WASHINGTON (Feb. 15, 2024) – After the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation from Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act for five years, American Hotel & Lodging Association President & CEO Chip Rogers released the following statement:
“The hotel industry is united behind preventing human trafficking and helping survivors, and AHLA applauds House lawmakers for this bipartisan vote to extend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act,” said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers. “The bill provides vital funding for trafficking prevention and awareness efforts as well as housing, employment, and education programs for trafficking survivors. These initiatives complement AHLA Foundation’s No Room For Trafficking initiative, which supports human trafficking prevention efforts in the hotel and lodging industry.”
Background
The House-passed bill, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act (HR 5856), now moves to the Senate for consideration.
AHLA Foundation’s No Room For Trafficking (NRFT) effort unites the hotel industry around a comprehensive approach to identifying, reporting and preventing human trafficking, while supporting survivors on their path forward.
- NRFT centers on training staff on how to spot and respond to human trafficking, displaying human trafficking indicator signage in hotels, establishing company-wide policies, coordinating with law enforcement, and sharing success stories and best practices.
- More than 1.6 million training sessions have been conducted under the initiative since 2020.