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S3934
SENATE, No. 3934
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED MARCH 12, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Senator� CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.
District 9 (Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires hotels to establish telecommunications
system that connects callers directly to NJ Human Trafficking Hotline; requires
hotel employees to report human trafficking alerts to law enforcement.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning human trafficking
and supplementing P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-1 et seq.).
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� As used in this act:
���� �Commissioner� means the
Commissioner of Community Affairs.
���� �Guest room� means a private
room made available by a hotel for occupancy by a guest.� A guest room may be
comprised of several interconnected rooms, such as a bathroom, living room, or
multiple bedrooms, in the case of a suite.
���� �Guest room telephone� means a
telecommunications device located in a guest room of a hotel that can make or
receive phone calls.
���� �Hotel� means the same as that
term is defined in paragraph (j) of section 3 of P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-3).
���� �Hotel employee� means any
natural person who works full-time or part-time performing housekeeping, room
service, or security duties at a hotel for or under the direction of the hotel
employer or any subcontractor of the hotel employer for wages, salary, or
remuneration of any type under a contract or subcontract of employment.
���� 2.��� a.� Except as provided
in subsection c. of this section, the owner of a building or structure that
qualifies as a hotel under P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-1 et seq.), or registered
as a hotel with the Commissioner of Community Affairs, shall:
���� (1)�� establish and maintain a
telecommunications system that allows a person to dial �4-8� from a guest room
telephone to connect that person directly to the New Jersey Human Trafficking
Hotline that is operated by the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department
of Law and Public Safety; and
���� (2)�� ensure that at least one
guest room telephone is installed and operational in each guest room.
���� b.��� The telecommunications
system required pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be:
���� (1)�� approved by the
commissioner and registered on forms provided by the Department of Community
Affairs; and
���� (2)�� capable of providing an alert
to a hotel employee when a person has dialed the number �4-8� on a guest room
telephone. �An employee who receives an alert pursuant to this subsection shall
immediately report the alert to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
���� c.���� The commissioner may
exempt certain hotels or similar establishments from the requirements of this
section based on factors including, but not limited to, the size of the
establishment, the availability of guest room telephones, or other criteria as
determined by the commissioner.
���� d.��� The commissioner, in
consultation with the Attorney General, pursuant to the �Administrative
Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) shall adopt rules and
regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of
enactment, except that the Commissioner of Community Affairs may take any
anticipatory action necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires hotels to
establish a telecommunications system that connects callers directly to the New
Jersey Human Trafficking Hotline when �4-8� is dialed from a guest room
telephone.� The bill also requires hotel employees to report human trafficking
alerts to law enforcement.
���� The bill defines �hotel� as �any
building, including but not limited to any related structure, accessory
building, and land appurtenant thereto, and any part thereof, which contains 10
or more units of dwelling space or has sleeping facilities for 25 or more
persons and is kept, used, maintained, advertised as, or held out to be a place
where sleeping or dwelling accommodations are available to transient or
permanent guests.�
���� An owner of a building or
structure that qualifies as a hotel under current law or registered as a hotel
with the Commissioner of Community Affairs is required to establish and
maintain a telecommunications system that allows a person to dial �4-8� from a
guest room telephone to connect that person directly to the New Jersey Human
Trafficking Hotline.� Additionally, the bill requires that at least one guest
room telephone be installed and operational in each guest room.
���� Under the bill, the
telecommunications system is to be approved by the commissioner and registered
with the Department of Community Affairs.� Additionally, the telecommunications
system is to be capable of providing an alert to a hotel employee when a person
has dialed the number �4-8� on a guest room telephone. �An employee who
receives an alert is required to immediately report the alert to the
appropriate law enforcement agency.
���� The commissioner may exempt
certain hotels or similar establishments from the requirements of this bill
based on factors including the size of the establishment, the availability of
guest room telephones, or other criteria as determined by the commissioner.