectronic mail address of an
individual who will serve as the operator's main contact person for the
department, (iii) the address of each hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging
owned or operated by the operator, (iv) information sufficient to
demonstrate, to the commissioner's satisfaction, that the operator is in
compliance with the provisions of sections 44-4 to 44-6, inclusive, of the
general statutes, as amended by this act, and section 54 -234a of the
general statutes, as amended by this act, and (v) any other information
required by the commissioner for the purposes of this section, and (B) a
nonrefundable initial registration fee in the amount of (i) fifty dollars for
each hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging owned or operated by the
operator that has f ewer than fifteen guest rooms, or (ii) two hundred
dollars for each hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging owned or operated
by the operator that has at least fifteen guest rooms.
(2) Each initial registration issued under subdivision (1) of this
subsection shall expire on December thirty -first of the year in which
such initial registration was issued, and may be renewed for additional
one-year periods upon submission of a registration renewal form in the
form and manner, and payment of a nonrefundable registration renewal
fee in the amount, set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection for an
initial registration.
(c) On and after January 1, 2027, the Commissioner of Consumer
Protection, or the commissioner's authorized agent, shall have the
power to examine, copy and audit, as the commissioner or such agent
deems necessary and proper, the records maintained by an o perator to
ensure that such operator is in compliance with the provisions of
sections 44-4 to 44 -6, inclusive, of the general statutes, as amended by
this act, and section 54-234a of the general statutes, as amended by this
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act. The commissioner, or the commissioner's authorized agent, shall
have access to, and may enter and inspect, each hotel, motel, inn or
similar lodging, and each location where records relating thereto are
kept, as may be necessary for the commissioner or such agent to exercise
the commissioner's or such agent's powers under this section.
Sec. 2. Section 44 -4 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
(a) As used in this section, "hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging" and
"operator" have the same meanings as provided in section 1 of this act.
(b) The operator of [each] a hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging shall
maintain a record-keeping system of all guest transactions and receipts.
All records maintained pursuant to this section shall be retained by the
operator of [such] the hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging for not less
than six months from the date of creation of the record.
(c) Any operator who violates the provisions of subsection (b) of this
section shall be subject to a civil penalty imposed by the Department of
Consumer Protection in the amount of one thousand dollars per
violation, provided the amount of all civil penalt ies imposed on an
operator under this subsection shall not exceed an aggregate amount of
five thousand dollars for the calendar year in which such violations
occurred.
Sec. 3. Section 44 -5 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
(a) As used in this section, "hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging" and
"operator" have the same meanings as provided in section 1 of this act.
(b) The operator of [each] a hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging shall
ensure that each employee of [such] the hotel, motel, inn or similar
lodging [receive] receives training at the time of hire on the (1)
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recognition of potential victims of human trafficking, and (2) activities
commonly associated with human trafficking. In addition, such
operator shall conduct ongoing awareness campaigns for employees on
the activities commonly associated with human trafficking.
(c) On or before October [1, 2017, and] first, annually, [thereafter,] the
operator of [each] a hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging shall certify that
each employee of [any such establishment ] the hotel, motel, inn or
similar lodging has received the training prescribed by subsection (b) of
this section in [each] such employee's personnel file.
(d) Any operator who violates the provisions of subsection (b) or (c)
of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty imposed by the
Department of Consumer Protection in the amount of one thousand
dollars per violation, provided the amount of all civil penalties imposed
on an operator under this subsection shall not exceed an aggregate
amount of five thousand dollars for the calendar year in which such
violations occurred.
Sec. 4. Section 44 -6 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
(a) As used in this section, "hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging" and
"operator" have the same meanings as provided in section 1 of this act.
(b) When offering or providing a room that includes sleeping
accommodations, no operator of a hotel, motel , inn or similar lodging
may offer or provide a financial discount or benefit for such room that
is based upon an hourly rate or an occupancy period that is for a term
of twelve hours or less.
(c) Any operator who violates the provisions of subsection (b) of this
section shall be subject to a civil penalty imposed by the Department of
Consumer Protection in the amount of one thousand dollars per
violation, provided the amount of all civil penalties imposed on an
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operator under this subsection shall not exceed an aggregate amount of
five thousand dollars for the calendar year in which such violations
occurred.
Sec. 5. Section 54 -234a of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
(a) (1) The operator of any (A) establishment that provides massage
services for a fee; (B) publicly or privately operated highway service
plaza; (C) [hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging; (D) ] public airport, as
defined in section 15-74a; [(E)] (D) acute care hospital emergency room;
[(F)] (E) urgent care facility; [(G)] (F) station offering passenger rail
service or passenger bus service; [(H)] (G) business that sells or offers
for sale materials or promotes performances intended for an adult-only
audience; [(I)] (H) employment agency, as defined in section 31-129, that
offers personnel services to any other operator described in this
subdivision; [(J)] (I) establishment that provides services performed by
a nail technician, as defined in section 19a-231; [or (K)] (J) establishment
that provides services performed by an esthetician, as defined in section
20-265a; or (K) hotel, motel, inn or similar lodging , and (2) each person
who holds an on -premises consumption permit for the retail sale of
alcoholic liqu or pursuant to title 30, shall post the notice developed
pursuant to subsection (b) of section 54 -222 in plain view in a
conspicuous location where labor and services are provided or
performed, tickets are sold and other transactions, including sales, are
to be carried on.
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to
any person who holds an on-premises consumption permit for the retail
sale of alcoholic liquor pursuant to title 30 that consists of only one or
more of the following: (1) A caterer, boat, military, charitable
organization, special club, temporary liquor or temporary beer permit,
or (2) a manufacturer permit for a farm winery, a manufacturer permit
for beer, manufacturer permits for beer and brew pubs, or any other
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manufacturer permit issued under title 30.
(c) (1) Any operator or person who fails to comply with [the
provisions of] any provision of subparagraphs (A) to (J), inclusive, of
subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section or subdivision (2) of
subsection (a) of this section shall pay a civil penalty of one hundred
dollars for a first violation and two hundred fifty dollars for any
subsequent violation, imposed by the appropriate authority. [,]
(2) Any operator who fails to comply with the provisions of
subparagraph (K) of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section shall
pay a civil penalty of one thousand dollars per violation imposed by the
Department of Consumer Protection , provided the amount of all civil
penalties imposed on an operator under this subdivision shall not
exceed an aggregate amount of five thousand dollars for the calendar
year in which such violations occurred.
(3) Each civil penalty imposed under subdivision (1) or (2) of this
subsection shall be in addition to any proceedings for suspension or
revocation of a license, permit or certificate that the appropriate
authority may initiate under any other provision of law.