HB289 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Merika ColemanSenator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

Human trafficking, National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline notice, criminal penalties for failure to display further provided, Sec. 13A-6-170 am'd.

Summary

HB289 raises the penalties and expands posting requirements for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline poster in certain establishments.

What This Bill Does

It increases the penalty for a second or later violation from a warning/$25 to $250. It designates state agencies (Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Public Service Commission, and Department of Labor) to enforce the rule and to adopt enforcement rules. It requires specific establishments to display a NHRTC poster at entrances, with content about the hotline, languages, and access options, and it requires posters to be available online or mailed to businesses. It clarifies local-funding requirements under Amendment 621 by exempting the bill from needing local approval, and it takes effect January 1, 2021.

Who It Affects

• Establishments listed in the bill (e.g., liquor-license holders, hotels deemed nuisances, massage parlors, airports, train stations, rest areas, gas stations, and striptease venues) must display the poster and may face fines for noncompliance.
• State enforcement agencies (Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Public Service Commission, and Department of Labor) will enforce the posting rule and provide/post the posters online, plus issue rules for enforcement; fines collected fund trafficking education and programs.

Key Provisions

• Penalties: first violation is a warning; each subsequent violation carries a fine, increased to $250 per violation with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate violation.
• Posting requirements: establishments must display a poster at a public entrance or conspicuous location; the poster must include hotline information, multilingual access details, and how to get help; the poster must be available for printing from specified websites or mailed to the business.
• Enforcement and rules: the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Public Service Commission, and Department of Labor will enforce the section and adopt implementing rules.
• Funding and local-government note: fines deposited to the Attorney General's Special Revenue Account to fund education and programs related to human trafficking; the bill is exempt from local-funding approval requirements due to specified exceptions in Amendment 621.
• Effective date: January 1, 2021.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Human Trafficking