Provides that lactation rooms in service areas which are maintained or operated by the New York state thruway authority shall display information for services related to human trafficking.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4586
SPONSOR: Paulin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to information
concerning services for human trafficking victims in certain facilities
at service areas
PURPOSE:
To require the Thruway Authority to provide information concerning
services for human trafficking victims in lactation rooms.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends section 389 of the public authorities law, to require
the Thruway Authority to make cards or signs available in any lactation
rooms in its service areas, containing information on services for traf-
ficking victims, as well as the national human trafficking hotline
number.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON THAT GENERATES $150 BILLION IN
ANNUAL PROFITS. IN 2021, AN ESTIMATED 25 MILLION PEOPLE WERE TRAF-
FICKED-75 PERCENT OF THOSE VICTIMS BEING WOMEN AND CHILDREN. TRAFFICK-
ERS DEPEND ON TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS TO OPERATE AND PROFIT.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 27 SERVICE AREAS LOCATED AT CONVENIENT INTERVALS
ALONG THE NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY. A 2018 POLARIS STUDY ESTIMATED THAT
OVER 80% OF TRAFFICKERS USE MOTOR VEHICLES TO MOVE THEIR VICTIMS.
THEREFORE, IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT TRAFFICKERS AND THEIR VICTIMS WILL
PASS THROUGH THESE SERVICE AREAS. MOST VICTIMS ARE HEAVILY SUPERVISED
AND CONTROLLED, PREVENTING THEM FROM SAFELY SEEKING HELP OR FINDING
RESOURCES WITHOUT FEAR OF RETALIATION.
CHAPTER 394 OF 2022 REQUIRED THE THRUWAY AUTHORITY TO VISIBLY POST HUMAN
TRAFFICKING INFORMATIONAL SIGNS OR CARDS IN THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS IN ITS
SERVICE AREAS. THIS LEGISLATION WOULD REQUIRE THE SIGNS OR CARDS TO ALSO
BE POSTED IN ANY LACTATION ROOMS. THROUGH THIS LEGISLATION, SERVICE
AREAS CAN CONTINUE TO ASSUME A MORE PROMINENT ROLE IN HELPING TO PREVENT
HUMAN TRAFFICKING. IT WILL ALSO AFFORD VICTIMS THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES
TO HOPEFULLY ESCAPE THEIR CAPTORS.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.10705 of 2022, referred to corporations.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
On the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4586
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 17, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to information
concerning services for human trafficking victims in certain facili-
ties at service areas
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 389 of the public authorities law, as added by
2 chapter 394 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 389. Information concerning services for human trafficking victims
4 in facilities at service areas. 1. In addition to providing information
5 concerning services for human trafficking victims, including the
6 national human trafficking hotline telephone number on its closed
7 circuit television systems, any service area maintained or operated by
8 the authority shall make available in plain view and in a conspicuous
9 place and manner in the public restrooms and in any lactation rooms,
10 informational cards and/or signs developed by:
11 [(i)] (a) the office of temporary and disability assistance in consul-
12 tation with the New York state interagency task force on human traffick-
13 ing; or
14 [(ii)] (b) the United States Department of Homeland Security.
15 2. All informational cards and signs shall only contain information
16 concerning services for human trafficking victims and shall prominently
17 include the national human trafficking hotline telephone number.
18 3. For purposes of this section, "lactation room" shall mean a hygien-
19 ic place, other than a restroom, that: (a) is shielded from view; (b) is
20 free from intrusion; (c) contains a chair, a working surface, and, if
21 the building is otherwise supplied with electricity, an electrical
22 outlet; and (d) is intended to be used for the primary purpose of
23 breastfeeding or expressing breast milk.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
25 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04693-01-3
